SOUTH CAROLINA Part 20

The court can “award joint custody to both parents, or sole custody to either parent,” but regardless of the custody determination, the family court can “allocate parenting time in the best interest of the child.”  Where “an order for custody affect[s] the rights and responsibilities of the parents, the order can include (1) “approval of a parenting plan,” (2) an award of sole custody or joint custody, and (3) “other custody arrangements as the court may determine to be in the best interest of the child.”  In the court’s final order, a determination of custody must be accompanied by the court’s reasoning for the decision.