{"data":{"id":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-20-4-20","jurisdiction":"us-sc","citation":"S.C. Code Ann. § 20-4-20","heading":"Definitions.","body":"As used in this chapter:\n(a) \"Abuse\" means:\n(1) physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or the threat of physical harm;\n(2) sexual criminal offenses, as otherwise defined by statute, committed against a family or household member by a family or household member.\nFor validity of (b), see Editors' Notes below.\n(b) \"Household member\" means:\n(i) a spouse;\n(ii) a former spouse;\n(iii) persons who have a child in common;\n(iv) a male and female who are cohabiting or formerly have cohabited.\n(c) \"Court\" means the Family Court.\n(d) \"Petitioner\" means the person alleging abuse in a petition for an order of protection.\n(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.\n(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.","path":["Title 20 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS","CHAPTER 4 Protection from Domestic Abuse","ARTICLE 1 Protection From Domestic Abuse Act"],"source_url":"https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t20c004.php","current_through":"2025 Session of the General Assembly","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-02T06:48:24Z","sha256":"349f8dbd93b1c64a0d7624dd76d3e1f315500491cf7ec04eb9a6b3ec233a385d","source_id":"us-sc","stale":false,"prev":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-20-4-10","next":"us-sc/s.c.-code-ann.-20-4-30"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}