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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1

                     POWELL, GOLDSTEIN, FRAZER & MURPHY LLP
                           191 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E.
                                 SIXTEENTH FLOOR
                             ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303
                                 (404) 572-6600

                                 March 31, 2000



Sun Bancshares, Inc.
P.O. Box 1359
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina 29576

    RE:  REGISTRATION OF 1,150,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK AND WARRANTS TO
         PURCHASE 235,000 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK;

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to Sun Bancshares, Inc., a South Carolina
corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the registration under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to the Company's Registration
Statement on Form SB-2 (the "Registration Statement"), of up to 1,150,000 shares
(the "Shares") of common stock, no par value ("Common Stock"), of the Company
and warrants (the "Warrants") to purchase up to 235,000 shares of Common Stock.

         In this capacity, we have examined (1) the Registration Statement in
the form filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") on February 11, 2000, as amended by Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1
thereto, which is to be filed with the Commission on the date hereof, (2) the
proposed form of Underwriting Agreement (the "Underwriting Agreement") between
the Company and Wachovia Securities, Inc. to be used in effecting the sale of
the Shares, (3) originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our
satisfaction, of such corporate records, agreements, documents and other
instruments of the Company relating to the authorization and issuance of the
Shares and the Warrants, and (4) such other matters as we have deemed relevant
and necessary as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth.

         In conducting our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of
all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies and the
authenticity of the originals of such documents.

         Based upon the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, and subject to the
limitations and qualifications set forth herein, we are of the opinion that the
Shares, when issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with
the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, and the

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Sun Bancshares, Inc.
March 31, 2000
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Warrants, when issued and delivered to the organizers, will be legally and
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         We hereby consent to the use of this opinion as Exhibit 5.1 to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to our firm under the heading "Legal
Matters" in the prospectus which is a part of the Registration Statement.


                                      Very truly yours,



                                    /s/ POWELL, GOLDSTEIN, FRAZER & MURPHY LLP