Taylor County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Dissolution of marriage records in Taylor County, Georgia, are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Butler, the county seat. Taylor County is part of the Flint Judicial Circuit, and all dissolution cases are handled through the Superior Court. If you are searching for a specific case filed in this county, requesting certified copies of a final decree, or trying to find out whether a dissolution was completed, this page lays out the key steps and resources available to help you.
Taylor County Quick Facts
Taylor County Superior Court Clerk
The Taylor County Superior Court Clerk's office is located at 2 North Broad Street in Butler, Georgia 31006. The main phone line is (478) 862-3544. The clerk is the custodian of all dissolution of marriage records filed in the county, including petitions, orders, agreements, and final decrees. These documents are part of the public court record and can be accessed by anyone who provides the right identifying information.
Before visiting the courthouse in Butler, a quick call to the office is worthwhile to confirm hours and find out whether the record you need is stored on-site. For older cases, files may have been boxed or archived, and retrieval can take time. When you contact the clerk, have the full legal names of both parties and an approximate filing date ready. Case numbers, if you have them, make the search faster. The office can provide plain copies or certified copies; certified copies carry a per-page fee set by state law.
Use the Find My Clerk directory to confirm the current clerk's name and contact details if you are submitting a written records request by mail.
Searching for Taylor County Dissolution Records Online
The GSCCCA portal is Georgia's main statewide tool for online access to Superior Court case indexes. You can search by party name and county. Taylor County's coverage on the portal may not extend to older records, but it is the best starting point before contacting the courthouse directly. Basic index searches on the portal are free.
If you need certified copies and the record is available digitally, the GSCCCA eCertification system lets you order them online without going to Butler. This is helpful when you cannot travel to the courthouse or need copies quickly. If the case is not in the digital system, the clerk's office is where you will need to send your request.
The re:SearchGA platform covers case index data for a selection of Georgia counties. Check the platform's county list to see whether Taylor County is among those covered. If it is, you can get case number and basic docket information without contacting the clerk directly.
Note: Digital record availability varies by year; many Taylor County records from before 2000 are only in paper form at the courthouse.
Georgia DPH Vital Records Verification
The Georgia Department of Public Health Vital Records office holds a statewide index of dissolution of marriage records from 1952 through 1996. This index covers Taylor County cases from that period. If you need only to verify that a dissolution happened during those years, you can request a verification letter using Form 3917 for a $10 fee. The DPH record is not a court document. It shows names and a general date, not the details of the case.
For the full court file from any year, the Taylor County Superior Court Clerk is the correct source. The DPH index is useful when you need quick confirmation that a dissolution occurred and the full court record is not required. For all cases from 1997 forward, only the clerk's office has the records. DPH does not hold anything from after 1996.
Filing a Dissolution of Marriage in Taylor County
To file for dissolution of marriage in Taylor County, at least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for at least six months before the filing date. The petition is submitted to the Superior Court Clerk at 2 North Broad Street in Butler. After the petition is filed, Georgia law requires a 30-day waiting period before the court can enter a final decree. The actual timeline from filing to final decree varies based on whether the case is contested and how complex the issues are.
Georgia law allows dissolution of marriage on multiple grounds. The most commonly used is irretrievable breakdown, the state's no-fault option. Fault-based grounds are also available and are listed in full under O.C.G.A. Section 19-5-3. The full text of Title 19, Chapter 5 governs dissolution of marriage law in Georgia and is available online.
For electronic filing, PeachCourt is Georgia's official eFiling platform for Superior Court cases. Confirm with the Taylor County clerk whether the county accepts electronically filed dissolution petitions before submitting through the platform.
Note: Always verify eFiling acceptance with the Taylor County clerk before using PeachCourt for dissolution submissions.
Older Records and the Georgia Archives
Taylor County dissolution records from earlier decades may be in physical form at the Butler courthouse or transferred to off-site storage. The Georgia Archives in Morrow holds court materials from counties across Georgia. If you are researching a dissolution that occurred before digital records were standard, their online catalog can tell you whether any Taylor County materials are at the Archives. Staff there can advise on access procedures and available finding aids.
When searching historical records at the courthouse, staff can look through physical index books and docket records. The more information you can provide about the case, the easier the search will be. Approximate year of filing, full names of both parties, and any other identifying details will all help. Physical records from earlier periods may require longer retrieval times than current files.
Legal Help in Taylor County
Taylor County residents who need help navigating a dissolution of marriage case can contact Georgia Legal Aid for free or low-cost legal services. The Georgia Courts website offers self-help guides and downloadable forms for people handling dissolution proceedings without an attorney. Clerk staff at the Butler courthouse can answer procedural questions but cannot give legal advice. For guidance on the legal aspects of your case, a Georgia-licensed family law attorney is the appropriate resource.
The Superior Court Clerks of Georgia website provides general information about how the court system works and what the clerk's office can do for you. This site is a good starting point if you are unfamiliar with the process and want to understand the basic steps before contacting the courthouse.
Cities in Taylor County
Taylor County has no cities with a population over 25,000. The county seat of Butler is the primary municipality. All dissolution of marriage cases in Taylor County are filed at the Superior Court Clerk's office in Butler.