Find Dissolution Of Marriage Records in Schley County
Schley County dissolution of marriage records are held by the Superior Court Clerk in Ellaville, the county seat of this small southwest Georgia county. If you need to search for a dissolution of marriage case filed in Schley County, request a certified copy of a final decree, or contact the clerk's office with questions about local filing procedures, this page provides the key information and statewide resources to help you get started.
Schley County Quick Facts
Superior Court Clerk of Schley County
The Superior Court Clerk at 52 North Broad Street, Ellaville, GA 31806 is the main point of contact for dissolution of marriage records in Schley County. The office can be reached by phone at (229) 937-5581. Because Schley is a small, rural county, the clerk's office handles a relatively limited volume of civil filings, but the staff can assist with case lookups, copy requests, and information about local procedures.
Schley County is part of the Southwestern Judicial Circuit, which serves multiple counties in southwest Georgia. Cases filed in Schley County are heard within this multi-county circuit. A single judge may preside over cases from several counties, which affects scheduling and hearing dates for dissolution of marriage proceedings. If you have questions about which judge is assigned to a Schley County case, the clerk's office can tell you.
The Superior Court Clerks of Georgia website at gaclerks.org lists contact information and resources for all Georgia county clerks, including Schley County. This is a useful starting point if you need to confirm office hours or verify the current address before traveling to Ellaville.
Searching Schley County Dissolution Records Online
The GSCCCA Portal is the main online database for searching Superior Court filings in Georgia, and it includes Schley County civil records. You can search by party name to find dissolution of marriage cases without visiting the courthouse in Ellaville. The portal provides case index information, including filing dates and case numbers, which you can use to request copies from the clerk directly.
Document image availability varies by county in the GSCCCA system. Smaller counties like Schley may have more limited digital records, especially for older filings. If the portal does not have the full document you need, a phone call or mail request to the clerk's office at (229) 937-5581 is the next step.
The image below shows the Find My Clerk directory at gaclerks.org, a helpful tool for locating the right clerk's office when searching for dissolution of marriage records in Schley County or any other Georgia county.
If you have a case number, provide it when contacting the clerk. This speeds up the search and reduces the chance of confusion with similarly named parties in older records.
Note: The re:SearchGA tool covers 25 Georgia counties, and Schley County is a smaller rural county that may not be included in that system.
Filing Dissolution of Marriage in Schley County
Filing a dissolution of marriage petition in Schley County follows the same basic rules that apply across Georgia. At least one spouse must have been a resident of Georgia for six months. The petition is generally filed in the county where the defendant lives, or in the plaintiff's county if the defendant lives outside Georgia. For Schley County residents whose spouse also lives in Schley County, the filing goes to the Superior Court in Ellaville.
Schley County's small size and rural character mean that court calendars can be less frequent than in larger counties. Scheduling a hearing for a contested dissolution of marriage may take longer because judges in the Southwestern Judicial Circuit rotate between several counties. Uncontested cases, where all terms are agreed upon, may resolve more quickly since they require fewer or no hearings after the waiting period expires.
Dissolution of marriage petitions can be submitted through PeachCourt, Georgia's eFiling system. This electronic filing option may be especially useful for Schley County residents who live far from Ellaville and want to avoid multiple courthouse trips.
Note: Even in uncontested cases, Georgia law requires a 30-day waiting period from the date of service before a final decree of dissolution can be entered.
Certified Copies and Historical Records
If you need a certified copy of a Schley County dissolution of marriage decree, contact the Superior Court Clerk at 52 North Broad Street, Ellaville, GA 31806. Certified copies are used for legal purposes and carry the official court seal. You can request them in person or by mail. When submitting by mail, include the names of both parties, the approximate year of the case, and a check or money order for the required fee.
Georgia DPH offers a statewide divorce verification service for records from 1952 to 1996. If your dissolution occurred within that window and you only need to confirm it happened, the Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records office can process a verification request using Form 3917 for $10. This service covers Schley County filings just as it does all Georgia counties for that time period.
The image below shows the Georgia DPH Vital Records portal, where the statewide divorce verification service is available for dissolutions recorded between 1952 and 1996.
For records outside the 1952 to 1996 window, or when you need a court-certified copy rather than a simple verification, only the Schley County Superior Court Clerk can supply that document.
State Law and Legal Resources
Dissolution of marriage in Georgia is governed by state statute, not county rules. The relevant law is found in Georgia Title 19 Chapter 5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The 13 grounds for dissolution of marriage are listed in O.C.G.A. Section 19-5-3. These grounds apply in Schley County the same as they do across the state. The most common basis filed in Georgia is that the marriage is irretrievably broken, which does not require proving fault by either party.
The Georgia Courts website has procedural guides and links to court resources for residents who need to navigate dissolution of marriage without an attorney. Given Schley County's rural setting, residents may need to travel to a neighboring county for legal aid services. The Southwest Georgia Legal Aid organization serves several counties in this part of the state and may assist income-eligible residents of Schley County with dissolution of marriage matters.
Cities in Schley County
Schley County has no cities that meet the 25,000-population threshold for this site. Ellaville is the county seat and the main community in Schley County, but it is a small town. All dissolution of marriage filings for Schley County residents are processed through the Superior Court in Ellaville.