§ 19-5-12.Form of judgment and decree

Every Georgia divorce ends with a document shaped by this section. Subsection (a) says the final judgment must conform to the pleadings and the evidence and may restore a maiden or prior name, if requested. It must be in form “substantially as follows” — close to the model, not word for word. The model decree declares a total divorce, which it calls a divorce a vinculo matrimonii (Latin for “from the bond of marriage”). It sets aside and dissolves the marriage contract from the date of the decree as fully as if it had never been made, declares the parties separate individuals unconnected by any marriage, and states that both have the right to remarry. It is dated and signed by the superior court judge.

Subsection (b) lists clauses the decree shall include when they apply: one restoring the petitioner’s or respondent’s prior or maiden name, one awarding custody of the children, and one fixing alimony. Name restoration ties to § 19-5-16, which also allows a later motion to restore a birth-certificate surname.

Subsection (c) governs cases involving child support. The judgment must include all the information required by § 19-6-15(c)(2) — among other things, the sum certain amount, its duration and which parent pays; how, how often, to whom and until when it is paid; a written finding of each parent’s gross income; whether health insurance for the child is reasonably available at reasonable cost; findings on any deviations from the presumptive amount; the noncustodial parent’s court-ordered parenting time; and each parent’s percentage of future uninsured healthcare expenses. The child support worksheet and any schedule used to calculate the final award must be attached, and the judgment must state a sum certain amount of child support.

Subsection (d) adds that, when applicable, the judgment shall include the ability to use income withholding orders under §§ 19-6-30 and 19-6-32. The section was amended most recently in 2024.