Towns County Dissolution Of Marriage Records

Towns County dissolution of marriage records are kept by the Superior Court Clerk in Hiawassee and are public records under Georgia law. If you are searching for a dissolution of marriage case filed in Towns County, whether to verify it happened, get a certified copy, or review terms on file, this page walks through the clerk's office details, statewide online tools, and the filing process. Towns County is a small county in the North Georgia mountains, but its records follow the same state structure as every other Georgia county.

Superior Court Clerk of Towns County

The Superior Court Clerk is the keeper of dissolution of marriage records in Towns County. The office is located at 48 River Street Suite A, Hiawassee, GA 30546. The phone number is (706) 896-2130. The clerk's staff can look up case information by party name or case number and help you understand what documents are on file and how to get copies.

Towns County falls within the Piedmont Judicial Circuit. This circuit covers several North Georgia counties, with judges rotating through for hearings and trials. Dissolution of marriage petitions filed in Towns County go before a Piedmont Circuit judge, who signs the final decree when the case is resolved. Once signed, the clerk records the decree as a public document.

Certified copies of final decrees are available from the clerk's office. These copies bear the court's official seal and are what you need for legal and administrative purposes, such as updating ID documents, handling estate matters, or satisfying a lender. In-person requests are processed quickly. Mail-in requests take longer. Call the clerk's office to ask about the fee schedule before submitting either type of request.

Note: Towns County is a small office, so calling ahead to check on staffing and hours before traveling to Hiawassee is a good idea.

Online Access to Towns County Dissolution Records

The GSCCCA statewide portal at gsccca.org provides online index searches for Georgia Superior Court civil filings, including dissolution of marriage cases. Towns County is part of this system. You can search by party name and narrow results by date and record type. The portal returns case numbers, filing dates, and party information. It does not show the full documents, but it confirms whether a record exists and gives you the case number needed to request copies.

For certified copies without a courthouse visit, the GSCCCA eCertification portal at ecert.gsccca.org handles online requests. Digitally certified documents produced through this service carry a recognized seal and are accepted in most legal settings.

The Find My Clerk directory shown above is the best place to confirm up-to-date contact information for the Towns County Superior Court Clerk before visiting or calling.

PeachCourt at peachcourt.com handles electronic filing for Georgia courts. Attorneys and self-represented petitioners can use PeachCourt to submit dissolution of marriage filings in Towns County. The clerk still maintains the official record regardless of how the filing was submitted.

Note: Very small counties may have limited staffing for online record updates, so the GSCCCA portal may show a short lag for very recent filings.

Georgia DPH Dissolution Verification Service

Georgia DPH Vital Records holds a statewide dissolution verification file covering records from 1952 through 1996. If you need to confirm a Towns County dissolution of marriage that falls in that window, you can request a verification using Form 3917 through the DPH. The fee is $10. The response confirms the event took place but does not include decree terms or a certified court copy.

For dissolutions outside that date range, the Towns County Superior Court Clerk is the right source. If you are researching a very old case from the early county records, the Georgia Archives may have relevant historical materials. The archives hold microfilm and digital collections from many Georgia counties and their catalog is searchable online.

Note: The DPH verification service is useful for confirming a record but is not a replacement for a certified court copy when one is legally required.

Filing for Dissolution of Marriage in Towns County

To file for dissolution of marriage in Towns County, at least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for at least six months. The petition is filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Hiawassee. Georgia law requires a 30-day waiting period after service on the respondent before a judge can finalize the dissolution. For simple, uncontested cases where both spouses agree on everything, the case can close relatively soon after that period ends.

The Georgia DPH Vital Records information page above explains the verification process for dissolution of marriage records held in the statewide file through 1996.

Georgia allows both no-fault and fault-based grounds for dissolution of marriage. No-fault cases rely on the marriage being irretrievably broken. Georgia recognizes 13 grounds in total under O.C.G.A. 19-5-3. The clerk's office can provide blank forms for pro se filers. The Georgia Courts website also has procedural guidance and links to forms used statewide.

Residents who need legal help can contact Georgia Legal Aid or look through the State Bar of Georgia's Lawyer Referral Service. The Piedmont Circuit serves a largely rural area, so locating a local family law attorney in advance is worthwhile before the filing deadline gets close.

Note: Towns County is a small county with limited court session dates, so case timelines can be longer than in larger metro counties.

Cities in Towns County

Hiawassee is the county seat of Towns County and the largest city in the county. No cities in Towns County currently meet the 25,000-resident threshold required for a dedicated city page on this site. All Towns County residents should use the Superior Court Clerk resources and state tools described on this page to search for dissolution of marriage records.

Nearby Counties