Richland County’s McCulloch elected president of national probate judges’ group
.jpg)
Richland County Probate Judge Amy McCulloch has been elected president of the National College of Probate Judges.
McCulloch, a former 5th Circuit assistant solicitor from 1991-1996, was first elected to probate judge in Richland County in 1998 and has been re-elected to successive four-year terms ever since.
Probate judges oversee estates of deceased persons, guardianship issues, marriage licenses, the involuntary commitment of individuals to institutions, or matters of trust. McCulloch has also worked on issues concerning mental and behavioral health, including abuse and suicide prevention.
McCulloch said in a telephone interview that she will aim at getting more education to probate judges as to how to oversee guardianships and conservatorships.
“Once a court appoints someone to manage an incapacitated person’s money and health, there needs to be a lot of oversight,” McCulloch said.
As baby boomers age, courts are being swamped with guardianship and conservatorship issues, she said. “Clearly managing them appropriately has got to be an emphasis.”
McCulloch is a Columbia native, a 1984 Dreher High School graduate, a 1987 University of South Carolina graduate and a 1990 USC Law School graduate.
Although the probate court does not normally make news, in 2014, McCulloch made headlines by being one of the first probate judges in South Carolina to issue gay marriage licenses after getting a green light from the U.S. Supreme Court. Up until that time, South Carolina banned gay marriage.
Among McCulloch’s accomplishments as probate judge has been establishing an online website for estate, marriage license and other issues.
The National College of Probate Judges, organized in 1968, is the only national organization exclusively dedicated to improving probate law and probate courts. Among its purposes: to provide continuing judicial education for probate judges and related personnel. Only 17 states have dedicated probate courts, the association says.