Search Coweta County Divorce Records

Coweta County divorce records are maintained by the Superior Court Clerk in Newnan and cover all divorce cases filed in the county, including those involving residents of Newnan and the surrounding area. This page explains how to locate and request Coweta County divorce records through online search, in-person visits, and mail requests, along with information on fees, the filing process, and local legal help.

Where to Get Coweta County Divorce Records

The Coweta County Superior Court Clerk in Newnan is the official custodian of all divorce records filed in the county. The clerk's office at 72 Greenville Street handles both in-person and mail record requests. Coweta County has grown substantially as a southwest Atlanta suburb, and the clerk's office processes a significant volume of domestic case filings each year. For divorce records specifically, you work directly with the civil division of the clerk's office.

Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, Georgia divorce records are public documents. Any member of the public can request a copy unless a judge has specifically sealed the record. Sealed records are uncommon in routine divorce cases. Parties to a case always have the right to access their own files, and third parties generally can too in the absence of a sealing order.

The courthouse is on Greenville Street in historic downtown Newnan. Parking is available on the square and in adjacent public lots. Newnan is about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, and the courthouse is a relatively short drive from most parts of Coweta County. If you are coming specifically for a record, call (770) 254-2690 first to confirm the file is available and to find out what to bring for payment.

The image below shows the Georgia E-Access portal at georgiacourts.gov/eaccess-court-records/, one of the statewide search tools available for Coweta County divorce records.

The E-Access system, combined with GSCCCA, covers most electronically filed Coweta County cases and is a practical first step before visiting the Newnan courthouse.

How to Search Coweta Divorce Records Online

Coweta County is part of the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority statewide search at gsccca.org. You can search by name for free and get case numbers, filing dates, and docket data. This is typically the first and fastest online step for anyone looking up a Coweta County divorce case without wanting to drive to Newnan.

Georgia E-Access at georgiacourts.gov/eaccess-court-records/ provides additional statewide coverage. Coweta County also makes online case search available through the county's own systems. The county website at coweta.ga.us may link to additional search tools for electronically filed cases, so it is worth checking there if GSCCCA does not return what you expect.

For Coweta County divorce cases not appearing in any online system, a call or visit to the clerk's office is the next step. Staff can search paper indexes for older cases that predate electronic filing. Coweta County's clerk handles a moderate volume of cases relative to its growing population, and staff are generally able to pull older files with reasonable advance notice. Calling ahead is recommended if the case is from the 1980s or earlier.

Note: Coweta County is indexed separately from Fulton and other adjacent metro Atlanta counties on GSCCCA. Always search the specific county you believe handled the case rather than a general metro search.

Coweta County Divorce Filing Process

Under O.C.G.A. § 19-5-1, only Georgia's Superior Courts can grant a divorce. Coweta County's Superior Court in Newnan handles all divorce petitions filed in the county. No other court type has jurisdiction over divorce, regardless of how straightforward the case may be.

Filing venue is set by O.C.G.A. § 19-5-2. You file where the defendant lives. If your spouse lives in Coweta County, Newnan is your filing location. After you file and serve the defendant, a 30-day waiting period runs. During that time, the other party can respond. For a clean uncontested case with a full settlement agreement, the divorce can be finalized not long after that window closes.

Coweta County is part of the Coweta Judicial Circuit, which includes the county and several neighboring jurisdictions. Circuit judges rotate through the Newnan courthouse. For contested divorces, hearings are scheduled on the court's calendar and can take months to reach depending on the complexity of the case and the court's current workload. Mediation is common in Coweta County for contested matters before a trial date is set.

Georgia's divorce grounds at O.C.G.A. § 19-5-3 include the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences, which is used in most Coweta County divorces. This ground removes the need to prove any fault and keeps the petition simple. Fault grounds remain available but are rarely used in contemporary practice.

Fees for Coweta County Divorce Records

Copy fees at the Coweta County clerk depend on whether you need a plain copy or a certified copy. Plain copies are cheaper and work for personal reference. Certified copies carry the court seal and are required for legal purposes. Contact the clerk at (770) 254-2690 for the current fee schedule. Rates can change over time and confirming ahead of your visit avoids any confusion at the counter.

Georgia DPH at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords offers a $10 divorce verification for cases finalized between 1952 and 1996. This is a confirmation letter rather than a copy of the decree. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-22, Coweta County's clerk reports finalized divorces to DPH monthly. For divorces in that time window where only basic confirmation is needed, the DPH verification is a quick and affordable option.

For the full certified decree with all terms, go to the Coweta County clerk in Newnan. Mail requests should include both parties' names, the divorce year, any known case number, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. In-person requests at 72 Greenville Street are generally completed the same day if the file is available. Mail orders take longer depending on current office workload.

Note: For Coweta County, checking the clerk's website at coweta.ga.us for any updated fee schedules before you visit can save time and ensure you bring the correct payment amount.

Legal Resources in Coweta County

Georgia Legal Aid serves Coweta County and the broader west Georgia region. Their attorneys provide free civil legal help to qualifying low-income residents, covering divorce, custody, child support, and protective orders. Income eligibility requirements apply. Applying online or by phone is the standard first step. Coweta County's proximity to Atlanta means Legal Aid's regional offices are accessible, though rural or lower-income residents may need to travel to reach them.

The Georgia State Bar's lawyer referral service connects residents with a licensed family law attorney for a reduced-cost initial consultation. Newnan has a number of private family law practitioners, and the metro Atlanta area's legal market is accessible for Coweta County residents. A single consultation is often enough to understand whether a case is straightforward enough to handle without full representation or whether professional help is advisable.

For people going pro se, Georgia E-Forms through the state judicial website has free templates for uncontested divorce cases. The forms cover the petition, financial affidavit, settlement agreement, and final order. The Coweta County clerk's staff can explain what to file and where to submit it without giving legal advice. Self-represented litigants are common in Coweta County's uncontested divorce docket, and the process is manageable with the correct forms and a clear agreement already in place with the other party.

Divorce Certificates in Coweta County

Coweta County's Superior Court Clerk issues certified copies of divorce decrees. There is no separate short-form divorce certificate in Georgia. The certified copy of the full decree is the standard proof-of-divorce document, bearing the court seal and the clerk's certification. It covers everything: property division, custody, support, and any other terms the court approved or the parties agreed to.

Georgia DPH verifications for 1952-1996 divorces are confirmation letters that verify the divorce occurred. They cost $10 and can be requested at dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords. They do not include the full terms of the divorce. For anything more than basic confirmation, the certified copy from the Coweta County clerk is the right document to request.

To request a certified copy of a Coweta County divorce decree, visit the Superior Court Clerk at 72 Greenville Street in Newnan, or mail a written request with both parties' names, the approximate divorce year, any known case number, payment, and a return envelope. The clerk can answer processing time questions at (770) 254-2690 before you visit or send your request.

Nearby Counties

Coweta County is southwest of Atlanta. If a divorce was filed in a neighboring county, these links will take you to the right records office.