Search Hart County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records in Hart County are filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Hartwell and are open to the public under Georgia law. This page explains how to find case files, request certified copies, and use state tools to search records before making the trip to the courthouse.

Hart County Superior Court Clerk

The Superior Court Clerk is the official keeper of all dissolution of marriage records in Hart County. The office is located in the Hart County Courthouse in Hartwell, which is also the county seat. Walk-in requests are welcome during regular business hours, and mail requests are accepted at the PO Box listed below. If you plan to visit in person, calling ahead can save time, especially for older paper records that may require staff to retrieve from storage.

When you call or write to the clerk's office, have the full names of both parties and an approximate filing year ready. That detail speeds up the search, particularly for cases filed before electronic indexing began.

How to Search Hart County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Hart County does not maintain a public online case search portal of its own. Most searches begin with a direct call or visit to the clerk's office in Hartwell. That said, several statewide tools are worth checking first.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) keeps a statewide index of recorded documents and some civil case filings. Not every dissolution case appears there, but checking it before you call can confirm whether an index entry exists. The GSCCCA also runs the eCertification system at ecert.gsccca.org, which allows you to order certified copies of certain records online without visiting the courthouse in person.

The state courts portal at georgiacourts.gov links to court information across Georgia and can help you understand how Superior Courts are organized. It does not hold Hart County records directly, but it is a useful reference point. PeachCourt is the state's eFiling platform and includes a case status lookup tool. Cases filed in Hart County through PeachCourt may be searchable there.

For in-person requests, bring a valid photo ID. The clerk charges a fee for certified copies; confirm the current rate when you call, since fees can change.

The Georgia Department of Public Health vital records page shown below covers the state's verification service for dissolutions of marriage recorded between 1952 and 1996, which is a separate system from the county court records held in Hartwell.

The DPH verification service is limited to confirming that an event occurred; it does not provide certified copies of court decrees. For actual case documents, the Superior Court Clerk in Hartwell is the right office to contact.

Filing for Dissolution of Marriage in Hart County

To file a dissolution of marriage case in Hart County, at least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for a minimum of six months before filing. Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3 lists 13 recognized grounds for dissolution of marriage. The most common is that the marriage is irretrievably broken, which is a no-fault ground and requires no proof of wrongdoing by either party.

Once the petition is filed with the Hart County Superior Court Clerk, the other party must be served. Georgia then requires a minimum 30-day waiting period after service before the court can hold a final hearing and issue a decree. That wait applies even when both parties have already agreed on all terms. Contested cases, where the parties disagree on property, custody, or support, take longer and depend on the court's schedule.

The clerk's office can point you to the correct forms and tell you what paperwork must accompany the initial filing. The suite of documents typically includes the petition itself, a domestic relations case filing information form, and any agreements the parties have already reached. Fees are paid at the time of filing.

Most Hart County residents who handle uncontested cases on their own start by reviewing the self-help materials at Georgia Legal Aid, which has plain-language guides written for people without legal training.

What Hart County Dissolution Records Contain

A dissolution of marriage case file in Hart County can hold many different documents depending on how the case was handled. Simple uncontested matters might have only a few pages. Contested cases with property disputes or custody fights can produce thick files with hundreds of pages of pleadings, motions, and orders.

The most commonly requested document from any dissolution file is the final decree of dissolution of marriage. Courts issue certified copies of the decree to parties for use in name changes, updating financial accounts, remarrying, and other legal needs. The clerk can certify individual documents from a file, not just the final decree.

Case files are public records under the Georgia Open Records Act. Any person can request access, though a judge may seal specific documents in cases involving minor children or sensitive financial details. The clerk can tell you if any portion of a file is under a seal order before you travel to the courthouse.

Older Hart County records from before electronic systems were introduced are maintained in paper form. Searches for records from the 1970s and 1980s may take longer as staff need to pull physical files. Giving the clerk as much detail as possible about the case before your visit helps ensure the records are ready when you arrive.

State Divorce Verification Through Georgia DPH

The Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records office maintains a separate set of records for dissolution of marriage events that occurred in Georgia between 1952 and 1996. This is not the same as the court records held by the Hart County Superior Court Clerk, and the two systems serve different purposes.

DPH Vital Records can issue a verification letter confirming that a dissolution of marriage was granted in Georgia during that window. They do not have the court case file, the final decree, or any other pleadings. For anything more than a basic verification, you need the Superior Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed.

The DPH Vital Records office is at 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. You can reach them at (404) 657-2700, Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Requests require Form 3917 and a $10 search fee, plus $5 per copy issued. Online information is at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords.

The Georgia Courts portal shown below is a good reference for understanding how the state court system is organized and for finding links to eFiling and case lookup tools used across all 159 Georgia counties.

The portal links to county-level court resources and is regularly updated as new tools come online across the state.

Legal Help for Hart County Dissolution Cases

Several organizations provide legal help to people facing a dissolution of marriage in Hart County. Free and low-cost options exist for those who qualify based on income.

Legal Services Georgia provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents across the state, including Hart County. They handle family law matters such as dissolution of marriage, child custody, and support issues. Reach out to them directly to check eligibility and schedule a consultation.

Georgia Legal Aid maintains an extensive library of self-help guides online. The site covers the full dissolution of marriage process in plain language and links to forms accepted by Georgia courts. It is especially useful for people navigating an uncontested case without an attorney.

The State Bar of Georgia operates a lawyer referral service at 1-800-334-6865. The service can connect you with a licensed attorney who handles family law in the Hart County area. Local attorneys are familiar with how the Hart County Superior Court runs and can advise you on local practices.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds a statewide divorce index on microfiche that covers cases from 1965 to 1971 and 1973 to 1999. If you are researching an older dissolution case and need an index entry to confirm where a case was filed, the Archives is a useful stop. The Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM.

Cities in Hart County

The county seat of Hart County is Hartwell, which is where the courthouse and clerk's office are located. Hartwell has a population of approximately 4,700 residents and does not meet the threshold for a dedicated city records page. All dissolution of marriage cases filed by Hartwell and Hart County residents are handled at the Superior Court Clerk's office at 185 West Franklin Street.

Nearby Counties

Hart County borders several other Georgia counties, each with its own Superior Court Clerk and separate dissolution of marriage case records.