§ 19-6-24.Applicability of Code Section 19-6-18 or Code Sections 19-6-19 through 19-6-22 to judgments prior to March 9, 1955

Chapter 6. Alimony and Child Support · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2007 · Last verified October 9, 2026

In one sentenceO.C.G.A. § 19-6-24 lets a Georgia permanent alimony judgment for a wife entered before March 9, 1955 be revised, settled or released only if both parties consent in writing, no minor children are involved, the original judge approves, and the papers are filed.

Full Text of § 19-6-24

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Code Section 19-6-18 or Code Sections 19-6-19 through 19-6-22, as applicable, shall apply to all judgments for permanent alimony for the support of a wife rendered prior to March 9, 1955, where all the following conditions are met:

(1) Both parties to the case in which the judgment for permanent alimony was rendered consent in writing to the revision, amendment, alteration, settlement, satisfaction, or release thereof;

(2) There are no minor children involved or, if there were minor children at the time the original judgment was rendered, the children are all of age at the time the application is filed;

(3) The judge of the court wherein the original judgment for permanent alimony was rendered approves the revision, amendment, alteration, settlement, satisfaction, or release; and

(4) The consent of the parties, together with the court's approval, is filed with the clerk of the court wherein the original judgment for permanent alimony was rendered.

End

Plain-English Summary

Permanent alimony judgments entered before March 9, 1955 get special protection. Section 19-6-23 sends them here, and this section lets the general revision statutes, § 19-6-18 or §§ 19-6-19 through 19-6-22 as applicable, apply to a judgment for the support of a wife from that era only when all four conditions are met.

First, both parties to the original case must consent in writing to the revision, amendment, alteration, settlement, satisfaction or release. Second, there must be no minor children involved, or, if there were minor children when the original judgment was entered, all must be of age when the application is filed. Third, the judge of the court that entered the original judgment must approve. Fourth, the parties’ consent and the court’s approval must be filed with the clerk of that same court.

Because every condition is required, one former spouse can’t force a change alone, and a revision without the judge’s approval and a proper filing doesn’t qualify. Section 19-6-25 adds that once such a judgment is revised, it stays subject to these same conditions for any later change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can one spouse alone change a pre-1955 Georgia alimony judgment?

No. Both parties to the original case must consent in writing to the revision, amendment, alteration, settlement, satisfaction or release. Without written consent from both, the revision statutes don’t apply to a judgment entered before March 9, 1955. The other three conditions, including the original judge’s approval, must also be met.

What if there are minor children from a pre-1955 marriage?

There must be no minor children involved, or, if there were minor children when the original judgment was entered, they must all be of age when the application is filed. That condition must be met along with the other three.

Does a judge need to approve a settlement of a pre-1955 alimony judgment?

Yes. The judge of the court where the original permanent alimony judgment was entered must approve the revision, amendment, alteration, settlement, satisfaction or release. The parties’ consent and the court’s approval must then be filed with the clerk of that court.

How many conditions must be met to revise a pre-1955 alimony judgment in Georgia?

Four, and all of them: written consent of both parties; no minor children involved, or all children of age when the application is filed; approval by the judge of the original court; and filing of the consent and approval with that court’s clerk.

Can a pre-1955 alimony judgment be released completely?

Yes, if all four conditions are met. The section covers revision, amendment, alteration, settlement, satisfaction or release of the judgment, so a full release is one of the listed outcomes. Both parties must consent in writing, and the original court’s judge must approve. Under § 19-6-25, any later change would again require meeting these same conditions.

Amendment History

Laws 1957, p. 94, § 1; Laws 2005, Act 52, § 10, eff. Jan. 1, 2007.

Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, and checked word for word against the Georgia Code Revision Commission’s public-domain edition and the acts that later amended it. Section headings are the Code’s official catchlines. Last verified October 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: pre-1955 alimony judgment georgiarelease old alimony judgmentsettle permanent alimony 1955written consent alimony revision georgia