Georgia: Superior Court, Three Lanes
Georgia custody is a county Superior Court story. Parents get in trouble when they download the first PDF that says custody and skip the lane: starting a case, changing an order after real life moved, or proving someone will not follow the line already on paper. This hub names the lane first, then sends you to forms or documentation that matches.
Georgia procedure overviews
Statewide orientation: choose the lane that fits your case (custody modification, parenting time, child support, or enforcement) before you open a checklist page. Checklists live on the Georgia forms hub.
| Live pain | First MCC move | Forms cluster |
|---|---|---|
| Starting custody or visitation in Superior Court | Initial custody petition (MCC) · Declaration template · Evidence checklist | Forms hub (petition + plan rules) |
| Material change; you need new order language | Georgia custody modification (overview) · Georgia parenting time modification (overview) · Dated timeline | Modify custody petition |
| Clear schedule; other parent will not follow | Georgia parenting time enforcement and contempt (overview) · Denied-time log | Document first; forms follow local rules or counsel |
Paper that holds up in Superior Court
Georgia judges see vague narratives daily. Build the boring spine: dates, channels, and what the order or school line actually says.
General support (not Georgia-specific)
Forms entry
Petition, parenting-plan requirements, and modify petition live in one hub so you pick the family before the PDF.
Open Georgia forms hubLong packet build or multi-week roadmap: Custody case roadmap (Resources).
Common questions
Why do Georgia custody searches keep saying Superior Court and county together?
The case file is in a county Superior Court. Statewide self-help or MCC orientation gets you pointed the right direction; the clerk and local rules tell you which packet, cover sheet, or add-on is live this month.
I have an order but Tuesdays keep moving. Is that a new custody case?
Often no. If the schedule is written and the fight is compliance, build a dated log and enforcement-shaped proof before you treat it like a full plan rewrite. If the written schedule is what is broken, modification lanes open.
Where do I start if I do not know which form family I need?
Open the Georgia forms hub to separate petition vs parenting-plan discipline vs modify petition, then pair with the denied-time log if missed exchanges are the live issue.
Relevant Georgia law
The statutes and appellate decisions below are the ones Georgia courts actually apply here. Educational orientation only — not legal advice. Read the source before you rely on it.
Statutes
- O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 — Child Support Guidelines for Determining Amount of Award
Georgia uses an income-shares model: the basic support obligation is read from a statutory table keyed to the parents' combined adjusted gross income and the number of children, then adjusted by a mandatory parenting-time adjustment, a low-income adjustment, and any deviations. Current through the 2025 session, effective January 1, 2026.
- O.C.G.A. § 19-9-3 — Establishment and Review of Child Custody and Visitation
Neither parent has a prima-facie right to custody and no form of custody is presumed; the judge alone awards custody on the child's best interests, weighing 17 enumerated factors. A child 14 or older may select the custodial parent (presumptive unless contrary to best interests, and itself a possible material change once per two years); for ages 11-13 the child's wishes are considered but not controlling. Visitation or parenting time may be reviewed and modified without a material-change showing, no more than once every two years.
Key cases
- Bodne v. Bodne, 277 Ga. 445 (Ga. 2003)
In relocation cases the court decides custody case-by-case under the best-interests standard with no bright-line rule; the prior rule giving a relocating custodial parent a prima facie right to retain custody is overruled.
- Scott v. Scott, 276 Ga. 372 (Ga. 2003)
Under O.C.G.A. 19-9-3 the child's best interests control any custody change, and self-executing change-of-custody provisions are impermissible because they alter custody on a future event without judicial review of the child's best interests.
MyCustodyCoach is not a law firm. Court rules, fees, and form versions change by county; confirm what applies to your case with official court resources or counsel you hire.