Roswell Divorce Decree Records
Roswell divorce decree records are filed and stored at the Fulton County Superior Court, which handles all divorce cases for Roswell residents as part of Fulton County's court system. This page explains how to find, request, and use divorce decree records from Roswell cases, including where to go, what Georgia law requires, and what resources are available to help.
Roswell Divorce Decree Quick Facts
Fulton County Superior Court: Roswell Divorce Decree Access
All divorce filings for Roswell residents go to the Fulton County Superior Court, located at 136 Pryor Street SW, Suite C155, Atlanta, GA 30303. The Clerk of Superior Court holds these records and handles public requests for copies and case searches. Call the clerk at (404) 613-5313 to ask about a specific case or to confirm the best way to submit your request. The court's website is fultoncountyga.gov/Superior-Court, and the divorce and marriage records page is at fultoncountycourt.us/divorce-records.
Roswell is in the northern part of Fulton County. Even though the courthouse is in downtown Atlanta, that's where Roswell divorce records live. The county court handles all of Fulton County's divorce cases under one roof. When you go in person, bring a photo ID and have as much case information as you can gather before you arrive. Names of both parties and the year of the case are the minimum. A case number is better.
Certified copies of decree pages cost $2.50 for the first certified page. A divorce filing fee in Fulton County is $223 for new cases. Confirm exact fees when you call, since they can change. Plain copies are cheaper if you don't need the certified stamp. For most official submissions to other courts or agencies, a certified copy is required.
Note: The court's marriage and divorce records page also covers certified copies of marriage records, which is a separate document from a divorce decree but is often needed at the same time.
The Fulton County Superior Court divorce records page is the starting point for any Roswell divorce decree search.
The Fulton County marriage and divorce records page provides instructions and contact details for obtaining Roswell divorce decree copies from the clerk's office.
The Fulton County divorce records portal covers all Roswell cases and provides the tools and contact information needed to request certified decree copies.
What Roswell Divorce Decrees Contain
A divorce decree is the final court order in a divorce case. It's not a summary. It's the actual document the judge signed, and it carries legal force. Anyone who needs to prove divorce, enforce support, or establish custody rights needs this document.
Roswell divorce decrees typically contain the names of both spouses, the date the divorce was granted, the legal grounds cited, child custody and visitation arrangements if applicable, child support terms and payment schedules, any alimony or spousal support, property and debt division, and court-ordered name changes. Settlement agreements that the parties reached before the hearing are usually incorporated into the decree as well.
There's an important distinction between a decree and a divorce certificate. The certificate is a brief state document that confirms the divorce. It's useful for administrative tasks like changing a name on an ID or proving to a marriage license office that a prior marriage ended. But it doesn't contain the custody terms, support amounts, or property division. For those details, you need the full decree from the Fulton County clerk.
Post-decree modifications are also part of the court record. If child support was changed after the original decree, that modification is a separate order. Ask the clerk for all documents under a case number if you need the complete current status of a case, not just the original decree.
Georgia Divorce Statutes Applied to Roswell Cases
Georgia law is the framework for every Roswell divorce. Under OCGA 19-5-1, the Superior Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over divorces in Georgia. That means the Fulton County Superior Court is the only court that can handle a Roswell divorce. No magistrate court, no city court, no other body can grant a divorce decree.
Before filing for divorce in Fulton County, at least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for six consecutive months. This comes from OCGA 19-5-2. Once the petition is filed and the other party receives it, a 30-day waiting period begins. The court won't issue a final decree until that period ends. After 30 days, uncontested cases can often be set for a final hearing quickly. Contested cases take longer.
Georgia's 13 divorce grounds are in OCGA 19-5-3. The no-fault ground, "irretrievably broken," is used in most Roswell divorces. No one has to prove misconduct. The petition must be a written document verified by the person who filed it, per OCGA 19-5-5, meaning the petitioner confirms it's accurate under oath.
Georgia Courts provides divorce forms and guidance applicable to Roswell cases filed in Fulton County Superior Court.
The Georgia Courts divorce forms page has official forms for both contested and uncontested cases, which are used in Fulton County for Roswell divorce proceedings.
Georgia Courts provides the standardized divorce forms used in Fulton County Superior Court, applicable to all Roswell divorce decree cases.
Public Access to Roswell Divorce Records
Roswell divorce decrees are public records under Georgia's Open Records Act, OCGA 50-18-70. Any person can request a non-sealed Roswell divorce decree from the Fulton County clerk without explaining why they need it. The law gives the public broad access to court records.
Some records are sealed by judicial order. If that's the case, the clerk will tell you. Gaining access to a sealed record requires going back to court and getting a judge's authorization. It's not a common situation for ordinary divorce cases, but it does happen when sensitive information is involved.
For divorces from 1952 to 1996, the Georgia DPH at 1680 Phoenix Boulevard, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349, phone (404) 657-2700, website dph.georgia.gov/VitalRecords, can confirm a divorce occurred. But the DPH itself notes that full decree copies are held by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the divorce was granted. For Roswell cases, that's Fulton County.
Legal Help for Roswell Divorce Cases
If you need legal assistance, Georgia Legal Services Program at glsp.org provides free help to qualifying individuals. Georgia Legal Aid at georgialegalaid.org has clear guides on divorce and family law that are useful whether or not you plan to hire an attorney. The State Bar of Georgia at gabar.org has a referral service to find private family law attorneys who handle Roswell-area divorce cases.
Official Georgia divorce forms are available at georgiacourts.gov/a2j/self-help-resources/family-law/divorce-forms/. These forms are used in the Fulton County Superior Court. Filing the wrong form or submitting an incomplete one will delay your case and require you to come back to the clerk's window with a corrected version.