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Divorce in Polk County, Georgia: costs, court rules and local help

Checked · General information, not legal advice ·

Summary

Divorces in Polk County are filed with the Polk County Superior Court. The filing fee is $213, and sheriff service is $50.

  • The clerk's posted fee has no date, so confirm the amount before you file. If you're filing a new case without a lawyer, or need help e-filing, come in by 4 p.m. to use the public PeachCourt computer.1
  • The clerk's office is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays; for civil cases, call the main number and press 5. Legal notices run in the Polk Standard Journal, and Our House offers free help with temporary protective orders at 770-748-6633.2
  • Mediators on the district's roster usually charge $100 to $200 an hour, split between you and your spouse. If you can't afford it, apply to the district's mediation office (770-387-4820) for a fee waiver before the session.3
  • Polk and Haralson counties make up the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit.4

Where to file

Polk County Clerk of Superior Court
Polk County Courthouse No. 1, 100 Prior Street, Suite 106
Cedartown, GA 30125
Phone: 770-749-21142

Filing fee

$213 to file. Sheriff service: $50.1

Parenting class

In a divorce involving children under 18, every party must attend Trans-Parenting, a four-hour seminar for divorcing parents that the Seventh Judicial Administrative District runs for Polk, Haralson, Douglas and Paulding counties. It covers talking with your children about the divorce, how conflict between parents affects them, and co-parenting. Each parent gets a handbook.5

Mediation

Polk is covered by the Seventh District's mediation rules, which let the judge send any contested divorce to mediation. Once your case is referred, unless the court orders otherwise:

  • The first mediation session is held within 60 days after the answer is filed.
  • Within 10 days of the referral, you and your spouse tell the district's mediation office which mediator you chose and when you'll meet. If you can't agree, a mediator is appointed.
  • If child support, alimony or property is at issue, bring a current, notarized Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit. A spouse who doesn't is treated as not having shown up.
  • Missing a session without good cause, or canceling with less than two business days' notice, is reported to the judge, who can order you to pay the costs.

Every domestic case is screened for family violence first, and a case with an active temporary protective order isn't sent to mediation unless the judge orders it.6

Also good to know

The seminar is also offered live on Zoom. To get credit:

  • Register with your case number and the county, then send a copy of your photo ID when asked. You get the link only after that.
  • Use a device with a webcam and speakers, in a quiet place, and join at least 10 minutes early.
  • Stay visible on camera for the whole seminar, which runs about four hours.

Your certificate is emailed within 48 hours, and it's also e-filed with the clerk if you gave your case number and county when you registered.7

Free and low-cost help in Polk County

  • Polk County Women's Shelter (Our House). A state-certified family violence program in Cedartown serving Polk County. The number below is its crisis line; its office is 770-748-2300.
    Phone: 770-749-93308
  • Georgia Legal Services Program. Free civil legal help, including family law, for people with low incomes in 154 of Georgia's 159 counties. Apply online or call the intake line.
    Phone: 833-457-75299

If you need an interpreter

If you or a witness needs an interpreter, including sign language, tell the court in writing before the hearing, at least 5 days ahead where you can. The court then works to provide a licensed interpreter at its own expense.10

Polk County Superior Court website

Sources

  1. ^ Polk County Clerk of Superior Court: key points and filing fees (polkga.org)
  2. ^ Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority, Polk County clerk directory entry: key points and address and phone (gsccca.org)
  3. ^ Seventh Judicial Administrative District, Superior Court mediation (7jad.com)
  4. ^ O.C.G.A. § 15-6-1, judicial circuits (Justia) (law.justia.com)
  5. ^ Seventh Judicial Administrative District, Divorcing Parents Seminar (7jad.com)
  6. ^ Seventh Judicial Administrative District, mediation rules for the Douglas, Lookout Mountain, Paulding, Rome and Tallapoosa circuits, as of January 1, 2022 (PDF) (7jad.com, PDF)
  7. ^ Seventh Judicial Administrative District, guidelines for the online parenting seminar (PDF) (7jad.com, PDF)
  8. ^ Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, state-certified family violence agencies (PDF) (cjcc.georgia.gov)
  9. ^ Georgia Legal Services Program, what we do (glsp.org)
  10. ^ Uniform Superior Court Rule 7.3, interpreters (gasupreme.us)

Court fees and rules change. Check with the clerk before you file. If something here looks out of date, email help@divorce.city.

Next step if you both agreeUncontested divorce in Georgia, step by stepHow an uncontested divorce works in Georgia, in order: checking you qualify, the settlement agreement, the forms, filing, service, the 30-day wait and the final decree.

Nearby counties

Fees and court rules differ from county to county. Guides for neighboring counties: Bartow County, Floyd County and Paulding County.

Polk County also borders Haralson County. Its clerk is listed on the Georgia page.

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