Gordon County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records in Gordon County are filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Calhoun, Georgia. The clerk's office at the Gordon County Courthouse on South Wall Street is the official source for all dissolution case files, certified copies of final decrees, and public record access. This page covers how to search for a case, how to contact the clerk, what statewide tools are available, and where to find legal help in the Calhoun area.

Gordon County Superior Court Clerk

The Gordon County Superior Court Clerk in Calhoun is the official keeper of all dissolution of marriage records for this county. The courthouse is at 100 South Wall Street in downtown Calhoun. Staff can search records by party name or case number. When you contact the office, have both parties' names and a rough filing year ready. Photo ID is required for in-person copy requests.

There is no clerk-specific website for Gordon County. Mail requests go to PO Box 47, Calhoun, GA 30703. Include both parties' full names, an approximate filing year, and a return address. The clerk will follow up with the fee and a processing timeline once the file is located. Phone calls to (706) 629-9533 are a good first step to confirm what is available before you decide whether to visit in person or mail a request.

Online Search Options

Gordon County does not maintain a public online case portal. For remote searches, statewide Georgia tools are the starting point. The screenshot below shows the DPH vital records about page, which explains the state's dissolution of marriage verification records kept for the 1952 to 1996 window.

The GSCCCA portal at gsccca.org indexes civil filings and recorded instruments from all 159 Georgia counties. Gordon County records are in that system. Searching by party name may return a case number for a dissolution filing, which you can then use when contacting the Calhoun clerk directly. The GSCCCA is free to search and can narrow your request considerably.

PeachCourt is Georgia's statewide eFiling platform. Cases filed electronically in Gordon County will appear there. Older paper-filed cases will not be in PeachCourt, but for any case filed in recent years it is worth checking before calling the courthouse.

The screenshot below shows the FindLaw page for O.C.G.A. section 19-5-3, which lists the grounds for dissolution of marriage in Georgia. Understanding these grounds can help you interpret language in older case filings you find through the GSCCCA or clerk records.

The statute is available at codes.findlaw.com. Georgia recognizes 13 grounds for dissolution of marriage under O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3. Most cases are filed on the no-fault ground, which does not require proof of wrongdoing by either party.

Vital Records at DPH

The Georgia Department of Public Health maintains dissolution of marriage verifications for cases filed between 1952 and 1996. These are brief summary letters, not full certified copies of court decrees. If you need to verify a case from that period and a full decree copy is not required, DPH can sometimes process these requests faster than a courthouse file pull.

Reach DPH Vital Records at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords. For cases outside the 1952 to 1996 window, or for certified copies of actual court decrees, the Gordon County clerk is the only official source. DPH cannot issue decree copies and cannot assist with cases before 1952 or after 1996.

What the Case File Includes

The Gordon County Superior Court Clerk keeps the full case file for every dissolution of marriage filed in this county. That includes the original petition, proof that the other party was served, any temporary or final orders, financial disclosures where applicable, settlement agreements, and the final decree. Certified copies of the final decree are the most commonly requested item and are used for name changes, insurance updates, property transfers, and other legal matters requiring proof of dissolution.

Nearly all dissolution of marriage records in Gordon County are public. A judge may seal portions of a file in limited circumstances, typically when minor children are involved or when there is a specific legal reason to restrict access. The clerk will let you know if any part of a file is restricted and what is available for public viewing.

Very old files may be in off-site storage rather than at the courthouse. If you need a case from the 1970s or before, call ahead to give the clerk time to check whether a retrieval is needed. That can add a day or more to your request.

Filing a Dissolution of Marriage in Gordon County

To file a dissolution of marriage in Gordon County, at least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for six months. The case is filed with the Superior Court Clerk at 100 South Wall Street in Calhoun. Gordon County falls under the Cherokee Judicial Circuit. Call (706) 629-9533 to ask about the current filing fee before you go.

After service on the other party, Georgia requires a 30-day waiting period before a final decree can be entered. In uncontested cases where both spouses agree on all terms, the case can often be finalized fairly quickly once the waiting period passes and the paperwork is complete. Contested cases, where the parties disagree on property, custody, or support, take longer and require court hearings.

Self-help forms are available through Georgia Legal Aid at georgialegalaid.org. Review the forms carefully before you file. A small error in the petition can delay the case or require a re-filing.

Legal Help in Gordon County

The Georgia Legal Services Program provides civil legal assistance to lower-income residents across the state, including Gordon County. If you meet the income eligibility requirements, they may be able to help with your dissolution case at no cost. Visit glsp.org to learn more and check whether you qualify.

Georgia Legal Aid at georgialegalaid.org offers free plain-language guides and interactive tools for self-represented filers. The site covers what dissolution of marriage involves in Georgia, what forms are required, and what to expect from start to finish. It is free and available any time.

The State Bar of Georgia runs a lawyer referral service at 1-800-334-6865, also accessible at gabar.org. Referrals can connect you with a licensed attorney in the Calhoun area. If the cost of private representation is a concern, contact Georgia Legal Services first to see whether free or reduced-cost help is available for your situation.

GSCCCA and Recorded Instruments

Some dissolution of marriage cases produce documents that are recorded separately from the court file. Property deeds, quit-claim deeds related to a settlement, and name change orders may be indexed in the GSCCCA system. Searching by name at gsccca.org can surface these instruments for Gordon County cases. The GSCCCA is free to search, and finding a recorded instrument there can help you trace a property transfer connected to a dissolution case without a full courthouse visit.

For questions about the GSCCCA system, you can also call (404) 327-9058. Staff can help you understand what is indexed for Gordon County and how to submit a copy request for specific documents.

Georgia Archives for Older Cases

For dissolution of marriage cases from the early to mid-twentieth century, the Georgia Archives in Morrow may hold transferred court materials. The Archives collects historical records from Superior Courts across Georgia. Contact them before making the trip to confirm whether Gordon County records from a particular period are held there and how to request access.

Cities in Gordon County

Calhoun is the county seat and largest city in Gordon County, with a population of approximately 17,000. Calhoun does not meet the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. All Gordon County residents file dissolution of marriage cases at the clerk's office in Calhoun.

Nearby Counties

Gordon County is in northwest Georgia and borders several counties in that area. Each has its own Superior Court Clerk handling dissolution of marriage records.