Brantley County Family Court Records

Brantley County family court records are on file at the Superior Court Clerk office in Nahunta, Georgia. The Waycross Judicial Circuit covers all family law matters for this southeast Georgia county. Residents who need to search for divorce records, custody orders, child support filings, or protective order cases will find them at the Brantley County courthouse. The clerk office is the single location where all family court documents are filed, maintained, and available for public review during business hours.

Brantley County Superior Court Clerk

The clerk office at 234 Brantley Street in Nahunta manages all family court records for Brantley County. You can stop by during regular hours to search records, file new cases, or pick up copies. The phone number is (912) 462-5720.

Brantley County is part of the Waycross Judicial Circuit along with Atkinson, Bacon, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Pierce, and Ware Counties. Judges rotate through these counties, but every family court record filed in Brantley County stays at the Nahunta office. The clerk can search by name or case number and pull the file for you. If you need certified copies for court or legal use, ask when you make the request. Those copies carry the official seal and cost a bit more than plain ones.

Divorce Cases in Brantley County

Divorce records are the most sought-after family court documents in Brantley County. When someone files for divorce, the complaint goes to the clerk office in Nahunta along with the filing fee. O.C.G.A. § 9-10-91 sets the residency requirement at six months of living in Georgia. The defendant must be served with the papers, and a 30-day wait begins. Courts in Georgia will not finalize a divorce before that period runs out.

An uncontested divorce in Brantley County can be done relatively fast once the wait is over. The parties sign a settlement agreement that covers property, debts, custody, and support. The judge reviews and approves it. Contested cases are another matter. Those can involve months of back-and-forth, mediation attempts, and possibly a trial before the judge. Each filing adds to the case record. The final decree is the document that officially ends the marriage and spells out every term.

For verification of a divorce that took place between 1952 and 1996, the Georgia Office of Vital Records may have a certificate. For all other years and for the full decree, the Brantley County clerk is the only source.

Brantley County Custody and Protection Records

Child custody decisions in Brantley County follow O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3. The judge puts the child's welfare above everything else. Factors include the home environment, parent-child bond, and each parent's fitness to care for the child. Georgia law lets 14-year-olds choose where they live. The court honors that choice unless it would put the child at risk. Younger children between 11 and 13 can share what they want, though the judge makes the final decision.

Protective orders are another major category of family court records in Brantley County. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-13-3, victims of family violence can petition for protection at no charge. The clerk cannot collect a filing fee for these cases. A temporary order may be issued the same day, lasting 30 days. A hearing then determines whether a longer order is warranted. Final orders can run one to three years. The Georgia protective order page outlines the full process for any county.

Searching Brantley County Records Online

The GSCCCA search portal covers Brantley County family court records. You need a subscription to use it. A regular account is $14.95 per month with printed pages at $0.50 each. Search by party name to find case numbers and filing dates from Brantley County and all other Georgia counties.

The GSCCCA homepage shown above is the starting point for online record searches. Once you have an account, you can search across all 159 counties in Georgia. For Brantley County family court records, the results give you enough information to know whether the case you are looking for exists. Getting full copies may still mean contacting the clerk directly.

The Georgia Division of Child Support Services tracks support payments statewide. If you have a child support case in Brantley County, DCSS handles the enforcement side. Their number is 1-877-423-4746. The CourtTRAX website provides a calculator for court fees and has forms you may need for filing.

Filing Family Court Cases in Brantley County

New family court cases in Brantley County are filed at the clerk office in Nahunta. Bring your completed forms and the filing fee. The clerk gives you a case number and enters the filing into the system. For divorce cases, the next step is serving the other party. You can use the Brantley County Sheriff, a private process server, or certified mail depending on the situation.

Attorneys may submit filings electronically through eFileGA. Self-represented parties must file on paper. The PeachCourt portal is another electronic option that some lawyers in the area use. Either way, all documents end up at the Brantley County clerk office once they are accepted.

Note: O.C.G.A. § 19-6-26 gives the Brantley County court continuing jurisdiction over child support orders, so modifications are filed in the same court that set the original order.

Nearby Counties

Brantley County is in southeast Georgia. These nearby counties each have their own Superior Court handling family law cases.