Search Clarke County Divorce Records

Clarke County divorce records are held by the Superior Court Clerk in Athens and cover all divorce cases filed in the consolidated Athens-Clarke County government area. Whether you need to verify that a divorce was finalized, request a certified copy of a decree, or look up a case number for an older filing, this guide walks through your options for accessing Clarke County divorce records online and in person.

Where to Get Clarke County Divorce Records

Clarke County operates under a consolidated government with the city of Athens. The Superior Court Clerk serving Clarke County is part of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government. All divorce cases in the county are filed and maintained at the Superior Court Clerk's office on East Washington Street in Athens. This is the single point of contact for all divorce record requests in Clarke County.

Georgia's Open Records Act at O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 classifies divorce records as public documents accessible to any member of the public. Court orders sealing a divorce record do exist but are uncommon in standard cases. If you are a party to the divorce, access is straightforward. Third parties may also request copies in most cases.

The courthouse is on East Washington Street in downtown Athens. Metered street parking and public parking decks are available within walking distance. If you plan to spend time reviewing a large file, call ahead to make sure the records you need are accessible at the main location and not in off-site storage.

The image below is from the GSCCCA statewide portal at gsccca.org, which indexes Clarke County divorce cases alongside records from all other Georgia superior courts.

GSCCCA is a free resource and a good starting point before contacting the Clarke County clerk directly.

How to Search Clarke Divorce Records Online

The Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority at gsccca.org provides statewide online case search, including Clarke County. You can search by party name and get case numbers, filing dates, and basic docket data at no cost. This is the fastest way to confirm whether a divorce case exists in Clarke County without a trip to the courthouse.

Georgia E-Access at georgiacourts.gov/eaccess-court-records/ also covers Clarke County court records and complements GSCCCA. The Athens-Clarke County government website may list additional links to court search tools specific to the consolidated government structure, so it is worth checking there as well if GSCCCA does not return the results you expect.

For cases predating electronic filing systems, a direct request to the clerk is the best path. Staff can search paper index books by name and year. Athens-Clarke County has maintained good archival practices, so older records going back several decades are generally retrievable, though the search may take longer and a research fee might apply.

Note: Clarke County is indexed under its own name on GSCCCA, not under "Athens-Clarke" , use Clarke when searching the statewide portal to get the right results.

Clarke County Divorce Filing Process

Georgia Superior Courts have sole authority to grant divorces under O.C.G.A. § 19-5-1. In Clarke County, the Superior Court in Athens handles all divorce petitions. Filing venue is set by O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2, which requires the case to be filed where the defendant lives. If your spouse lives in Athens, this is your filing county.

The process starts with filing a complaint at the clerk's office on East Washington Street. The court issues a summons, and the defendant must be served. After service, the defendant has 30 days to respond. In an uncontested case where both parties agree on all terms, a settlement agreement is filed with the court and a final hearing is scheduled, often within a reasonable time after the response window closes.

Contested divorces involve more steps. Discovery, mediation, and hearings before the judge are common in cases where spouses disagree on property, custody, or support. Clarke County is part of the Western Judicial Circuit, which covers Clarke County and several neighboring counties. That circuit's judges rotate through the Athens courthouse on a schedule.

Georgia recognizes multiple grounds for divorce as listed in O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3. The vast majority of divorces filed in Clarke County use the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences, which avoids the need to prove wrongdoing by either spouse. Fault grounds are still available but used sparingly in practice.

Fees for Clarke County Divorce Records

Copy fees at the Clarke County Superior Court Clerk vary by document type. Plain copies are less expensive. Certified copies, which carry the court seal and are required for legal purposes, cost more per page. Contact the clerk at (706) 613-3190 for the current fee schedule, as rates can change and it is always better to know before you go.

For divorces finalized between 1952 and 1996, the Georgia Department of Public Health offers a $10 divorce verification service at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords. This confirmation letter is useful for basic proof of divorce but does not contain the full decree terms. If you need the complete court order, go to the Superior Court Clerk in Athens.

Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-22, Clarke County reports finalized divorces to DPH monthly, maintaining the state database. The DPH verification is a quick and affordable route for older cases in that date range when you only need basic confirmation rather than the full legal document.

Note: Mail requests for copies should include the full names of both parties, the approximate year of the divorce, any known case number, and a self-addressed stamped envelope along with payment.

Legal Resources in Clarke County

Georgia Legal Aid has a presence in the northeast Georgia area and provides free civil legal services to qualifying Clarke County residents. Their attorneys assist with uncontested divorces, custody modifications, protective orders, and other family law matters. Income guidelines apply, and you can apply online or by calling their offices.

Athens is home to the University of Georgia School of Law, which operates clinical programs that sometimes assist low-income clients in family law matters. Law students supervised by licensed attorneys can help with straightforward cases, and the cost is typically free or very low. Contact the law school's clinical programs office for availability.

The Georgia State Bar lawyer referral service can connect you with a local attorney for a reduced-cost initial consultation. For people going pro se (without an attorney), Georgia E-Forms provides free standardized templates for uncontested divorces. The Clarke County clerk's staff can point you to the right forms window and explain the filing steps without giving legal advice. Athens is also served by private family law attorneys who handle divorce cases at a range of price points.

Divorce Certificates in Clarke County

A certified copy of the divorce decree is different from a brief verification or certificate. The decree is the actual court order, often several pages long, signed by the judge and including all terms agreed upon or decided by the court. For most agencies and institutions that require proof of divorce, a certified copy of the decree is what they want.

Georgia DPH issues verifications for divorces from 1952 through 1996, charging $10 each at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords. These are confirmation letters, not full decrees. They are useful for quick personal reference or for situations where only the fact and date of divorce matters rather than the specific terms. For anything that requires proof of custody arrangements, property settlement, or name change orders embedded in the decree, go to the Superior Court Clerk.

To order a certified copy of a Clarke County divorce decree, visit the Superior Court Clerk at 325 East Washington Street in Athens or submit a written mail request. Include the names of both parties, the approximate divorce year, and any known case number. Processing times for in-person requests are generally fast. Mail requests depend on the clerk's current workload.

Nearby Counties

Clarke County is in northeast Georgia. If a divorce was filed in a neighboring county, use these links to locate the right clerk's office.