The structure: Superior Courts, by county

In Georgia, family law cases are heard by the Superior Court of the county where the case is venued. Unlike states with a unified statewide family court system, Georgia organizes family court by county. Each county's Superior Court has its own judges, its own local rules, and its own scheduling rhythms.

For metro Atlanta, the four highest-volume Superior Courts handling family law are:

The four main case types

  • Divorce — ends a marriage; resolves custody, parenting time, child support, alimony, and property division.
  • Legitimation — Georgia's term for the legal process by which a father establishes legal rights to a child born outside marriage. Often paired with custody and parenting time orders.
  • Modification — changes an existing order (custody, parenting time, or support) based on a material change in circumstances affecting the welfare of the child.
  • Contempt / Enforcement — addresses a party's failure to comply with an existing order.

Supervised visitation can be ordered in any of these case types.

The lifecycle of a typical contested family law case in Georgia

  1. Petition or Complaint filed — one party files (Petitioner / Plaintiff). The other party (Respondent / Defendant) is served.
  2. Response filed — within 30 days for in-state Respondents.
  3. Temporary Orders (if requested) — interim orders on custody, parenting time, and support while the case is pending.
  4. Disclosure and Discovery — parties exchange financial disclosures and other relevant information.
  5. Mediation — most Georgia Superior Courts require or strongly encourage mediation before trial. Many cases settle here.
  6. Pretrial Conference — for cases moving toward trial.
  7. Trial — for the small percentage of cases that don't settle, a bench trial (no jury in Georgia family court) before a Superior Court judge.
  8. Final Order or Final Decree — the court enters final orders resolving the case.
  9. Post-decree — modification and enforcement matters can be brought as needed.

Where supervised visitation enters the process

Supervised visitation can be ordered:

  • At Temporary Orders — interim supervised parenting time while the case is pending
  • In the Final Decree / Final Orders — long-term supervised parenting time as part of the parenting plan
  • By Modification — changing an existing parenting time order to add or remove supervision
  • By Emergency Order — when an immediate safety concern arises

For procedural detail on requesting it, see our guide to requesting supervised visitation in Georgia.

Key Georgia judicial roles

  • Superior Court Judge — issues orders, presides at hearings and trial
  • Guardian ad Litem (GAL) — appointed to represent the child's best interests; common in contested custody cases
  • Custody Evaluator — a mental health professional who conducts a parenting evaluation
  • Mediator — facilitates settlement, often court-appointed
  • Parenting Coordinator — appointed to help parents implement parenting orders post-decree
  • Supervised Visitation Provider — a TruVisit Atlanta-style neutral third party present at visits

Practical realities

  • Cases take time. Georgia divorces require a minimum 30-day waiting period after the Respondent is served. Contested cases routinely take 6–12 months. Modifications can take similar time.
  • Most cases settle. The vast majority of family law cases never reach trial.
  • Documentation matters. Georgia family court is driven by evidence — and good evidence is documented.
  • Professional supervision strengthens your record. Whether you're asking for supervised visitation or subject to it, having a professional, certified provider produces a credible documentary record the court relies on.
About TruVisit Atlanta reports Our session reports are written in objective, non-editorial professional language, timestamped throughout, and formatted to meet the documentation standards used by the Superior Courts of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties. Reports are delivered within 24 hours of each visit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find out which judge has my case?
Once a case is filed, the Clerk of Superior Court assigns it to a judge. The assignment appears on case documents and is searchable through each county's public case lookup.
What is the difference between Superior Court and State Court?
Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over family law (divorce, custody, etc.) in Georgia. State Court generally handles civil and misdemeanor criminal matters. Your family law case will be in Superior Court.
Do I have to go to court for supervised visitation if both parents agree?
Even when both parents agree, an enforceable order has to come from the court. The parties can submit a stipulated agreement (often a Consent Order) for the judge to sign — no contested hearing required. Many supervised visitation arrangements start as Consent Orders.
Does TruVisit Atlanta work with self-represented (pro se) parents?
Yes. Many of the parents we work with are pro se. We don't provide legal advice — but we do explain how our service works, what our reports look like, and what to expect logistically.