Savannah, Georgia Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Savannah residents who need to file or search dissolution of marriage records work through the Chatham County Superior Court, which is located right in downtown Savannah. As the county seat of Chatham County, Savannah is home to the Superior Court Clerk's office, which handles all dissolution filings, case records, and certified decrees for the county. This page covers the filing process, how to search records, what resources are available, and what to expect at each stage of a dissolution case.
Savannah Quick Facts
Where Savannah Residents File for Dissolution
All dissolution of marriage cases for Savannah residents are filed at the Chatham County Superior Court Clerk's office at 133 Montgomery Street, Suite 301, Savannah GA 31401. You can reach the clerk by phone at (912) 652-7200. The office handles all family law filings for Chatham County, including dissolution petitions, settlement agreements, parenting plans, and final decree certifications.
Because Savannah is the county seat, the courthouse is centrally located and easy to reach from most parts of the city. The Montgomery Street address is in the downtown courthouse complex. If you are filing in person, bring all required documents and a valid photo ID. Clerk staff can accept your paperwork and tell you if anything is missing, but they are not able to give legal advice or help you choose which forms to use.
Savannah residents can also file electronically through PeachCourt, which is the state-approved eFiling platform for Georgia Superior Courts. Chatham County accepts dissolution filings through this system, which allows you to submit documents without a trip to the courthouse. You create an account, upload your paperwork, pay any applicable fees, and submit. The clerk reviews and processes the filing the same way they would an in-person submission.
For residents who need to access case information or track a filing, the GSCCCA Portal at gsccca.org provides an online index of Chatham County Superior Court records. Note: Call the clerk's office at (912) 652-7200 to confirm current office hours before visiting in person.
Residency and Waiting Period Requirements
Georgia law requires that at least one spouse have lived in the state for a minimum of six months before filing a dissolution of marriage petition. For Savannah residents, this requirement is usually straightforward. If one or both spouses recently moved to Georgia from another state, you may need to wait until the six-month mark before you can file in Chatham County.
After the petition is filed and the other spouse is served, a 30-day waiting period begins. Georgia law prohibits the court from entering a final dissolution decree until those 30 days have passed from the date of service. This applies to all cases, including fully uncontested ones. The 30 days run from service, not from the date of filing.
In practice, most dissolution cases in Savannah take longer than the minimum 30-day window. Court scheduling, additional documentation, and case complexity all affect the timeline. Uncontested dissolutions with a complete settlement agreement can wrap up fairly quickly once the waiting period passes and a hearing slot is available. Contested cases, where spouses disagree on property, debts, or custody, can run for months.
If minor children are involved, a parenting plan is required as part of the final dissolution. The plan must address custody arrangements, visitation, and child support. Chatham County judges review parenting plans carefully and will send a plan back for revision if it does not clearly serve the child's best interests. Getting legal advice before submitting a parenting plan is often a good idea, even for parties who are otherwise handling their own case. Note: An incomplete or vague parenting plan can delay a dissolution significantly.
Searching Chatham County Dissolution Records
Dissolution of marriage records filed at the Chatham County Superior Court are public records. The main tool for online searching is the GSCCCA Portal at gsccca.org. This statewide Georgia Superior Court index lets you search by party name and retrieve basic case information including filing dates and case numbers. Basic searches are free and available to anyone.
Chatham County has solid coverage in the GSCCCA index for recent decades. Some records in the portal include scanned document images, which means you can view filed documents without visiting the courthouse. For records that are not digitized, contact the Chatham County Superior Court Clerk at (912) 652-7200 to find out how to request copies.
Certified copies of dissolution decrees are available through the clerk's office in person at 133 Montgomery Street or through the GSCCCA eCertification system at ecert.gsccca.org. Certified copies are needed for legal name changes, updating financial accounts, and other purposes that require official proof of a dissolution. Fees are set by state law.
For older dissolution records that predate online indexes, the Georgia Archives may hold relevant documents. The Archives maintains historical court records from across Georgia and can be a useful resource for cases from several decades ago.
The Georgia Department of Public Health maintains a divorce verification service covering dissolutions recorded in the state index from 1952 to 1996.
Using Form 3917 and a $10 fee, residents can request a verification letter confirming a dissolution was recorded in the state index. This is not a certified copy but can serve certain administrative purposes.
Online Access Through GSCCCA
The GSCCCA Portal is the statewide online access point for Georgia Superior Court records, including those from Chatham County. The portal is maintained by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority and provides index searches across most counties in the state.
For Chatham County specifically, the GSCCCA index lets you search dissolution cases by party name and pull up case-level information without visiting the courthouse. If scanned documents are available for a given case, you can view them through the portal. This is useful when you need a quick look at what was filed without ordering certified copies.
The GSCCCA Portal provides statewide access to Georgia Superior Court records, including Chatham County dissolution cases.
The portal's eCertification feature at ecert.gsccca.org lets you order certified copies of eligible court documents online, which is a useful alternative to visiting the Savannah courthouse in person.
Legal Help for Savannah Residents
Savannah has access to a range of legal resources for residents navigating dissolution of marriage. The Georgia Courts website provides general information about the family law process, how to use court forms, and what to expect at each stage of a dissolution case. It is a useful starting point for people who are not working with an attorney.
Georgia Legal Services operates in the coastal Georgia region and may be able to assist low-income Savannah residents with dissolution matters. Services vary based on income and case type. Cases involving children, domestic issues, or significant financial impact often get priority. Contact their office to ask about availability and eligibility.
The Superior Court Clerks of Georgia website at gaclerks.org provides general information about clerk offices statewide. The Find My Clerk directory lists current contact details for every county clerk in Georgia, including Chatham County.
For self-represented parties, reading through the Chatham County Superior Court's available forms and instructions before your first visit can save significant time. The clerk's office staff can point you in the right direction but cannot provide legal advice. If your case involves significant property, business interests, or contested custody, consulting with a Savannah family law attorney is worth considering even if you plan to handle parts of the case yourself.
Chatham County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
All dissolution of marriage cases for Savannah residents are filed and maintained at the Chatham County Superior Court Clerk in downtown Savannah. The county page has more detail on the clerk's office, online search tools, fees, and other county-level resources for dissolution records.