Find Carroll County Family Court Records

Carroll County family court records are maintained by Clerk Cynthia W. Ahlstrand at the Superior Court office in Carrollton, Georgia. Part of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit, Carroll County processes a steady volume of family law cases each year. Residents searching for family court records related to divorce, custody, child support, or protective orders will find what they need through the clerk office on Newnan Street. Carroll County serves a growing population in west Georgia and handles both current and archived family court documents at the courthouse in Carrollton.

Carroll County Superior Court Clerk

Cynthia W. Ahlstrand is the Clerk of Superior Court for Carroll County. Her office sits at 323 Newnan Street in Carrollton. You can reach the clerk by phone at (770) 830-5830. This office is the sole place to file family court cases and request copies of family court records in Carroll County. Staff handle everything from new divorce filings to pulling old custody orders from the archives.

The clerk office in Carroll County processes a good number of family law cases given the size of the county. Carrollton is home to the University of West Georgia, which adds to the local population. Family court records here cover divorce, custody, child support, alimony, and protective orders. The office keeps both paper and electronic records. Recent cases are usually in the electronic system, while older files may be in paper form at the courthouse.

How to Search Carroll County Family Records

You can search for family court records in Carroll County in person, by phone, or online. The clerk office is the most reliable source. Call (770) 830-5830 and give them a name or case number. They can check the system and tell you what is on file. For copies, you may need to visit the office on Newnan Street in Carrollton.

Online searches are possible through the GSCCCA search portal. This statewide database includes some Carroll County court records. You can search by name and filter by county. The portal covers deeds, liens, and certain court filings. Not every family court record appears online, but it helps narrow your search before visiting the clerk in person.

The CourtTrax system is another option. It pulls data from Georgia courts and can help you identify case numbers and basic filing dates for Carroll County family court records. Some searches may carry a small fee.

Note: Carroll County may have older family court records stored off-site that take a few days to retrieve.

Carroll County Custody Proceedings

Child custody cases are a big part of what the family court handles in Carroll County. Georgia law under O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3 requires courts to decide custody based on the child's best interest. Judges in Carroll County look at many factors. The relationship each parent has with the child matters. So does the stability of each home and the willingness of each parent to support the other's time with the child.

Custody records in Carroll County include the initial petition, any motions for temporary custody, mediation results, guardian ad litem reports, and the final order. All of these go into the court file. Most are public. Anyone can request copies from the Carroll County clerk office. Records involving minors may have some restrictions, but the basic case information is typically available to anyone who asks.

If parents cannot agree, the Carroll County court may order mediation first. Mediation gives both sides a chance to work things out with a neutral third party. If that fails, the case goes to trial. The judge then issues a binding order that becomes part of the family court records in Carroll County.

Child Support in Carroll County

Child support orders are common in Carroll County family court records. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-26, Georgia uses an income shares model. Both parents report their income. The court then uses a formula to set the support amount. Health insurance and child care costs factor in as well. The final support order is filed at the Carroll County clerk office.

The Georgia Division of Child Support Services assists Carroll County residents with enforcement when payments fall behind. DCSS can garnish wages, intercept tax refunds, and take other steps to collect. They also handle requests to change the support amount when circumstances shift. All of these actions create records that become part of the family court file in Carroll County.

Carroll County Protective Orders

Protective orders for family violence are part of the court records in Carroll County. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-13-3, anyone dealing with abuse from a family or household member can ask the court for help. There is no cost to file. The Carroll County Superior Court can issue an emergency order on the same day if needed. A full hearing comes within days.

These records are kept at the clerk office. Some details may be limited to protect the person who filed. The Georgia state protective order page has forms and guides for Carroll County residents. Once a judge signs the order, it enters the statewide registry. Police anywhere in Georgia can enforce it.

State Resources for Carroll County

Carroll County residents can use several state-level tools for family court records. The GSCCCA is the main statewide system for court records. For vital records such as divorce and marriage certificates, the Georgia Department of Public Health handles those separately. Electronic filing through Odyssey eFileGA may be available for some case types in Carroll County.

Below is the CourtTrax portal, which provides another way to look up Carroll County family court records online.

CourtTrax pulls data from Georgia courts and lets you search by name across multiple counties, including Carroll County.

Cities in Carroll County

Carroll County includes several cities and towns. All family court cases for residents of these cities are filed at the Carroll County Superior Court in Carrollton. The city listed below has its own page with more details on local family court resources.

Other communities in Carroll County include Villa Rica, Temple, Mount Zion, Bowdon, and Whitesburg. Residents of all these areas file family court cases at the Carroll County courthouse in Carrollton.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Carroll County in west Georgia. Check which county handles your case based on where you or the other party lives.