Jurisdiction & Venue
Where and how to file for divorce in Georgia, including residency requirements, jurisdiction, and venue rules.
All Posts in Jurisdiction & Venue
Serving Divorce Papers on a Georgia Spouse
If your spouse lives in Georgia, the divorce papers must be handed over in person or left at home with an adult who actually lives there.
Read MoreWhat a Publication Divorce Can and Cannot Do
A Georgia divorce served by publication can end the marriage and divide Georgia property, but usually cannot order alimony, child support, or fees.
Read MoreDivorce Venue When a Spouse Is in Prison
A prison sentence is not a voluntary move, so a Georgia divorce against an incarcerated spouse belongs in the county where they lived before confinement.
Read MoreFiling Divorce When Your Spouse Left Georgia
If the spouse you are suing lives outside Georgia, divorce venue is your own county -- but a Georgia spouse you simply cannot find is not a nonresident.
Read MoreVenue Is Fixed When the Case Is Filed
Georgia venue turns on where the defendant lived the day the case was filed, so a move afterward does not send the case to a different county.
Read MoreVenue When Family Violence Is Involved
When a violent spouse has left the family home without settling anywhere, a Georgia court may find venue in either county, and it cannot dismiss on its own.
Read MoreWaiving the Venue Defense in a Divorce
A Georgia divorce defendant who does not raise improper venue in the first responsive pleading loses it, and general settlement language will not waive it.
Read MoreWhich County Do You File for Divorce In?
The Georgia Constitution puts divorce venue in the county where the defendant spouse lives, and residence there means domicile, not just an address.
Read MoreWrong County? The Case Gets Transferred
A Georgia divorce filed in the wrong county is normally transferred rather than dismissed, but the plaintiff has 20 days to pay the costs or it dies.
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