South Carolina Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced South Carolina employment attorneys who handle SCHAL discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Rock Hill.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a South Carolina attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free South Carolina employment case review

A South Carolina attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your South Carolina employment case

When you submit a South Carolina employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under South Carolina law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in South Carolina who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in South Carolina

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A South Carolina employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many South Carolina employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Within 180 days
Suit is filed if it has to be.
South Carolina gives 180 days for this step. Missing it can end the claim before it starts.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: SCHAL
South Carolina Human Affairs Law (SCHAL), S.C. Code Ann. § 1-13-10 et seq. Protected: race, color, religion, sex (incl. pregnancy), national origin, age 40+, disability. Sexual orientation and gender identity covered federally (Bostock).
Deadline to File Charge: 180 days
180 days to file with the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC). Work-share with EEOC.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with public-policy exception (Ludwick v. This Minute of Carolina, 1985). Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation (S.C. Code § 41-1-80), jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: Reasonableness test
Reasonableness test on time, geography, scope, and protectable interest. SC courts permit limited blue-pencil reformation. Adequate consideration required beyond at-will employment.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $7.25
SC minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour (no state statute). Overtime under federal FLSA only. SC Payment of Wages Act (§ 41-10-10) provides remedies for unpaid wages.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The South Carolina Human Affairs Law (SCHAL, S.C. Code Ann. § 1-13-10 et seq.) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40+), and disability at employers with 15+ employees. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not statutorily protected at state level but covered federally under Title VII per Bostock. Charges are filed with the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC) within 180 days. SC is at-will with a public-policy exception (Ludwick v. This Minute of Carolina). Non-competes evaluated under reasonableness; SC courts permit limited blue-pencil. SC minimum wage tracks federal $7.25/hour. SC has no state paid sick or family leave.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in South Carolina

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in South Carolina

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

SCHAL and Title VII.

Sound like yours? A South Carolina attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do South Carolina employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

South Carolina · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most South Carolina employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

South Carolina employment attorneys typically work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — 33%–40% of recovery. SCHAL, SC Payment of Wages Act (treble damages), and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your South Carolina employment compensation can include

A South Carolina employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under SCHAL and federal law. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

South Carolina employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a South Carolina attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

File with the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC) within 180 days. SCHAC has a work-share with the EEOC.

SCHAL covers race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40+), and disability. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not statutorily protected at state level but Title VII covers both per Bostock.

Sometimes. SC applies a reasonableness test on time, geography, scope, and protectable interest. SC courts permit limited blue-pencil reformation. Adequate consideration is required.

SC tracks federal at $7.25/hour. There is no state minimum-wage statute.

No.

No. S.C. Code § 41-1-80 prohibits retaliation for workers' comp claims.

Not without legal review. SCHAL and federal claims often remain valuable.

Employment attorneys by city in South Carolina

Same South Carolina rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in South Carolina

All South Carolina practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysSC holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for an unprovoked bite with no need to prove the dog had bitten before.

Business Dispute attorneysSC enforces reasonable non-competes — and the state courts apply a well-defined reasonableness test.

Car Accident attorneysSC is a fault state with a 51% fault bar — and minimum auto liability of $25K/$50K leaves many crashes underinsured.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe SC Unfair Trade Practices Act lets consumers recover triple damages plus attorney fees for willful violations.

Criminal Defense attorneysSC’s sentencing structure, plus three-strikes enhancements, make plea positioning critical from day one.

Defective Product attorneysSC recognizes strict products liability — and its products liability law follows the widely used national standard.

Family Law attorneysSC is an equitable-distribution state — and state law lists 15 factors governing property division, with adultery as a relevant ground.

Immigration attorneysSC has immigration court in Charlotte (NC, serves SC) — and growing immigrant populations in Greenville, Columbia, and the Lowcountry drive case volume.

Lemon Law attorneysThe SC Lemon Law covers new vehicles within 1 year/12,000 miles — and the manufacturer pays your attorney fees if you win.

Medical Malpractice attorneysSC med-mal requires a Notice of Intent and an expert affidavit before filing — with strict 90-day notice rules.

Personal Injury attorneysA three-year filing deadline and a 51% fault bar frame every SC injury case.

Slip and Fall attorneysSC premises liability turns on notice and the invitee/licensee/trespasser classification — with the state Supreme Court framing the modern analysis.

Social Security Disability attorneysSC disability hearing offices in Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston process moderate volumes — and Fourth Circuit federal precedent shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysSC workers’ comp runs through the state Workers’ Compensation Commission — and wage benefits are two-thirds of your average weekly wage.

South Carolina Employment Attorneys

How we match your South Carolina employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in South Carolina

Something happens at work.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the record.

Demand, or an agency charge.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or judgment.

When to call an employment attorney in South Carolina

Employment cases we take in South Carolina

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination (40+)

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower

Wage and hour (SC + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA leave issues

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do South Carolina employment attorneys cost?

What your South Carolina employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

South Carolina employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in South Carolina

Other case types in South Carolina

Ready when you are.

Your help is just

a minute away.

Start your case

in minutes.