Senate Bill 176, which went into effect July 1, 2000, requires that all civil cases have a "case initiation" and a "case disposition" filed in superior or state court.
Basically, SB176 divides civil cases into two categories: "domestic relations" and "general civil." "Domestic relations" include the following types of petitions:
- Divorce
- Annulment
- Separate maintenance
- Adoption
- Paternity
- Legitimation
- Interstate Support Enforcement
- Domestication of a foreign custody decree
- Family Violence Act
Any case not falling under the "domestic relations" category is considered "general civil." Forms for filing case initiations and terminations may be obtained from the office of the Clerk of Court or from the Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority. Below is a list of the approved forms that may be used:
- General Civil Case Filing Information Form (Non-Domestic)
General Civil Case Final Disposition Form
- Domestic Relations Case Filing Information Form
- Domestic Relations Final Disposition Form