Find Dissolution of Marriage Records in Ben Hill County
Ben Hill County dissolution of marriage records are filed and maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Fitzgerald, Georgia. These records are public documents once a final decree is entered. You can search them in person at the courthouse or through several state online tools. This page covers how to find case filings, what the records contain, how to request certified copies, and where to get legal help if you need it in Ben Hill County.
Ben Hill County Quick Facts
Ben Hill County Superior Court Clerk
The Superior Court Clerk is the office that handles all dissolution of marriage filings in Ben Hill County. The clerk keeps case files, issues certified copies of decrees, and accepts new petitions. Staff can tell you what documents are on file and how to get copies, but they cannot give legal advice.
| Office | Ben Hill County Superior Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 625 South Grant Street, Fitzgerald, GA 31750 |
| Mailing | PO Box 9, Fitzgerald, GA 31750 |
| Phone | (229) 426-5100 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | Not available |
The courthouse sits in downtown Fitzgerald. Bring a photo ID when you visit. Staff can look up records by party name or case number. If you need a certified copy of a final decree, the clerk will tell you the current copy fee when you call or visit. There is no online portal for Ben Hill County at this time, so in-person or mail requests are your main options.
The Superior Court Clerks' Association of Georgia keeps a statewide directory of all clerk offices. You can use that directory to confirm contact details or to find clerks in other counties. Visit the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Association website for the full listing.
The clerks' directory is useful if you have records in more than one county or need to contact a nearby office.
How to Search Ben Hill County Records
There are a few ways to look up dissolution of marriage cases in Ben Hill County. In person is the most direct. You go to the courthouse at 625 South Grant Street in Fitzgerald, give the clerk a party name or case number, and they will search the index. Bring a valid photo ID. Most older paper records are stored at the courthouse as well.
For online access, Georgia Courts runs a statewide portal at georgiacourts.gov where you can find general case information. PeachCourt at peachcourt.com allows users to view civil filings in many Georgia counties. These are worth checking before you make a trip to the courthouse.
The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, known as GSCCCA, runs the eCertification portal. You can request certified copies of recorded documents through ecert.gsccca.org. Not every dissolution record will be in this system, but final decrees that have been recorded are often available. Re:SearchGA, available at researchga.tylerhost.net, covers records in about 25 counties statewide and may not include Ben Hill.
The main GSCCCA portal at gsccca.org is a good starting point for researching what Georgia court records systems are available statewide.
The Georgia Courts site lists all Superior Courts and links to court-specific information across the state.
Dissolution of Marriage in Ben Hill County
To file for dissolution of marriage in Ben Hill County, at least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for six months before filing. This requirement comes from O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2. You file the petition with the Ben Hill County Superior Court Clerk. Once filed, you must serve the other spouse with the petition and a summons.
After service, Georgia law requires a 30-day waiting period before the court can hold a final hearing. This comes from O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3. If both parties agree on all terms, you can file a settlement agreement with the court and move through the process faster. If there are disputes over property, children, or support, those must be resolved before the final decree is signed.
Georgia recognizes 13 grounds for dissolution. The most common is that the marriage is "irretrievably broken," which is the no-fault ground. You do not need to prove fault to get a dissolution. Once the judge signs the final decree, it becomes a public court record on file with the Superior Court Clerk. Anyone can request a copy of that decree.
What Dissolution Records Contain
A completed dissolution of marriage case file in Ben Hill County will typically include several key documents. The final decree is the most important. It sets out what the court decided on each issue in the case.
- Full legal names of both parties
- Date of marriage and date the dissolution was granted
- Grounds stated in the petition
- Division of marital property and debts
- Child custody and visitation terms if children are involved
- Child support amounts and payment terms
- Alimony orders if the court granted them
The petition, summons, and any motions filed during the case are also part of the public record. If the parties reached an agreement, a settlement document will be in the file as well. Some financial exhibits may be sealed if the court ordered it, but the decree itself is public.
Georgia State Verification Records
The Georgia Department of Public Health maintains a separate set of dissolution of marriage verifications at the state level. These are not full court records and do not include the actual decree. They are simple verifications that show a dissolution occurred, covering records from 1952 through 1996 only. Records before 1952 or after 1996 are not in the state system and must be obtained from the county clerk.
To request a verification from the state, you use Form 3917 and pay a fee of $10. The DPH office is located at 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. You can call them at (404) 657-2700, Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. More details are at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords.
Keep in mind that a DPH verification is not the same as a certified copy of the dissolution decree. Courts, lenders, and other agencies may need the actual decree from the county clerk rather than a state verification. Check what the requesting agency needs before you order anything.
Legal Help in Ben Hill County
If you need help with a dissolution of marriage case in Ben Hill County, there are free and low-cost options. Legal Services Georgia offers civil legal aid to people who qualify based on income. You can reach them at glsp.org. Georgia Legal Aid at georgialegalaid.org also has resources and guides on family law topics.
The State Bar of Georgia runs a lawyer referral service at gabar.org. You can call the referral line at 1-800-334-6865 to get connected with a licensed Georgia attorney who handles family law cases. Initial consultations through the referral service are often low cost. The bar's website also has a directory you can search by county and practice area.
Court staff at the Ben Hill County courthouse can hand you blank forms but cannot fill them in for you or give you legal advice. If your case involves children, property disputes, or contested issues, it is worth talking to an attorney before you file.
Cities in Ben Hill County
Fitzgerald is the county seat and the main city in Ben Hill County. No cities in Ben Hill County meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site.
Nearby Counties
Dissolution of marriage records for adjacent counties are filed with their respective Superior Court Clerks. Use the links below to find information for neighboring counties.