Henry County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of marriage records in Henry County are filed and maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in McDonough, the county seat, and are open to the public under Georgia law. Henry County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the Atlanta metro area, and the clerk's office handles a high volume of family law filings. This page explains how to search those records, what to expect from the filing process, and where to find legal help if you need it.

Henry County Superior Court Clerk

The Henry County Superior Court Clerk in McDonough is the official custodian of all dissolution of marriage records filed in the county. The clerk's office is located at the Henry County Courthouse on Court Street. Given the county's rapid growth, the office can be busy, and calling ahead or checking available online tools first is advisable before making an in-person visit. Walk-ins are accepted during regular business hours, and mail requests go to the PO Box listed below.

When you call or write to the clerk's office, have the names of both parties and an approximate year of filing. That information will help staff locate the file faster, whether it is stored electronically or in paper archives.

The Houston County Superior Court Clerk website shown below provides a useful comparison of how a similar metro-adjacent county clerk's office presents dissolution of marriage services and filing information online.

While this page reflects a neighboring county's site, the structure and services are comparable to what the Henry County clerk's office provides for dissolution of marriage filings.

How to Search Henry County Dissolution Records

Henry County residents and researchers have several ways to search dissolution of marriage records before or instead of visiting the courthouse. The county's location in the Atlanta metro means it is more connected to statewide digital tools than many rural Georgia counties.

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) maintains a statewide index that includes recorded documents and some civil case filings from Henry County. Checking the GSCCCA database first can confirm whether a case index entry exists without requiring a trip to McDonough. The GSCCCA eCertification system at ecert.gsccca.org lets you order certified copies of some court records online.

PeachCourt, Georgia's statewide eFiling and case access platform, is worth checking for more recent filings. Cases submitted through PeachCourt in Henry County may be searchable there. The system also allows parties who have accounts to track their own active cases. For researching cases from the past decade, this is one of the first places to look.

The re:SearchGA platform at researchga.tylerhost.net provides case information for courts that participate in the Tyler Technologies case management system. Check whether Henry County participates, as coverage varies across the state's 159 counties. If the county is in the system, you may be able to pull basic case details without contacting the clerk directly.

For older records not available online, a direct call to the clerk's office at (770) 288-8022 is the most reliable approach. Staff can search the index by party name and tell you whether a file exists and what it contains.

The Georgia Courts portal, shown below, provides statewide navigation for court resources and links to eFiling, case lookup, and court contact directories used across the state including Henry County.

The portal is maintained by the Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts and is updated as new county systems come online.

Filing for Dissolution of Marriage in Henry County

At least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for six months before filing for dissolution of marriage in Henry County. The petition is filed with the Superior Court Clerk at 11 Court Street in McDonough. Georgia law at O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3 provides 13 grounds for dissolution of marriage, and the most commonly used is that the marriage is irretrievably broken. That no-fault ground requires no proof of wrongdoing and is the standard choice for most uncontested Henry County cases.

Once the petition is filed and served on the other party, Georgia requires a minimum 30-day waiting period before the court can issue a final decree. This applies even when both parties fully agree on all terms. The court will not sign the final order before that period runs out. Contested cases with disputed property, custody, or support take much longer, often many months, depending on the complexity and the court's docket.

Henry County's growth has increased court filings across all case types, so it is wise to call the clerk's office before assuming available appointment times or walk-in hours. The clerk can also tell you which forms are currently required for a new dissolution filing and whether any local standing orders affect how cases proceed in the Henry County Superior Court.

Fees are paid at the time of filing. The clerk can confirm the current filing fee when you call. Georgia law sets general fee schedules, but local charges can differ slightly, and those amounts change over time.

What Henry County Dissolution Records Contain

The contents of a dissolution of marriage file in Henry County depend on how the case was handled. A simple agreed case may hold only a few pages. A contested case that went through multiple hearings can have a thick file with many orders, motions, financial statements, and supporting documents.

The most requested document from any dissolution file is the final decree. Parties need certified copies of the decree for name changes, updating financial accounts, vehicle titles, passports, and remarrying. The clerk can certify any individual document from the file, not just the final decree, if a specific earlier order or agreement is needed.

All dissolution records in Henry County are public under the Georgia Open Records Act unless a judge has sealed specific documents. Courts sometimes seal materials related to minor children, financial disclosures, or sensitive facts. Ask the clerk whether any portion of the file you are seeking is under seal before making the trip to McDonough.

State Divorce Verification Through Georgia DPH

The Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records office holds a set of divorce verification records for dissolutions that occurred in Georgia between 1952 and 1996. This is a separate system from the Henry County court records and serves a different purpose.

DPH can issue a letter confirming that a dissolution of marriage was granted in Georgia during that date range. They do not have court case files or certified copies of decrees. For any actual court document, the Superior Court Clerk in the county where the case was filed is the right office. DPH Vital Records is at 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Call (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. See dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords for details.

Legal Help for Henry County Dissolution Cases

Henry County residents have access to several legal resources for dissolution of marriage matters. Options range from free legal aid for qualifying residents to private attorney referrals.

Legal Services Georgia provides free civil legal help to low-income residents across Georgia, including Henry County. Family law matters such as dissolution of marriage, custody, and support fall within their scope of services. Contact them directly to check income eligibility and schedule a consultation.

Georgia Legal Aid offers free self-help guides online that walk through the dissolution of marriage process step by step in plain language. The site links to forms accepted in Georgia courts and is a strong starting point for uncontested cases handled without an attorney.

The State Bar of Georgia operates a lawyer referral service at 1-800-334-6865. This service connects you with a licensed family law attorney familiar with the Henry County Superior Court. Local counsel knows the procedures and customs of the McDonough courthouse and can catch issues that self-represented parties sometimes miss.

The Georgia Archives in Morrow is close to Henry County and holds a statewide divorce index on microfiche covering cases from 1965 to 1971 and 1973 to 1999. The Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260, open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 AM to 4 PM.

Cities in Henry County

Henry County includes several cities that have grown substantially as part of the Atlanta suburban expansion. Two cities in Henry County meet the population threshold for dedicated records pages.

Residents of other Henry County communities file dissolution of marriage cases at the Superior Court Clerk's office at 11 Court Street in McDonough.

Nearby Counties

Henry County is surrounded by several counties in the Atlanta metro and south-metro area. Each maintains its own dissolution of marriage records at its local Superior Court Clerk's office.