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Filing for divorce in Georgia

What you file, where you file, what it costs, and the rules that catch people out. Compiled from Georgia court and statute sources.

How to read these entries.

This is general legal information compiled from state court websites, state statutes, and official self-help materials. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with anyone.

Why we publish it. Most people meet the family law system once, at the worst moment of their life, knowing nothing about it. That gap is where people get overcharged and poorly served. This page exists so you can walk in already knowing roughly how your state works, ask sharper questions, and recognize when an answer does not sound right. It is here to help you hold your attorney to a standard, not to replace what they do.

Talk to a lawyer licensed in your state. That is the normal path, not a fallback for when something goes wrong. Nothing here can account for the facts of your marriage, your finances, or your children, and those facts are usually what determines the outcome. Many states also have free legal aid and court self-help centers, and we link to them by state.

Verify before you rely on anything. Every entry cites its source. Follow that citation to the official state site and confirm it still says what we say it says, and that it applies to your situation. Filing fees, form numbers, e-filing rules, and local standing orders change frequently, and a form number that was right last year can get your filing rejected today.

The same state can treat you very differently depending on whether your spouse agrees, whether you have minor children, whether you file jointly or alone, and which county or judge hears it. Waiting periods run from filing in some states and from service in others. Deadlines described here as fixed are the statutory default, and a judge may still have narrow discretion in an emergency.

If you are in danger, do not wait on any of these timelines. An order of protection is a separate and much faster process than a divorce, and it does not depend on any waiting period described on this page.

Your roadmap
What you file
Complaint for Divorce, plus a Verification swearing the facts are true
Summons and General Civil and Domestic Relations Case Filing Information Form
Settlement Agreement, for uncontested cases
Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit, required under Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.2 when child support, alimony, or property is at issue
Acknowledgment of Service, if your spouse will sign instead of being served
Parenting Plan and Child Support Addendum with worksheets, if you have children
Final Judgment and Decree of Divorce, filed with the Case Disposition Information Form
Poverty Affidavit or Affidavit of Indigence, the fee waiver
Where you fileClerk of Superior Court, generally in the county where your spouse lives. Many counties have a standing order you must file and serve.
What it costsRoughly $200 to $256 by county, plus about $50 to $100 for service. Waivable if your income is at or below 125% of federal poverty guidelines.
The sequence
1. Confirm you meet the six-month residency rule and identify the right county, which is usually where your spouse lives.
2. Prepare the complaint and supporting forms, notarizing anything with a notary block.
3. File with the Superior Court clerk, in person or through your county's e-filing portal, and pay the fee.
4. Serve your spouse by sheriff or process server, or have them sign an Acknowledgment of Service.
5. Wait the 30 days that run from service, not from filing. Your spouse has 30 days to answer, or 60 to 90 if out of state or abroad.
6. Submit the final paperwork. An uncontested hearing usually runs 15 to 30 minutes, and with a complete signed agreement some counties finish without one.
Georgia has no single statewide packet, so counties differ on local forms and standing orders. Check with the clerk in your filing county before you submit.
Court forms

Georgia divorces are filed in Superior Court. Core documents include the Complaint for Divorce, a Verification, a Summons, and a Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit; with children you add a Parenting Plan and Child Support Worksheet. Filing fees run about $200 to $230 by county.

Georgia Courts: divorce formsOfficial self-help divorce forms from the Georgia Judicial Branch, free to download.
State rules and gotchas

Six months of residency, and the 30-day wait only applies to no-fault Verified Jul 2026

At least one spouse must be a bona fide Georgia resident for six months before filing. On the standard no-fault ground, the court cannot grant the divorce until 30 days after your spouse is served. Filing on a fault ground skips that 30-day wait.

Source: O.C.G.A. Sections 19-5-2 and 19-5-3. Confirm with the court.

Georgia is one of the few states where a jury can decide your divorce Verified Jul 2026

Unlike almost everywhere else, either spouse can demand a jury trial on contested money issues like property division and alimony (custody is still decided by the judge). That option can raise the stakes and cost of fighting instead of settling.

Source: O.C.G.A. Section 19-5-1 and Georgia court practice. Confirm with the court.

Equitable distribution, and adultery can cost you alimony Verified Jul 2026

Georgia divides marital property fairly, not automatically 50/50, and it is not a community-property state. Fault matters here: a spouse whose adultery or desertion caused the divorce can be barred from receiving alimony entirely.

Source: O.C.G.A. Sections 19-5-13 and 19-6-1. Confirm with the court.

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