South Carolina § 20-4-20 Definitions.

South Carolina Statutes

§ 20-4-20 — Definitions.

South Carolina § 20-4-20

Title 20DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Ch. 4PROTECTION FROM DOMESTIC ABUSE

This text of South Carolina § 20-4-20 (Definitions.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

S.C. Code Ann. § 20-4-20 (2026).

Text

As used in this chapter:

(a)"Abuse" means:

(1)physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the threat of physical harm;

(2)sexual criminal offenses, as otherwise defined by statute, committed against a family or household member by a family or household member. For validity of (b), see Editors' Notes below.

(b)"Household member" means:

(i)a spouse;

(ii)a former spouse;

(iii)persons who have a child in common;

(iv)a male and female who are cohabiting or formerly have cohabited.

(c)"Court" means the Family Court.

(d)"Petitioner" means the person alleging abuse in a petition for an order of protection.

(e)"Respondent" in a petition for an order of protection means the person alleged to have abused another or a person alleged to have aided and abetted such abuse.

(f)"Order of protecti

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As used in this chapter: (a) "Abuse" means: (1) physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the threat of physical harm; (2) sexual criminal offenses, as otherwise defined by statute, committed against a family or household member by a family or household member. For validity of (b), see Editors' Notes below. (b) "Household member" means: (i) a spouse; (ii) a former spouse; (iii) persons who have a child in common; (iv) a male and female who are cohabiting or formerly have cohabited. (c) "Court" means the Family Court. (d) "Petitioner" means the person alleging abuse in a petition for an order of protection. (e) "Respondent" in a petition for an order of protection means the person alleged to have abused another or a person alleged to have aided and abetted such abuse. (f) "Order of protection" means an order of protection issued to protect the petitioner or minor household members from the abuse of another household member where the respondent has received notice of the proceedings and has had an opportunity to be heard.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 1984 Act No. 484, SECTION 2; 1994 Act No. 519, SECTIONS 2, 3, eff September 23, 1994; 2003 Act No. 92, SECTION 11, eff January 1, 2004; 2005 Act No. 166, SECTION 7, eff January 1, 2006. Validity For validity of (b) of this section, see Jane Doe v. State of South Carolina, 421 S.C. 490, 808 S.E.2d 807 (2017), rehearing granted (Nov. 17, 2017).