South Carolina Code 63-7-430. Civil action for bad faith reporting
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
|
Other versions
(A) If the family court determines pursuant to § 63-7-2000 that a person has made a report of suspected child abuse or neglect maliciously or in bad faith or if a person has been found guilty of making a false report pursuant to § 63-7-440, the department may bring a civil action to recover the costs of the department’s investigation and proceedings associated with the investigation, including attorney’s fees. The department also is entitled to recover costs and attorney’s fees incurred in the civil action authorized by this section. The decision of whether to bring a civil action pursuant to this section is in the sole discretion of the department.
(B) If the family court determines pursuant to § 63-7-2000 that a person has made a false report of suspected child abuse or neglect maliciously or in bad faith or if a person has been found guilty of making a false report pursuant to § 63-7-440, a person who was subject of the false report has a civil cause of action against the person who made the false report and is entitled to recover from the person who made the false report such relief as may be appropriate, including:
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 63-7-430
- Child: means a person under the age of eighteen. See South Carolina Code 63-7-20
- Court: means the family court. See South Carolina Code 63-7-20
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Department: means the Department of Social Services. See South Carolina Code 63-7-20
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
(1) actual damages;
(2) punitive damages; and
(3) a reasonable attorney’s fee and other litigation costs reasonably incurred.