Find Dissolution Of Marriage Records in Evans GA
Evans residents searching for dissolution of marriage records or preparing to file a case will work with the Columbia County Superior Court, and the clerk's office is located right in Evans itself. This page covers where to go, how to search records online, what the filing process involves, and which statewide resources are available for Columbia County dissolution cases.
Evans Quick Facts
Columbia County Superior Court Clerk: Located in Evans
Evans is a census-designated place in Columbia County, part of the Augusta metro area near Richmond County. The Columbia County Superior Court Clerk's office is located at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Building C, Evans, GA 30809. The phone number is (706) 312-7139. The clerk's office is right in Evans, which means residents do not have to travel to a separate county seat to file dissolution papers or get certified copies.
A quick note on geography: Evans County is a separate county in eastern Georgia. The dissolution records for Evans, Georgia, are kept in Columbia County, not Evans County. This distinction matters when you are searching online or directing requests to the right office. Columbia County is in the Augusta metro region, west of Richmond County.
The Columbia County Superior Court Clerk is the official keeper of all dissolution of marriage records for the county. When a dissolution case is filed, the clerk receives the petition, assigns a case number, collects the filing fee, and maintains the record through final decree. The clerk also processes requests for certified copies from anyone who needs official documentation of a past dissolution.
Searching Columbia County Dissolution Records Online
The GSCCCA Portal, run by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, is the primary statewide tool for searching dissolution records. Columbia County records are indexed in GSCCCA. You can search by party name at no charge and pull up basic case details including case numbers and filing dates. This is typically the fastest way to confirm whether a dissolution case exists and get the case number you need to request documents.
For certified copies of dissolution decrees and other recorded court documents, the GSCCCA also runs an eCertification service. You can order certified electronic copies through the system without visiting the Evans office in person. Certified electronic copies carry the same legal weight as paper copies from the clerk's window.
The GSCCCA eCertification portal allows Evans and Columbia County residents to request certified copies of dissolution of marriage records online without visiting the clerk's office.
The re:SearchGA portal is another option for locating case records from Georgia courts. Coverage of Columbia County may vary, so use it as a secondary check alongside the GSCCCA. For historical cases not in any online database, the Georgia Archives may hold the records you need.
Filing a Dissolution Case in Columbia County
To file for dissolution of marriage as an Evans resident, you bring the completed petition to the Columbia County Superior Court Clerk at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Building C. The clerk processes the filing and collects the fee. Georgia Superior Court filing fees for dissolution petitions are typically around $200 to $215. Call (706) 312-7139 before visiting to confirm the current fee and office hours.
At least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for six months before filing. Once the respondent is served, the mandatory 30-day waiting period begins. The court cannot issue a final decree before those 30 days have passed. This wait applies to all dissolution cases, contested or uncontested.
Georgia uses a no-fault approach. You do not need to prove that either spouse did anything wrong. The standard ground is irretrievable breakdown. In uncontested cases where both parties agree on property, debts, and any child-related issues, the process moves fairly smoothly once the waiting period ends and a judge reviews the agreement. Contested cases take longer and typically involve mediation, discovery, and court hearings before a final order is entered.
Once the judge signs the final decree, the clerk records it as a public document. Anyone who later needs a copy can request it from the clerk's office or through the GSCCCA eCertification system.
Note: The Superior Court Clerk cannot give legal advice. If you need help understanding your rights or filling out forms, consult a licensed Georgia attorney or a legal aid organization serving the Augusta-Columbia County area.
Georgia DPH Vital Records: Dissolution Verifications
The Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records office holds a statewide verification index for dissolutions finalized from 1952 through 1996. If you need to confirm that a dissolution happened during that period, submit DPH Form 3917 with a $10 fee. The DPH sends back a verification document with the basic details of the case.
The DPH verification is not a copy of the court decree. It is a confirmation drawn from the state index. For the actual decree or any of the case documents, the Columbia County Superior Court Clerk at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive is the source. Cases after 1996 are not in the DPH system, so the clerk is the only option for more recent dissolutions.
Georgia Vital Records through DPH provides dissolution of marriage verifications for cases from 1952 to 1996, useful as a supplement to Columbia County court records for older Evans-area cases.
Georgia Dissolution Law and Statewide Resources
Dissolution of marriage in Georgia is governed by Title 19, Chapter 5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The statute listing the grounds for dissolution is O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3. The full chapter covering dissolution procedures is at Title 19, Chapter 5. These laws make clear that Superior Courts have exclusive jurisdiction, which is why Columbia County Superior Court handles all Evans dissolution cases.
The Georgia Courts website provides accessible explanations of the family law process and what to expect from filing through final decree. The Superior Court Clerks of Georgia site and its Find My Clerk tool let you verify current contact information for the Columbia County clerk any time you need it.
For electronic filing, Georgia courts use PeachCourt. Whether the Columbia County Superior Court accepts PeachCourt submissions for dissolution filings is worth confirming by calling (706) 312-7139 before you submit anything electronically. Some courts prefer in-person filing for initial dissolution petitions even when they accept eFiling for later documents in the same case.
Columbia County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
All dissolution of marriage cases for Evans residents are filed and maintained at the Columbia County Superior Court Clerk, located right in Evans at 630 Ronald Reagan Drive, Building C. The county page has full clerk contact information, online search links, fee details, and instructions for certified copy requests.