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Georgia divorce forms: which ones you need

Updated · General information about Georgia law, not legal advice · Leer en español ·

Summary

Georgia's official divorce forms are free. The Georgia courts' self-help instructions say to use your county Superior Court's divorce packet, or the Southern Judicial Circuit's self-help forms if your county doesn't have one. The Georgia courts also publish statewide forms.1, 2

Which forms you need depends on two things above all: whether you have children under 18 together, and whether you and your spouse agree on everything. Find your situation below.

The forms almost everyone files

  • Domestic Relations Case Filing Information Form, filed at the start of the case.3
  • The complaint for divorce, with or without minor children, plus a verification you sign in front of a notary.3
  • A summons.1
  • A Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit when child support, alimony, property division or attorney's fees are at issue.4
  • A final judgment and decree of divorce, which you prepare for the judge to sign.1
  • The Domestic Relations Case Disposition Form, filed with the final decree at the end of the case.3
  • A report of divorce for state vital records, which must be completed before the final decree is granted.5

Official forms and links

If you have children under 18

Use the forms for a divorce with minor children. They add:1

  • A parenting plan. Each parent files a proposed plan, or the parents file one together.6
  • Child support worksheets, which you fill in with the state's free online child support calculator.7
  • A certificate showing you finished the parenting seminar, where your court requires one.8

Official forms and links

Custody and parenting plans in Georgia

If you and your spouse agree on everything

  • A settlement agreement, signed by both of you in front of a notary and filed with the complaint.3
  • An acknowledgment of service, signed by your spouse in front of a notary, so the sheriff doesn't have to deliver the papers. Some versions also cover your spouse's consent to the county where you file.3

If your spouse won't sign

File the summons, and have the sheriff or a process server deliver the papers. You don't need your spouse's signature for the case to go ahead.9

When your spouse won't sign or can't be found

If you can't find your spouse

You'll need a motion for service by publication and an affidavit of due diligence describing your search for your spouse. The judge has to approve publication before the notice runs.3, 9

If you can't afford the fees

File a pauper's affidavit, sworn in front of a notary, asking to file without paying the court's fees. The Georgia courts publish a statewide version, and many counties have their own.10, 11

Official forms and links

Divorce with no money: getting fees waived

If you've been served

The Georgia courts publish an Answer and Counterclaim for Divorce, in versions with minor children and without. Your answer is usually due within 30 days after you're served.12, 13, 14

Official forms and links

Where to get the forms

Start with your county's Superior Court divorce packet. If your county doesn't have one, the Georgia courts' instructions point to the Southern Judicial Circuit's self-help forms. Your county's page on this site links to its packet when the court posts one.1

The Georgia courts also publish statewide forms. The statewide complaint for a divorce with minor children is dated April 2024, and the one without minor children is dated October 2019, so check with the clerk that you have the current version.2, 15

The official forms are free. Some websites charge to fill them in for you; that's a separate service, not a court requirement.

Official forms and links

Find your county

Questions you might ask a lawyer

  • Does my county want its own packet or the statewide forms?
  • Is my settlement agreement complete enough for the judge to sign the decree?
  • Which forms do I need if my case is contested?

Common questions

Where can I get free Georgia divorce forms?

From your county's Superior Court, which often posts its own divorce packet. The Georgia courts also publish free statewide forms.

Which divorce form do I use if we have children?

The complaint for divorce with minor children, along with a parenting plan and child support worksheets.6

Do I need my spouse to sign the divorce forms?

No. If your spouse won't sign an acknowledgment of service, the papers can be delivered by the sheriff or a process server instead.9

Next guideHow much a divorce costs in GeorgiaWhat a Georgia divorce costs: court filing and service fees by county, parenting seminars, mediation, lawyers' fees, other professionals, and help if you can't afford the fees.

Sources

  1. ^ Georgia courts, basic self-help divorce instructions, 2024 (georgiacourts.gov, PDF)
  2. ^ Georgia courts, Complaint for Divorce with Minor Children, April 2024 (PDF)
  3. ^ Georgia courts, instructions for a divorce without minor children (georgiacourts.gov, PDF)
  4. ^ Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.2, financial affidavit (Supreme Court of Georgia, PDF)
  5. ^ O.C.G.A. § 31-10-22, report of divorce for state vital records (FindLaw)
  6. ^ O.C.G.A. § 19-9-1, parenting plans (Justia)
  7. ^ Georgia Child Support Commission, online calculator
  8. ^ Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.8, parenting seminars (Supreme Court of Georgia, PDF)
  9. ^ O.C.G.A. § 9-11-4, service and publication (Justia)
  10. ^ O.C.G.A. § 9-15-2, filing without paying fees (FindLaw)
  11. ^ Georgia courts, Affidavit of Eligibility to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (georgiacourts.gov, PDF)
  12. ^ Georgia courts, Answer and Counterclaim for Divorce with minor children (PDF)
  13. ^ Georgia courts, Answer and Counterclaim for Divorce without minor children (PDF)
  14. ^ O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12, time to answer (Justia)
  15. ^ Georgia courts, Complaint for Divorce Without Minor Children, revised October 2019 (PDF)

Laws and court rules change. If something here looks out of date, email help@divorce.city.

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