2026 state court fee data · Georgia

Georgia Legal Processes

Filing fees, waiting periods, and procedural requirements for 12 common civil processes routed through Georgia Courts. Plain-language reference, refreshed against state court fee schedules.

See all processes → Methodology

Fee rank is not wait rank

According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Georgia ranks #8 of 10 surveyed states by average maximum filing fee (highest avg max = #1). Civil Lawsuit is largest of 2 at $400 among 12 civil filings in Georgia; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 31 days on a $225 ceiling.

12
processes tracked
$400
highest fee · Civil Lawsuit
31 days
longest wait · Divorce
2
free-to-file

Fee rank and wait-time rank are tracked separately: this page sorts by average maximum filing fee, not by waiting period. See how we rank states.

Georgia vs tracked states by average maximum filing fee

Where this state's average max filing fee sits among the 10 states on PlainCivil's civil-process schedule

$221 8th of 10 higher than 2 of 10 states

Tracked states, banded by average maximum civil filing fee

Each bar is a $0.001K-wide band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCivil compiled state court fee schedules · 2026

Georgia civil-process accessibility score

One verdict number from PlainCivil's own compiled filing-fee and waiting-period schedule across the 12 process types tracked for Georgia, benchmarked against every other state PlainCivil covers.

A- 81/100
  • Average filing fee B $163 Averaged across 12 documented process types
  • Average waiting period A- 8.9 days Mandatory waiting period, averaged across 12 process types
  • Longest single wait A+ 31 days The slowest mandatory waiting period among this state’s documented processes

Lower fees and shorter waits score higher. A dimension with no documented data for this state drops out and its weight redistributes across the rest - it never silently lowers the score. Full method: civil-process accessibility score.

A practical reading of the schedule · CLERK

What changes the cost of filing in Georgia

Start with the filing fee

This page covers 12 civil process types tracked for Georgia, all routed through the Georgia Courts. Across those processes, the average maximum filing fee is $221, and 2 can be filed at no cost. The highest listed fee is for civil lawsuit, which can reach $400 in complex cases.

Then allow for timing and local charges

Divorce has the longest mandatory waiting period on this page at 31 days, so the court cannot issue a final order before that window expires. Actual resolution commonly takes longer because of court backlogs, response deadlines, and service requirements. County courthouses may also add charges for service of process, motions, certified copies, or a jury demand.

How Georgia compares

Peer states tracked on the same civil-process schedule

Georgia tracks 12 civil-process types with an average maximum filing fee of $221. Use the peer comparison to gauge whether Georgia courts run pricier or cheaper than neighboring jurisdictions, and whether procedural complexity (number of process types tracked) is broadly typical.

Selected

GA

Georgia

$221 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

OH

Ohio

$223 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

MI

Michigan

$210 avg. max filing fee
Processes tracked
12

All Legal Processes in Georgia

12 types 2 free

Fee profile

Maximum filing fees across Georgia processes

Highlighted bar is the highest recorded maximum on this state schedule (Civil Lawsuit, $400). Average maximum across tracked processes: $221.

Process Filing Fee Details
Civil Lawsuit
Superior Court or State Court depending on amount.
 $200–$400 Civil Lawsuit schedule details
Court Mediation
Court-connected mediation available statewide.
 $0–$300 Court Mediation schedule details
Divorce
Fulton County ~$225. Most counties $200-$225. Fee waivers via In Forma Pauperis.
 $200–$225 Divorce schedule details
Domestic Violence Protection
Free. Family Violence Protective Order through Superior Court.
 Free Domestic Violence Protection schedule details
Eviction
$60-$175 in Magistrate Court. Sheriff service fee ~$25-$50 additional.
 $60–$175 Eviction schedule details
Guardianship
Probate Court. Physician evaluation required.
 $200–$300 Guardianship schedule details
Name Change
Superior Court. Publication in legal organ of county required.
 $200–$250 Name Change schedule details
Probate
Probate Court.
 $100–$300 Probate schedule details
Property Dispute
Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over real property.
 $200–$400 Property Dispute schedule details
Restraining Order
Family Violence Protective Orders free.
 Free Restraining Order schedule details
Small Claims
$50-$150 in Magistrate Court. Fee varies by claim amount and county.
 $50–$150 Small Claims schedule details
Tenant Rights
Security deposit in Magistrate Court.
 $50–$150 Tenant Rights schedule details

Take this with you

Where to go next from Georgia's civil filing fees.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. National civil trial-rate context also lives there.

According to published Georgia court schedules compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage.

Fee and timeline figures on PlainCivil are rendered from the portal's state-process database compiled from published court schedules, no fee is invented for a ranking. State hub aggregates process rows for Georgia from the portal database. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-01. PlainCivil does not rate, rank-recommend, or advise on legal strategy, it reports what published schedules and court materials contain.