Access Liberty County Divorce Decrees
Liberty County divorce decree records are stored at the Clerk of Superior Court in Hinesville, Georgia. The clerk's office holds the final divorce orders, complete case files, and all related court documents for every divorce proceeding filed in Liberty County. Most of these records are open to the public under Georgia law. This page covers how to request divorce records, what they contain, applicable fees, Georgia divorce statutes that govern cases in Liberty County, and where to find legal help if you need it.
Liberty County Divorce Decree Quick Facts
How to Get Liberty County Divorce Decrees
The Liberty County Clerk of Superior Court is at 201 S. Main Street, Hinesville, GA 31313. Call (912) 876-3625 to reach the office. The Liberty County website may have current hours and department contacts. In-person visits to the Hinesville courthouse are the most direct approach. Staff can search the court's records by party name or case number while you are present, making in-person requests the fastest option.
Bring a valid photo ID and as much information about the case as you have. Both parties' full legal names and the approximate year of the divorce are helpful. A case number makes searching much faster. Mail requests are accepted; write to the clerk at the address above with your case details and payment for the applicable fees. Call the office first to confirm current fee amounts before mailing.
Note: Liberty County is home to Fort Stewart, which means a notable share of divorce cases may involve active-duty military members. Special rules can apply in military divorce cases, so if that situation applies to you, consider consulting an attorney familiar with military family law.
What Liberty County Divorce Records Contain
A divorce decree is the judge's final signed order closing a marriage legally. It contains all terms the court approved, including how property and debts are divided, whether spousal support is awarded, and the full custody and child support arrangement if minor children are involved. The complete case file at the Liberty County Clerk of Superior Court also holds the original divorce petition, any responses filed by the other spouse, temporary orders, motions, financial affidavits, and all other documents submitted during the proceedings.
People often confuse a divorce decree with a divorce certificate. These are not the same. The decree is the full court order with all case terms. A certificate is a short document issued by the Georgia Department of Public Health confirming only that a divorce occurred. If you need the actual terms of a divorce, go to the Liberty County courthouse. The Georgia DPH Vital Records office at 1680 Phoenix Blvd, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30349 handles statewide confirmations for divorces between 1952 and 1996. Outside that range, or when you need the full decree, the county clerk is the only source.
Liberty County Divorce Decree Fees
The Liberty County Clerk of Superior Court charges fees in line with Georgia's general schedule. Plain copies cost roughly $0.50 to $1.00 per page. Certified copies, which include the clerk's official seal and signature, cost more and are required for most legal uses. When requesting records, always specify whether you need certified or plain copies. Submitting the wrong format to a court, agency, or financial institution can require you to get the correct version and pay again.
If you only need to confirm that a divorce happened and the record falls between 1952 and 1996, the Georgia Department of Public Health offers a lower-cost verification service. Visit their Vital Records request page or call (404) 657-2700 for submission details and current fees. Their letter confirms the fact of the divorce but does not include the decree itself. For a full copy from Liberty County, the Superior Court clerk handles all requests regardless of year.
Georgia Divorce Laws in Liberty County
Every divorce in Liberty County follows Georgia's statewide rules. Residency is the threshold requirement. Under OCGA 19-5-2, at least one spouse must have been a Georgia resident for six months before filing. The Superior Court in Hinesville handles all divorce cases for Liberty County residents under OCGA 19-5-1, which gives Superior Courts exclusive divorce jurisdiction in Georgia.
Georgia permits divorce on 13 separate grounds listed in OCGA 19-5-3. The most common is the no-fault ground: the marriage is irretrievably broken. No spouse has to prove the other did anything wrong. The case simply rests on the fact that the marriage cannot be saved. Other grounds include adultery, desertion, cruel treatment, and mental incapacity, but these are far less frequently used in Liberty County cases. Once a petition is filed and the other party served under OCGA 19-5-5, a mandatory 30-day waiting period begins before a final decree can issue.
The Georgia Courts self-help portal has divorce forms available for download. The Georgia Open Records Act makes the resulting case files available to the public once they are filed with the clerk.
Public Access to Liberty County Divorce Records
The Georgia Open Records Act gives any person the right to request divorce records from the Liberty County Superior Court. You do not need to be a party to the case or give a reason. The clerk's office will search for the case and provide copies for the applicable fee. Online access to Liberty County Superior Court records may be limited depending on the clerk's systems, so calling or visiting in person is often the most reliable approach.
Records can be sealed. A judge may seal a file or part of a file, usually to protect minor children or when both parties jointly request it and the court agrees. The clerk will confirm a case exists but cannot release sealed contents without a new court order. Most Liberty County divorce cases are not sealed. Routine final decrees are open records.
The screenshot below shows the Georgia DPH Vital Records page, which is the secondary state-level source for divorce confirmations covering 1952 to 1996.
For full Liberty County divorce decree copies, the Superior Court clerk in Hinesville is the right contact regardless of the year or whether a DPH record exists.
Legal Help in Liberty County
Several legal aid options serve Liberty County residents who need help with a divorce. The Georgia Legal Services Program provides free or reduced-cost legal assistance to low-income residents, including for divorce and family law matters. Apply through their website or by phone to find out if you qualify based on income.
Georgia Legal Aid offers online self-help tools and guides for people handling their own divorce cases. Resources are written in plain language and cover each step of the process. If your case involves contested custody, military pension division, or significant property, consulting a private attorney is strongly advised. The State Bar of Georgia has a lawyer referral service that can connect you with a family law attorney familiar with Liberty County courts. For court forms and contact information, the Georgia Courts website is a useful starting point. Hinesville, the county seat, is served by the Liberty County Superior Court. Residents of Hinesville file their divorces in Liberty County Superior Court.