Wayne County Dissolution Of Marriage Search
Wayne County dissolution of marriage records are filed with the Superior Court Clerk in Jesup, Georgia, and are open to the public as part of the official court record under Georgia law. This page covers how to search for dissolution of marriage cases in Wayne County, how to request certified copies of decrees, what online resources serve this Atlantic Judicial Circuit county, and what you need to know if you are filing or responding to a dissolution petition in the Jesup courthouse.
Wayne County Quick Facts
Superior Court Clerk in Jesup
The Wayne County Superior Court Clerk is the official keeper of dissolution of marriage records in this county. The office is at 174 North Brunswick Street, Jesup, GA 31545, and can be reached at (912) 427-5930. The clerk processes new filings, maintains the court record for all dissolution of marriage cases, and handles requests for certified copies of final decrees and other court documents.
Wayne County is part of the Atlantic Judicial Circuit, which covers this area of southeast Georgia. The circuit manages court scheduling and judicial assignments, but the Wayne County clerk in Jesup is responsible for all local dissolution of marriage records. Whether you need to search for a case, confirm a filing date, or get a certified copy, the clerk's office is your primary contact.
When visiting the clerk's office to search records, bring the full names of both spouses and an approximate year for the filing or final decree. A case number, if available, speeds things up considerably. Staff can tell you whether the record you need is available and what process applies for getting a certified copy or having a request sent by mail.
The Find My Clerk directory at gaclerks.org has current contact details for the Wayne County clerk and all other Georgia Superior Court clerks. That directory is maintained by the Superior Court Clerks of Georgia and is updated when offices change contact information.
Online Dissolution Record Search for Wayne County
Georgia's main tool for online court record searches is the GSCCCA Portal, operated by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority. The portal lets you search by party name or case number across participating counties. For Wayne County dissolution of marriage cases, you can find basic filing information including party names, case numbers, and filing dates without visiting the courthouse.
Basic index searches are free through GSCCCA. Document images may cost a fee depending on the county and record type. For older cases filed before Wayne County began contributing records to the digital system, you will need to contact the clerk in Jesup directly.
The image below shows the Georgia DPH About Vital Records page, which explains what the state's vital records system covers, including its limited dissolution of marriage verification service that applies only to records from 1952 through 1996.
The DPH vital records system is separate from the Superior Court clerk system. It provides verification only, not certified copies of dissolution decrees.
Georgia also offers re:SearchGA, a court record search system covering 25 Georgia counties. Check whether Wayne County is currently participating in that platform. If it is, re:SearchGA may give you access to dissolution case records with more detail than the standard GSCCCA index. The PeachCourt eFiling system may also have case lookup features for Wayne County if it participates.
Note: Use at least two online platforms when searching for a case before concluding it is not on file, since coverage varies by county and time period.
Filing a Dissolution of Marriage Case in Wayne County
Anyone filing a dissolution of marriage in Wayne County must meet Georgia's residency requirement: at least one spouse must have lived in the state for six months before filing. The petition goes to the Superior Court of the county where the defendant spouse lives. If both spouses live in Wayne County, the petition is filed here. If the defendant has left Georgia, the plaintiff can file in their own county.
Georgia allows dissolution on a no-fault basis, specifically by asserting that the marriage is irretrievably broken. The state also has thirteen fault-based grounds under O.C.G.A. Section 19-5-3. In most Wayne County cases, parties use the no-fault ground, particularly when both sides are in agreement about ending the marriage and have resolved the main issues.
After the petition is filed and served, Georgia requires a mandatory 30-day waiting period before a final decree can be signed. This applies to all cases, including uncontested ones. Once those 30 days have passed, an uncontested case can move to a final hearing quickly. Contested cases are scheduled by the court based on the issues involved and the court calendar.
Dissolution of marriage forms are available from the clerk's office in Jesup and through the Georgia Courts website. For cases involving children, real estate, retirement accounts, or significant disagreements, getting legal advice before filing is a practical move that often prevents problems later in the process.
Certified Copies and Record Access
Certified copies of dissolution of marriage decrees are issued by the Wayne County Superior Court Clerk. These carry the court's official seal and are required for many purposes, including changing a name on a driver's license or passport, updating insurance beneficiaries, remarrying, and settling estates. Only the Superior Court Clerk can issue certified copies of the actual court order.
You can request certified copies in person at the Jesup courthouse or contact the clerk about mail-in options. Knowing both parties' names and the approximate year the case was filed or finalized helps staff locate the record quickly. If you have the case number, bring it. The clerk will let you know what forms of payment are accepted and how long processing typically takes.
The image below shows the GSCCCA eCertification system, which allows electronic certified copy requests from participating Georgia counties, potentially including Wayne County dissolution of marriage records.
If Wayne County participates in GSCCCA eCertification, you may be able to get a certified copy electronically, which is often faster than a traditional mail-in request.
Georgia DPH's dissolution verification service covers records from 1952 through 1996 only, using Form 3917 at a $10 fee. This confirms whether a record exists for that period but provides no actual court documents. For records outside that range, or if you need the actual decree, the Wayne County Superior Court Clerk is the right source. Very old records may also be available through the Georgia Archives.
Note: A DPH verification and a clerk-issued certified copy are not interchangeable. Make sure you order the right document for your specific purpose.
Georgia Dissolution of Marriage Law and Resources
The legal rules for dissolution of marriage in Georgia are found in Title 19, Chapter 5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. You can read the full text through Justia's Georgia Title 19 pages. That chapter covers everything from the residency rule and grounds to how courts handle property, debt, and children when dissolving a marriage.
Georgia is an equitable distribution state, so marital property is divided based on what is fair in each case, not necessarily in equal halves. Property owned before the marriage or received as a gift or inheritance during the marriage is generally kept by the original owner. Couples who can agree on how to split assets and debts often have those agreements incorporated into the final decree, which can simplify and speed up the process.
When children are involved in a Wayne County dissolution case, the Superior Court addresses custody, parenting time, and child support as part of the final order. Georgia's best interest of the child standard guides custody decisions. Child support is calculated using the state's income shares model, which factors in both parents' income and the child's needs. Those provisions in the final decree are enforceable by the court.
Legal aid organizations serving southeast Georgia may be available to Wayne County residents who cannot afford an attorney. The Georgia Courts website has a self-help center with guides, forms, and other resources that explain the dissolution process in plain terms and help unrepresented parties know what to expect at each stage.
Cities in Wayne County
Jesup is the county seat of Wayne County. No cities in Wayne County meet the 25,000-person population threshold for dedicated dissolution of marriage city pages on this site. All dissolution of marriage records and filings for Wayne County are handled through the Superior Court Clerk in Jesup.