Search Peach County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Dissolution of marriage records in Peach County are held by the Superior Court Clerk in Fort Valley and are public records under Georgia law. The clerk's office at the Peach County Courthouse on West Highland Avenue is the sole source for case files, certified copies, and filing information in this county. This page explains how to reach the clerk, how to use statewide search tools, what records the case file typically includes, and where to find legal assistance.
Peach County Quick Facts
Peach County Superior Court Clerk
The Superior Court Clerk in Fort Valley is the official custodian of all dissolution of marriage records filed in Peach County. The office is located at the Peach County Courthouse on West Highland Avenue. Peach County does not maintain a dedicated public website for the clerk's office or a public online case search portal. All searches, copy requests, and filing questions must go to the office directly by phone, mail, or in-person visit. This is a smaller, rural county, and the staff handles requests at a manageable pace, but it is still best to call ahead for complex or multi-document requests.
| Office | Peach County Superior Court Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 205 West Highland Avenue, Fort Valley, GA 31030 |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 389, Fort Valley, GA 31030 |
| Phone | (478) 825-5331 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Directory | Find My Clerk |
When you call or write, have the full names of both parties and the approximate year of filing ready. Older records may exist in paper format only. For mail requests, include both parties' names, the year of filing, your return address, and payment for copies. Call the office first to confirm the current per-page copy fee before sending any payment.
The statewide clerk directory at gaclerks.org is maintained by the Superior Court Clerks' Association of Georgia and lists verified contact details for all 159 Georgia counties. Use it to confirm Peach County clerk hours and address before your visit or mailing.
How to Search Peach County Dissolution Records
Peach County does not offer an online case search portal for dissolution of marriage records. Direct contact with the clerk in Fort Valley is required for most searches. Statewide tools can supplement your search and may provide some initial case data before you reach out to the local office.
The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA) maintains a statewide civil filings index that includes some Peach County dissolution records. Search by party name or case number at gsccca.org. GSCCCA can be reached at (404) 327-9058. Their eCertification portal allows online certified copy requests for indexed documents, which is useful if the specific record you need is in the system.
The screenshot below shows the GSCCCA statewide clerk directory. It is the best place to find verified contact information for the Peach County clerk's office before making contact.
The directory is kept current by the clerks' association and is more reliable than many other online sources for verifying clerk office hours and addresses.
re:SearchGA and PeachCourt are additional statewide platforms that aggregate Georgia court records from participating counties. Check both to see whether Peach County data is available. If you find the case online through one of these tools, you may be able to confirm basic filing details before calling the Fort Valley clerk to request a certified copy.
The screenshot below shows the GSCCCA records portal, which is the central statewide hub for Georgia court record searches and certified copy requests.
The GSCCCA portal covers civil filings across Georgia. It is a good first stop when you are not certain which county a case was filed in or want to confirm basic case information before contacting the local clerk.
Dissolution of Marriage Law in Georgia
Georgia law governs all dissolution of marriage cases in Peach County. The controlling statutes are in Title 19 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The same requirements apply in Fort Valley as in any other Georgia county.
Residency is required before the Peach County Superior Court can hear a dissolution case. At least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for six or more continuous months before the petition is filed. Neither the court nor the clerk can waive this requirement. If neither party qualifies, the case must be filed in a different state where the residency standard is met.
Georgia has 13 grounds for dissolution of marriage under O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3. The most used by far is the no-fault ground that the marriage is irretrievably broken. No proof of fault is needed, and both parties can agree on it and move the case forward without a contested hearing on grounds. The other 12 grounds are fault-based. They exist in the law but are rarely relied on in Peach County or elsewhere in Georgia today.
Once the petition is filed and the respondent is served, a mandatory 30-day waiting period must expire before the court can hold the final hearing. This waiting period is required in every case, including simple uncontested ones. After 30 days, the court can schedule the hearing. Uncontested matters with full agreement on all terms often resolve quickly after that. Contested cases involving property, custody, or support take longer and may need multiple hearings.
Peach County is a small, mid-Georgia county. The Superior Court here handles a modest volume of dissolution cases, and the process tends to be straightforward for uncontested matters. Complex cases may benefit from legal representation given the local court's expectations and procedures.
What Dissolution Records in Peach County Contain
The Peach County Superior Court Clerk in Fort Valley holds the complete case file for every dissolution of marriage action filed in the county. The contents vary based on the case. A simple uncontested matter will produce a compact file. A contested case with significant property, debt, or custody disputes will generate much more documentation over the life of the proceedings.
Common documents in Peach County dissolution case files include:
- The original petition for dissolution of marriage
- Service of process documents
- Any answer or counterclaim filed by the respondent
- Temporary orders entered while the case was pending
- Settlement or separation agreements if reached
- The final decree of dissolution of marriage
- Post-decree modification orders if entered later
The final decree is the document people most often request. Banks, the Social Security Administration, and other institutions require it for name changes, account updates, and other administrative purposes. Certified copies from the Peach County clerk carry the court's official seal and are accepted as valid proof everywhere. Call (478) 825-5331 to get the current fee before making a formal copy request.
All dissolution records in Peach County are public under the Georgia Open Records Act. Any person may request access to them. The only exception is records sealed by court order, which are not viewable without the court lifting the seal.
State Divorce Verification Records
The Georgia Department of Public Health maintains dissolution verification records at the state level covering a specific time window. These are not the same as the court records held by the Peach County Superior Court Clerk, and understanding the distinction helps when you are trying to locate a specific document.
DPH Vital Records can confirm whether a dissolution occurred in Georgia for cases filed between 1952 and 1996. They issue a verification letter only. They do not hold actual court records or provide certified copies of decrees. For any Peach County case, you must contact the Superior Court Clerk in Fort Valley for case files and certified copies. For cases outside the 1952 to 1996 window, the clerk is the only source.
DPH Vital Records is located at 1680 Phoenix Blvd Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Phone: (404) 657-2700. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Visit dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords for forms and full details. The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds a statewide microfiche index of dissolution records for 1965 to 1971 and 1973 to 1999, which can help confirm older filings.
Legal Help for Peach County Residents
Peach County residents have access to statewide legal resources for dissolution of marriage matters. Local legal resources are limited in this smaller rural county, but statewide organizations serve the area.
Legal Services Georgia provides free civil legal assistance to residents who qualify by income. Family law, including dissolution of marriage, custody, and support matters, is one of their main service areas. Peach County falls within their region. Contact them directly to check eligibility and start the intake process.
Georgia Legal Aid at georgialegalaid.org offers free self-help guides for all stages of the dissolution process in Georgia. The guides are written in clear, practical language and are useful for straightforward cases where both parties agree on all terms.
The State Bar of Georgia lawyer referral line at 1-800-334-6865 can connect you with a licensed attorney who handles family law in Peach County or the surrounding middle Georgia area. A local attorney familiar with the Fort Valley courthouse will know the court's procedures and how the local docket is scheduled.
Cities in Peach County
Fort Valley is the county seat of Peach County, with a population of around 8,000. No cities in Peach County meet the population threshold for a dedicated dissolution of marriage records page. All residents of the county file dissolution cases at the Superior Court Clerk at 205 West Highland Avenue in Fort Valley.
Nearby Counties
Peach County is located in central Georgia and borders several surrounding counties. Each maintains its own dissolution of marriage records through its Superior Court Clerk.