Webster County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Webster County dissolution of marriage records are kept by the Superior Court Clerk in Preston, Georgia, and are part of the public court record under state law. This page explains how to search for dissolution of marriage cases in Webster County, what online tools may help you find records in this southwest Georgia county, how to get certified copies of final decrees, and what the filing and process requirements are for dissolution actions in the Southwestern Judicial Circuit.
Webster County Quick Facts
Webster County Superior Court Clerk
The Webster County Superior Court Clerk is the official custodian of all dissolution of marriage records in this county. The office is located at 6330 Hamilton Road, Preston, GA 31824, and the phone number is (229) 828-3525. This is a small, rural county, and the clerk's office handles a relatively low volume of cases compared to larger metro counties. Staff can search the record index, confirm whether a dissolution was finalized, and process certified copy requests.
Webster County is in the Southwestern Judicial Circuit, which covers several southwest Georgia counties. The circuit manages court scheduling and judicial assignments at the circuit level. For all record access related to Webster County dissolution of marriage cases, the local clerk's office in Preston is your primary point of contact.
Because Webster County is one of Georgia's smaller counties, it is worth calling ahead before making the trip to Preston. The clerk's office can confirm what records are available, what you need to bring, and whether your request can be handled the same day. Having the names of both parties and an approximate year for the case helps staff locate the record efficiently.
Current contact details and any updated office hours for the Webster County clerk are available through the Find My Clerk directory at the Superior Court Clerks of Georgia website.
Searching Webster County Dissolution Records Online
The GSCCCA Portal is Georgia's primary statewide platform for online Superior Court record searches. It is run by the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority and lets users search case indexes from counties that participate in the system. For Webster County dissolution of marriage cases, the portal may show party names, case numbers, and filing dates depending on what records have been submitted.
Basic GSCCCA searches are free. Document images may require a fee or account. Webster County is a small county with a small court system, so its digital record coverage may be less complete than larger counties. For records from earlier decades, a direct request to the clerk in Preston is likely necessary.
The image below shows the GSCCCA Portal homepage, where you can search statewide court records for dissolution of marriage cases including those filed in Webster County, Georgia.
The GSCCCA Portal is the most widely used starting point for online searches of Georgia Superior Court records and is worth checking before contacting the clerk directly.
Georgia's re:SearchGA platform covers 25 Georgia counties. Check whether Webster County is included. If it is, that platform may provide more case detail than the standard GSCCCA index. The PeachCourt eFiling system may also offer case lookup for recent filings if Webster County uses that platform. For most Webster County dissolution cases, however, contacting the clerk directly remains the most reliable approach.
Note: Webster County's small size means fewer cases are filed each year, but the same public access rights and search tools available statewide apply here.
Filing Dissolution of Marriage in Webster County
To file a dissolution of marriage case in Webster County, at least one spouse must have lived in Georgia for six months before filing. The petition is filed in the Superior Court of the county where the defendant lives. If both parties live in Webster County, the case is filed here. If the defendant has moved out of state, the plaintiff may file in their own county of residence.
Georgia law allows dissolution on a no-fault basis by asserting that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Fault-based grounds are also available under O.C.G.A. Section 19-5-3. Most parties in Webster County use the no-fault ground because it requires the least evidence and works well for uncontested cases where both parties agree to end the marriage.
After the petition is served on the defendant, Georgia requires a 30-day waiting period before a final decree can be issued. Courts cannot shorten this period. For uncontested cases where parties have agreed on all terms, the final hearing can be set shortly after those 30 days expire. If there are disputes about property, custody, or support, the case goes onto the court calendar and may take considerably longer to resolve.
Forms for dissolution of marriage are available at the Webster County clerk's office and through the Georgia Courts website. Given Webster County's rural location and the relatively limited local legal resources, anyone dealing with a contested case, shared property, or children should strongly consider working with a family law attorney from the outset.
Certified Copies and Verification of Records
Certified copies of dissolution of marriage decrees are issued by the Webster County Superior Court Clerk in Preston. These official documents carry the court's seal and are required for name changes, passport renewals, remarrying, updating beneficiaries, and estate administration. You can request them in person at the courthouse or contact the clerk about mail-in procedures.
Georgia DPH's vital records office operates a dissolution verification service for records from 1952 through 1996. That service uses Form 3917 and charges $10. It only confirms whether a record exists and does not provide the actual court documents. For certified copies of full decrees in any year, only the Webster County Superior Court Clerk can provide them.
The image below shows the Georgia Archives website, which preserves historical Georgia county court records, including older dissolution of marriage documents that may no longer be held at the local courthouse level in Webster County.
The Georgia Archives is a state preservation facility and may hold older Webster County dissolution records for researchers working on historical family or estate matters.
Electronic certified copies may be available through the GSCCCA eCertification system if Webster County participates. Check the eCertification portal to see whether the county and record type you need are supported. If they are, eCertification can be faster than requesting copies by mail or in person. For records not available electronically, contact the Preston clerk directly.
Note: Call ahead to the Webster County clerk before traveling to Preston, as office hours and staffing at small county courthouses can vary.
Georgia Dissolution of Marriage Law
Georgia's dissolution of marriage laws are codified in Title 19, Chapter 5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. The full text is available through Justia's Georgia Title 19 pages. The chapter covers residency requirements, grounds, the 30-day waiting period, property and debt division rules, and how courts handle cases with children.
Georgia follows an equitable distribution standard for marital property. Courts divide assets in a fair way that reflects the contributions and circumstances of both parties, which is not necessarily an equal split. Property owned before the marriage or received as a gift or inheritance during the marriage is generally treated as separate property and not divided. Parties who settle their own property and support issues can have those agreements incorporated into the final decree.
If minor children are part of a Webster County dissolution case, the Superior Court will address custody, parenting time, and child support in the final order. Georgia applies the best interest of the child standard to custody decisions. Support is calculated under the state's income shares formula based on both parents' incomes. Those provisions become binding court orders once the final decree is signed and can be enforced through the court if violated.
Residents of Webster County who cannot afford an attorney may qualify for legal aid through organizations serving southwest Georgia. The Georgia Courts website has a self-help center with plain-language guides and forms that walk people through the steps of a dissolution case from filing to final decree.
Cities in Webster County
Preston is the county seat of Webster County and the largest community in the county. No cities in Webster County meet the 25,000-person population threshold for dedicated dissolution of marriage city pages on this site. All dissolution of marriage filings and record requests for Webster County are handled through the Superior Court Clerk in Preston.