Resource directory · Georgia
Georgia Divorcing Parents Seminar: Every Circuit Compared
If you're divorcing (or in a custody, paternity, or legitimation case) with a child under 18 in a Georgia Superior Court, most circuits require you to complete a Divorcing Parents Seminar — a court-ordered class on how divorce affects children, authorized statewide by Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.8 — before the judge will finalize your case. Typical cost runs about $25–$100 per parent, capped at four hours. There is no single statewide program: each of Georgia's judicial circuits adopts the rule on its own and runs its own seminar, under its own name, price, and format. Below we compare the circuits we could verify against their own official pages — use it to find your circuit's seminar and go straight to the official source.
Quick answer
There is no one Georgia-wide Divorcing Parents Seminar — your county's Superior Court (its judicial circuit) decides whether the seminar is required, what it's called, what it costs, and whether an online option is accepted. Find your circuit in the table below, then confirm the current fee, format, and deadline directly with that circuit's Superior Court Clerk before you register or pay.
Source & accuracy: this table is compiled from each circuit's own official court page (linked in the last column), not from a single statewide list — because no such list exists. Fees, formats, and providers change; always confirm current details with your circuit's Superior Court Clerk before enrolling. Last reviewed August 20, 2026.
Divorcing Parents Seminar by circuit
This list covers the metro-Atlanta and other circuits we could verify against an official source — it is not exhaustive. Georgia has roughly 50 judicial circuits, and only the circuits that have adopted Rule 24.8 run a seminar at all. If your circuit isn't listed, check your circuit's site — a Superior Court Clerk directory is available from the Georgia Courts site.
| Circuit / County | Seminar | Format | Fee | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cobb Judicial Circuit Cobb County | Co-Parenting Seminar | In-person (4 hours), via Families First | ~$50 per person | Cobb County Superior Court — Superior Court Programs → |
| Atlanta Judicial Circuit Fulton County | Families in Transition (FIT) Seminar | Check current format — the court has offered both in-person and online sessions | ~$30 per person (secondary sources; not confirmed on the current official page) | Fulton County Superior Court — Family Division Rules → |
| Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit DeKalb County | Families in Transition Seminar | Online (live virtual seminar) | $50 per person | DeKalb County Superior Court — Families in Transition → |
| Gwinnett Judicial Circuit Gwinnett County | Navigating Family Change | Online (virtual, via Zoom) | $52 per person (fee waivers available) | Gwinnett County Superior Court — Parenting Seminar → |
| Cherokee Judicial Circuit Cherokee County | Divorcing Parents Seminar | Check current schedule for in-person and online sessions | Not published on the court page — confirm before enrolling | Cherokee County Clerk of Courts — Parenting Seminar → |
| Western Judicial Circuit (10th Judicial District Divorcing Parents Program) Athens-Clarke, Madison, Oconee & Oglethorpe (this location); Elbert, Franklin & Hart and Newton & Walton use other locations under the same program | Divorcing Parents Program | In-person (2 hours: 30-min video + 1.5-hour session by Athens Family Counseling Services) | $25 per parent | Athens-Clarke County, GA — Divorcing Parents Program → |
| Conasauga Judicial Circuit Whitfield & Murray Counties | Divorcing Parents Seminar | In-person (4 hours), via Family Support Council | $100 per person | Whitfield County Superior Court — Divorcing Parents Seminar → |
| Alcovy Judicial Circuit Newton & Walton Counties | Divorcing Parents Seminar | In-person is standard; online available for out-of-state residents with court permission | $35 (cash or money order only) | Alcovy Circuit Court — Divorcing Parents Seminar → |
| Columbia Judicial Circuit Columbia County | Parenting Seminar | In-person only — the court states online seminars are generally not accepted | Not published — see the county's Parenting Seminar Resource Directory | Columbia County, GA — Parenting Seminar Page → |
Notes on each circuit
- Cobb Judicial Circuit: Required for parents in any custody matter with children under 18. Confirm current fee and location directly with Cobb Superior Court Administration (770-528-1809). Source: cobbcounty.gov/superior-court/superior-court-administration/superior-court-programs.
- Atlanta Judicial Circuit (verify fee/format): The Family Division Rules confirm the seminar is required and that information is issued in the Domestic Relations Initiation Packet, but do not publish the fee on that page. Call the Family Division Administrative Office (404-613-0505) to confirm cost, format, and deadline before enrolling. Source: fultonsuperiorcourtga.gov/family/family-division-rules.
- Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit: Facilitated by trained family therapists; classes cap at 30 participants and close once full. Register through the court's linked provider. Source: dekalbgasuperiorcourt.gov/families-in-transition.
- Gwinnett Judicial Circuit: Must be completed within 31 days of the original defendant being served. Four-hour session led by mental-health professionals; no late arrivals. Source: gwinnettcourts.com/court-programs/parenting-seminar.aspx.
- Cherokee Judicial Circuit: Required for divorce, separate maintenance, paternity, custody/visitation change, and legitimation cases with children under 18. The court will not finalize a divorce until both parties' completion is certified; parties do not have to attend together. A Spanish-language session ("Seminario Para Hispanos") is offered. Source: cherokeecourtclerk.com/parenting-seminar.
- Western Judicial Circuit (10th Judicial District Divorcing Parents Program): Parents are automatically scheduled and notified by mail after filing; required before the final divorce decree for cases with children under 18. Source: accgov.com/1600/Divorcing-Parents-Program.
- Conasauga Judicial Circuit: Required in all domestic cases with minor children before the case can be finalized. Register and pay in person at Family Support Council, 1529 Waring Rd., Dalton (706-272-7919, Mon–Thu 10am–4pm). Source: whitfieldcountyga.gov/courts/superior_court/programs/new_page.php.
- Alcovy Judicial Circuit: Advance registration required (770-267-1343). Both parents must complete it but attend separate sessions; no childcare provided. Source: alcovycircuit.com/resources/divorcing-parents-seminar.
- Columbia Judicial Circuit (verify fee/format): Required for any party in litigation where child custody will be decided. A seminar not on the approved list requires prior judge approval. Source: columbiacountyga.gov/280/Parenting-Seminar-Page.
Circuit not listed here? That doesn't mean there's no requirement — it means we couldn't yet verify the details against an official page. Search "[your county] Superior Court divorcing parents seminar" or ask your Clerk of Superior Court, and confirm the exact seminar name, cost, format, and deadline before you enroll or pay anyone.
How the Divorcing Parents Seminar works, in general
- Authorized statewide by Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.8, adopted circuit-by-circuit — it is not one uniform statewide mandate.
- Applies to divorce, separate maintenance, paternity, legitimation, and custody/visitation modification cases with a child under 18; contempt actions and, generally, domestic-violence cases are excluded.
- Capped at four hours by rule; most circuits run it as a single session.
- Both parents typically must complete it, but usually don't have to attend together.
- Rule 24.8(D) requires each circuit to offer a fee-waiver process for indigent parties.
- A completion certificate is generally required before the court signs the final order — deadlines are set locally, often around 30 days from service.
For the fuller statewide picture — including how the seminar overlaps with Georgia's parenting-class requirement — see our Georgia divorce-education overview.