Residency Requirements For A Georgia Divorce
Experienced Georgia Family Law & Divorce Attorneys
Couples who move often experience much confusion as to whether they can file for a divorce in Georgia or not. For instance, couples who were married in Georgia but then moved, or couples who got married out of state and then moved to Georgia, often call our divorce lawyers asking whether or not they can file their divorce papers in Georgia.
Can You File For A Divorce in Georgia?
Generally
speaking,
before an individual
can file for a divorce in Georgia they must be a resident of the
state for six months.
More specifically, in order to file for a GA divorce (1) one
spouse must have lived in Georgia for at least six months, or (2) Georgia
must have been the last domicile of the marriage. If either of these two
pre-conditions have been met, you may file for divorce within the state.
In What County Can You File For Divorce?
GA divorce residency requirements state that a complaint for a divorce must be filed in the Superior Court of the defendant's county of residence or, if the defendant has recently moved out of Georgia, it can be filed in the county of the plaintiff's residence. There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule. For instance, for strategic reasons, a defendant and their divorce lawyer may consent to allow a divorce complaint to be filed in the plaintiff's county of residence.
Getting Started
Issues regarding Georgia residency can be confusing and sometimes intimidating, and the help of an experienced attorney will be invaluable in helping you protect your interests. If you are dealing with a GA divorce issue, we advise you to speak with one of our divorce lawyers sooner rather than later. For a typical divorce, our law firm retainer begins at $2,500.00. If you would like to talk with one of our family law attorneys about representing you, either fill out the brief form to your left or give us a call. For additional contact information and driving directions to our firm please visit our Contact Page. Thank you and we look forward to working with you.