Search Redan Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Redan residents who need to file or look up dissolution of marriage records do so through the DeKalb County Superior Court, which serves this eastern DeKalb County community. As a Census-Designated Place, Redan does not have its own city court, so all dissolution cases are handled at the county level in Decatur. This page covers where to file, how to search existing records, what the process looks like, and what resources are available to residents working through a dissolution case.
Redan Quick Facts
Where Redan Residents File Dissolution Cases
All dissolution of marriage cases for Redan residents are filed at the DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk's office in Decatur. The address is 556 North McDonough Street, Decatur GA 30030. You can reach the clerk by phone at (404) 371-2836. The office handles all family law filings for the county, including dissolution petitions, settlement agreements, and final decree certifications.
Redan sits in the eastern part of DeKalb County, and the drive to the courthouse in Decatur is manageable for most residents. The North McDonough Street location is the main hub for civil filings. If you are filing in person, bring all required forms, a valid photo ID, and any supporting documents. Staff can accept your paperwork and tell you where to go next, but they are not able to give legal advice or tell you which forms apply to your specific situation.
DeKalb County Superior Court also accepts electronic filings through PeachCourt, the state-approved eFiling platform. This is useful for residents who cannot easily get to Decatur during business hours. You create an account, upload your documents, pay any applicable fees online, and submit. The clerk reviews and dockets the filing just as they would for an in-person submission.
More information about the DeKalb County judicial system, including court schedules and clerk contact details, is available at dekalbcountyga.gov. Note: Hours and procedures can change, so call ahead before making a special trip to the courthouse.
Residency and Waiting Period Rules
Georgia law sets two key requirements before a dissolution of marriage can move forward. First, at least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for at least six months before filing. Second, once the petition is filed and the other spouse is served, there is a mandatory 30-day waiting period before a final hearing can take place.
The six-month residency rule applies statewide. It does not matter which county you file in, as long as the residency requirement is met and you file in the county where you or your spouse lives. For Redan residents, that means filing in DeKalb County. If you recently moved to Georgia from another state, you may need to wait until the six-month mark before you can proceed.
The 30-day waiting period starts from the date the other spouse is formally served with the dissolution petition, not the date you filed the paperwork. In uncontested cases where both spouses agree on property, debts, and any children involved, the case can often be wrapped up relatively quickly after the waiting period ends. Contested cases take longer. Property disputes, custody disagreements, or issues with service can stretch a case out for months. Note: The 30 days is a minimum, not a guarantee of how fast your case will close.
Searching DeKalb County Dissolution Records Online
Dissolution of marriage records filed at the DeKalb County Superior Court are public records and can be searched through several tools. The most widely used is the GSCCCA Portal, which is the statewide Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority index. You can search by name and find basic case data such as the filing date, case number, and case status for many DeKalb County dissolution cases.
The GSCCCA search is free for basic lookups. It covers a broad range of years for DeKalb County cases. If you need to pull the actual documents, you may need to contact the clerk's office or request them through the portal's document services. Some records have scanned images available directly through the portal, while others require an in-person or mail request to the clerk.
The GSCCCA Portal also links to the eCertification system at ecert.gsccca.org, where you can order certified copies of certain court documents online. Certified copies are often needed for legal or official purposes, such as updating records after a decree is entered. The fee for certified copies is set by state law and is paid at the time of request.
For older dissolution records that predate the online index, you may need to contact the DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk directly or check with the Georgia Archives. The Archives holds historical court records and can be a useful resource for cases filed several decades ago.
The Georgia Department of Public Health maintains a divorce verification index covering cases from 1952 to 1996 at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords. This is a verification service, not a full record. You can use Form 3917 and pay a $10 fee to get a verification letter confirming that a dissolution was recorded in the state index. This is not the same as a certified copy from the Superior Court, but it can be useful for some administrative purposes.
The Find My Clerk directory on the Superior Court Clerks of Georgia website is a good starting point if you are not sure who to contact. It lists the clerk's name, address, phone, and website for every county in the state.
The Find My Clerk directory lists every Superior Court Clerk in Georgia, including DeKalb County.
Using this directory, you can confirm the current contact details for the DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk before reaching out.
The DeKalb County Superior Court System
DeKalb County is one of the busiest judicial counties in Georgia. The Superior Court handles a wide range of cases, including family law matters like dissolution of marriage, child custody, and adoption. The court is part of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit.
The DeKalb County judicial system website provides information on court divisions, judge assignments, and clerk services. If you need to check on a case status after filing, the clerk's office at (404) 371-2836 can help. You can also search online using the GSCCCA portal once a case is docketed.
The DeKalb County judicial system page provides court contact information and service details.
The clerk's office processes all incoming dissolution filings and maintains the permanent case records for DeKalb County.
If you are not sure whether your case involves DeKalb County or a neighboring county, residency at the time of filing determines jurisdiction. If you live in Redan, you file in DeKalb County. If your spouse lives in a different county, you still have the option to file in DeKalb County based on your own residency. Note: Consult an attorney if you have questions about which county has proper jurisdiction in your case.
Legal Help and Self-Help Resources for Redan Residents
Not everyone who goes through a dissolution has an attorney. Some cases, especially simple uncontested ones, are handled by the parties themselves. Georgia provides some self-help tools to make this easier.
The Georgia Courts website at georgiacourts.gov has information about family law forms and the dissolution process. Some Superior Courts make self-help packets available through their clerk's office or online. DeKalb County residents can ask the clerk's office about available forms when they call or visit.
Legal aid organizations serve DeKalb County and may be able to help residents who cannot afford an attorney. Georgia Legal Services and Atlanta Legal Aid Society both operate in the metro area. These organizations focus on low-income residents and can sometimes provide advice, document review, or direct representation in dissolution cases involving children or domestic issues.
The GSCCCA Portal and the Georgia Courts website are also useful for understanding what to expect at each stage of the dissolution process. Reading through completed cases can give you a sense of how cases are structured and what types of documents are typically filed.
If your dissolution involves minor children, the court may require a parenting plan as part of the final agreement. DeKalb County judges take child-related matters seriously. Getting at least a consultation with a family law attorney is worth considering if children are involved, even if you plan to handle most of the paperwork yourself.
DeKalb County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
All dissolution of marriage cases for Redan residents are maintained by the DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk in Decatur. The county page has more detail on the clerk's office, fees, search tools, and other DeKalb County resources for dissolution records.