Peachtree Corners Divorce Decree Records
Peachtree Corners divorce decree records are stored by the Gwinnett County Superior Court in Lawrenceville, which handles all divorce filings for residents throughout Gwinnett County. If you live in Peachtree Corners and need to find or obtain a divorce decree, this page explains where to go, how Gwinnett County's clerk office works, what the records include, and what options you have for getting copies, including by mail.
Peachtree Corners Divorce Decree Quick Facts
Gwinnett County Superior Court: Peachtree Corners Divorce Records
All divorce cases filed by Peachtree Corners residents go through the Gwinnett County Superior Court. The Clerk of Superior Court stores those records and handles all requests for certified copies and case index searches. The office is at 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046. Phone: (770) 822-8100. Website: gwinnettcourt.org. For Peachtree Corners residents, Lawrenceville is the county seat where in-person visits happen.
Gwinnett County accepts mail requests for divorce decree copies, which can save a trip for those who can't get to Lawrenceville during business hours. For mail requests, send to PO Box 880, Lawrenceville, GA 30046-0880. Before mailing, contact the clerk's office to confirm the current fee schedule, what information to include, and how to submit payment. Requests that are missing required information or payment will be returned.
For walk-in visits, bring a photo ID and as much case information as you have. Knowing both parties' names, the approximate filing year, and the case number, if you have it, will speed up the search. The clerk's index is searchable by name if you don't have the case number. Staff can help you locate the record but aren't able to offer legal advice about what the decree means.
The Gwinnett County divorce records page provides detailed information on how to search and request Peachtree Corners area divorce decree copies through the Superior Court clerk.
This screenshot shows the Gwinnett County Superior Court divorce records section, which outlines the process for Peachtree Corners residents to find and request certified decree copies.
What Peachtree Corners Divorce Decrees Include
A divorce decree is not a certificate. A certificate is short and just confirms the divorce happened. A decree is the full final court order. It contains every term the judge set, and those terms are legally enforceable. Courts, banks, and government agencies ask for certified copies because the decree is what tells them what actually happened in the case.
A typical Peachtree Corners divorce decree will contain both parties' full legal names, the date the divorce was granted, the grounds cited in the petition, how marital property and debts were divided, any alimony or spousal support terms, and all custody and child support arrangements if children were part of the case. Name change orders appear in the decree if the court granted them. Settlement agreements negotiated before the final hearing are often incorporated into the decree, which makes them binding as court orders.
Post-decree modifications matter. If custody or support was changed after the original decree, those modifications are separate documents filed in the same case file. They don't erase the original decree; they update it. If you need to enforce or verify a term, always confirm whether modifications exist before assuming the original decree still controls everything.
Note: Only the Gwinnett County Superior Court clerk can issue certified copies of Gwinnett County divorce decrees. No other office has this authority.
Georgia Divorce Law Applied to Peachtree Corners
Georgia law is specific about which court can handle a divorce. Under OCGA 19-5-1, only Superior Courts have jurisdiction over divorce and alimony. In Gwinnett County, that's the court in Lawrenceville that handles all Peachtree Corners divorce cases. No other court level in Georgia can grant a divorce.
Before filing, at least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for six continuous months. That's the requirement under OCGA 19-5-2. After the petition is filed and the other party is served, a 30-day waiting period begins before the court can enter the final decree. This is mandatory. It applies to all Georgia divorces, including simple uncontested cases where both parties agree on everything.
Georgia lists 13 grounds for divorce under OCGA 19-5-3. The no-fault ground, "irretrievably broken," is the most commonly used in Gwinnett County. Fault-based grounds are on the books but aren't the norm. All divorce petitions must be written and verified by the petitioner under OCGA 19-5-5. Self-represented filers can find approved forms at georgiacourts.gov/a2j/self-help-resources/family-law/divorce-forms/.
Georgia Vital Records and Peachtree Corners Divorce Verification
The Georgia Department of Public Health keeps a statewide divorce index for cases from 1952 through 1996. If you're trying to confirm that a divorce happened and don't know which county handled it, the DPH index can help you figure that out. The DPH office is at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349. Phone: (404) 657-2700. Website: dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords.
DPH verification tells you a divorce is in the index and identifies the county of record. But it doesn't give you the actual decree. As the department notes: "Although the department can confirm divorces, copies of the records are held by the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted." For a Peachtree Corners case, that's Gwinnett County.
The Georgia.gov vital records page provides information on how to access the DPH divorce index and request vital record verifications for older Peachtree Corners area cases.
This screenshot shows the Georgia.gov vital records page, where Peachtree Corners residents can find information about the DPH divorce index and how to verify older divorce cases before contacting Gwinnett County.
Note: The DPH index runs from 1952 to 1996 only. For cases outside that range, go directly to the Gwinnett County Superior Court clerk.
Open Records: Accessing Peachtree Corners Divorce Records
Divorce records in Gwinnett County are public. Georgia's Open Records Act at OCGA 50-18-70 makes court records open to any member of the public. You don't need to be a party to the case. You don't need a lawyer or a specific reason. Pay the applicable copy fee and the record is yours.
The narrow exceptions include cases sealed by court order and exhibits filed under protective orders. Some records involving minors may also have restrictions. But in a standard Gwinnett County divorce case, the decree is fully public. If you encounter restrictions, the clerk will tell you what portion of the file is open for review and what isn't available.
Walk-in searches are permitted at the Gwinnett County courthouse in Lawrenceville. The clerk's index is searchable by party name. If you can't make it to the courthouse in person, the mail request option or any online tools available through the clerk's site may work for your situation.
Legal Help for Peachtree Corners Residents
If you're looking for free civil legal help in Gwinnett County, the Georgia Legal Services Program may be able to assist. They serve low-income Georgians in civil legal matters, including divorce cases. Their website is glsp.org. Check the site for eligibility requirements and how to apply for services in the Gwinnett County area.
Georgia Legal Aid at georgialegalaid.org has detailed guides on the Georgia divorce process written in plain language. The site walks through filing, serving the other party, going to court, and dealing with post-decree issues. These guides are free and available to everyone, not just those who qualify for income-based legal aid.
The State Bar of Georgia at gabar.org operates a lawyer referral service and searchable attorney directory. For cases with contested property, business assets, or custody disputes, getting advice from a family law attorney who knows Gwinnett County procedures is a smart investment before you file.