Upson County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Upson County dissolution of marriage records are filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Thomaston and are part of the public court record in Georgia. If you need to search for a dissolution of marriage case, confirm a final decree, or get certified copies of court documents, this page covers the main ways to access those records, who keeps them, what the process looks like, and what to expect when you reach out to the clerk's office or use online tools.
Upson County Quick Facts
Superior Court Clerk in Upson County
The Upson County Superior Court Clerk is the official keeper of dissolution of marriage records in this county. All petitions, final decrees, and related filings go through this office. The clerk is located at 116 Main Street in Thomaston and can be reached at (706) 647-7835. The office handles record requests, certified copy orders, and general questions about case status.
Walk-in requests are accepted during normal courthouse hours. If you need a certified copy of a dissolution of marriage decree, you can go in person or contact the clerk to ask about mail-in options. The clerk can tell you what ID or case information you need to bring. Having the names of both parties and an approximate filing year will speed things up when staff search the index.
The Upson County Superior Court sits in the Flint Judicial Circuit. That circuit covers multiple counties in this part of middle Georgia. Circuit-level information, judge assignments, and term schedules are handled through the circuit's administrative office, but the Upson County clerk is your main contact for all local case records.
You can use the Find My Clerk directory at gaclerks.org to confirm current contact details for the Upson County Superior Court Clerk. That directory is maintained by the Superior Court Clerks of Georgia and stays up to date with addresses and phone numbers statewide.
Online Access to Upson County Dissolution Records
Georgia has several online tools that let you search court records without going to the courthouse in person. The GSCCCA Portal is a statewide system maintained by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority. It indexes court filings across Georgia, and depending on what Upson County has uploaded, you may find dissolution of marriage case names, filing dates, and docket entries there.
The GSCCCA portal is a good first stop when you want to check whether a case was filed, get a case number, or see what documents are in the record. Actual document images may or may not be available, depending on the county and filing date. For older records or full document copies, you will likely still need to contact the clerk's office directly.
The image below shows the GSCCCA Portal homepage, which is where you can start a statewide court records search for dissolution of marriage filings in Upson County and across Georgia.
The GSCCCA portal covers many counties and is updated regularly as clerks submit new records to the system.
Another tool worth knowing is PeachCourt, which is Georgia's official eFiling platform. While PeachCourt is mainly for attorneys and self-represented parties who want to file documents electronically, its case lookup features can help members of the public find case numbers and basic filing details for dissolution of marriage actions in counties that participate in the system.
Note: Not every Upson County record will appear in online databases, especially for filings made before the digital era. For older dissolution of marriage cases, contacting the clerk directly is the most reliable path.
Filing a Dissolution of Marriage in Upson County
To file for dissolution of marriage in Upson County, at least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for a minimum of six months before filing. The petition is filed in the Superior Court of the county where the defendant spouse lives. If both parties live in Upson County, you file here. If the defendant has left the state, you can file in the county where the plaintiff lives.
Georgia uses a no-fault ground for dissolution of marriage, meaning a party can cite the marriage being irretrievably broken without proving wrongdoing by the other spouse. There are also fault-based grounds recognized under Georgia law. A summary of those grounds is available through resources like O.C.G.A. Section 19-5-3, which lists all recognized bases for dissolution in Georgia.
After a petition is filed, Georgia requires a 30-day waiting period before a final decree can be entered. This period begins when the defendant is served or waives service. If the case is uncontested and both parties agree on all terms, the process can move quickly after that waiting period ends. Contested cases involving property division, child custody, or support take longer and depend on the court's schedule.
The Superior Court Clerk can provide the official forms used in Upson County. You can also check georgiacourts.gov for self-help resources and form information published by the Georgia courts system. Some people choose to work with an attorney, especially when a case involves shared property, children, or disagreements about support.
Certified Copies and Verification of Dissolution Records
A certified copy of a dissolution of marriage decree from Upson County is an official court document with the clerk's seal. This type of copy is often needed for legal and administrative purposes, such as changing a name, updating insurance records, remarrying, or settling an estate. You get certified copies from the Superior Court Clerk, not from any state agency.
Georgia's Department of Public Health maintains a dissolution verification database, but it only covers records from 1952 through 1996. That database does not provide the actual decree. It only confirms whether a record exists for a given year range. If you need a certified copy of the full order, the Superior Court Clerk in Thomaston is where to go. The DPH system uses Form 3917 and charges a $10 fee for verifications.
The image below shows the GSCCCA eCertification system, which allows users to request and receive certified copies of some court records electronically from participating Georgia counties.
Check the GSCCCA eCertification site to see whether Upson County participates and whether your specific record type is available through that system.
For historical dissolution of marriage records that predate courthouse filing systems or that may have been archived, the Georgia Archives is a useful resource. The Archives holds older state and county records and can help you locate documents that are no longer held at the local courthouse level.
Note: Always contact the clerk's office before making a trip so you know exactly what forms of payment are accepted and whether your record is available for same-day pickup.
Georgia Law and Dissolution of Marriage
Dissolution of marriage in Georgia is governed by Title 19, Chapter 5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. That chapter covers grounds, residency rules, how property is treated, and procedures for finalizing a case. A full text of those code sections is available through Justia's Georgia Title 19 Chapter 5 page.
Georgia is an equitable distribution state, which means marital property is divided in a way the court finds fair, not necessarily in equal halves. What counts as marital property versus separate property can be a key issue in contested dissolution cases. Spouses can also reach their own property settlement agreements, which the court will typically approve if both parties consent and the terms are reasonable.
If children are involved, Upson County's Superior Court will address custody and child support as part of the dissolution case. Georgia courts follow a best interest of the child standard when making custody decisions. Child support amounts are calculated using the state's income shares model, which factors in both parents' incomes and other relevant expenses.
Legal aid may be available to residents of Upson County who cannot afford an attorney. Georgia Legal Aid and related organizations sometimes provide assistance in family law matters. The Georgia Courts website has information on self-help resources and may point you toward local legal aid contacts for this area.
Cities in Upson County
Thomaston is the county seat and largest city in Upson County, but its population falls below the 25,000 threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. No cities in Upson County currently qualify for individual dissolution of marriage city pages. For county-level records and court access, use the Upson County Superior Court Clerk information listed above.