Divorce in Georgia

Who this page is for

For anyone who wants a divorce in Georgia where at least one spouse is a foreigner, or who married in Georgia and now lives in another country.

Arranging a wedding is covered in a separate section. This page deals only with the ending: the procedure, children, property and documents.

Our role

We are not a law firm and we do not represent anyone in court. Advice and representation come from licensed partner lawyers.

We help with documents, translation, appointments and interpreters, and with making sure a spouse who lives abroad can get through the process without unnecessary trips.

Two routes

In Georgia a divorce is completed in one of two ways: administratively or through the courts.

The administrative route generally works when both spouses agree and there is no dispute.

In every other case the matter is decided by a court.

The House of Justice route

When both sides agree and have no dispute about children or property, the divorce is often registered at the House of Justice.

Both spouses sign the application, and the civil registry records the end of the marriage.

It is the calmest and often the quickest route, but only if the agreement really is complete.

When a court is needed

If one spouse does not agree to the divorce, the matter goes to court.

A court is also needed when the sides cannot agree on where the child will live, on child support or on dividing property.

Sometimes the divorce and these disputes are heard together in a single case.

Whether the Georgian authority can act

The fact that both spouses are in Georgia right now does not always mean a Georgian authority will take the case.

It matters where the marriage was registered, where you live and which countries you are citizens of.

A lawyer checks this question first, so that no time is spent on a procedure that cannot be completed.

The marriage was registered in another country

If the marriage was registered abroad, the Georgian authority needs a certified copy of its certificate.

Sometimes the foreign marriage first has to be reflected in the Georgian registry as well.

In some cases it makes more sense to divorce in the country where the marriage was registered.

Married here, living elsewhere

Many couples marry in Georgia and then live in another country.

In that case the divorce may be possible either in Georgia or in the country where you live.

The choice depends on where the result has to work and what the authorities there require.

Which country's procedure is better

A divorce may be faster in one country while recognition is simpler in the other.

Some countries are slower to recognise a foreign administrative divorce than a court decision.

So we first gather the views of lawyers in both countries, and only then start.

Documents

Usually both spouses' passports and the marriage certificate are needed.

If you have children, their birth certificates as well.

The exact list is set by the authority or the lawyer, and we send it to you before the case begins.

A foreign marriage certificate

A foreign marriage certificate often needs an apostille or consular legalisation and a notarised Georgian translation.

The apostille is issued in the country that issued the certificate, so this step comes first.

We explain certification in detail on the separate page about apostille and legalisation.

Interpreter

If a spouse does not speak Georgian, an interpreter is often essential at the signing or at a court hearing.

The interpreter has to understand legal terms in both languages, not just everyday conversation.

We arrange an interpreter who has already worked on procedures like this.

Appearing in person

Signing at the House of Justice often requires both spouses to be present in person.

If one of you is abroad, we check in advance what alternative is allowed.

In court a party is often represented by a lawyer, although personal attendance may be required at some hearings.

Power of attorney

For some steps a spouse can be represented under a notarised power of attorney.

A power of attorney signed abroad needs an apostille or legalisation and a translation.

The lawyer drafts the wording so that the authority accepts it without a refusal.

The court process

In court the case starts with a claim signed by one spouse.

The other side is officially notified of the case and has the right to respond.

When the other side is abroad, this stage often takes time.

A period for reconciliation

A court may give the spouses time to reconcile before ruling on the divorce.

This is not a formality - sometimes couples do reach agreement during this time, at least about the children.

We take this period into account from the start when planning travel and visits.

A separate lawyer for each side

When there is a dispute, one lawyer cannot represent both spouses.

We work with one side and advise the other to have their own lawyer.

In a divorce by agreement, the paperwork can be coordinated for both sides if both agree to that.

Mediation

Mediation is a conversation with the help of a neutral mediator, in which the sides look for an agreement themselves.

In Georgia mediation is used both before court and alongside a court case.

An agreement about children reached through mediation often holds better than one imposed by a ruling alone.

Children

In every decision that affects a child, the child's interest comes first, not the parents'.

A court may ask for an opinion from the guardianship and care authority and may hear the child, if the child's age allows it.

At this stage we only help with organisation - the position is prepared by the lawyer and specialists.

Where the child lives

The central question is who the child will live with and how the child will see the other parent.

When the parents live in different countries, the contact arrangements are written out in detail: holidays, travel, online contact.

The more precise the agreement, the fewer disputes later.

Child support

Child support is paid by the parent who does not live with the child.

The sides agree the amount, or a court sets it based on the parent's income and the child's needs.

When a parent lives abroad, the lawyer arranges payment and enforcement separately.

Taking a child abroad

After a divorce, taking a child to another country often requires the other parent's consent.

The consent is notarised and sometimes also needs an apostille.

If there is no consent, the question is decided by a court.

Child abduction

Georgia is a party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.

This means that moving or keeping a child in another country without permission can lead to a demand for the child's return.

If there is a risk of this, contact a lawyer immediately - here time is decisive.

Property

Property acquired during the marriage is, as a rule, treated as the spouses' joint property.

Property acquired before the marriage, or received as a gift or inheritance, is often personal.

Property can be divided by agreement or in court, alongside the divorce or after it.

A marriage contract

If the spouses have a marriage contract, property is divided under its terms.

A lawyer checks whether a contract signed abroad has effect in Georgia.

The contract often needs certification and a Georgian translation.

Real estate in Georgia

If a flat or land is in Georgia, dividing or re-registering it happens in the Georgian registry.

This requires an agreement or a court decision written in a form the registry can work with.

Real estate has its own chain of steps, and we plan it together with partners from our property section.

Debts and loans

A loan taken out during the marriage is not automatically split in the bank's eyes by a divorce.

For the bank, the borrower remains whoever signed the contract, whatever the spouses agree between themselves.

That is why the lawyer lists loans and guarantees in advance.

A business and a share

If one spouse holds a share in a Georgian company, it may be part of the property division.

The value of the share sometimes needs an independent valuation.

At this step the accountant and the lawyer work together.

Getting your previous surname back

On divorce it is often possible to return to the surname used before the marriage.

Changing the surname in the Georgian record is one thing, in your passport another.

The surname in your passport is changed by your own country's authority, which often needs a certified divorce certificate.

The divorce certificate

After registration the House of Justice issues a divorce certificate.

In a court divorce the decision must first become final, and then it is registered.

Several originals are useful if different authorities need one.

Recognition in your country

A Georgian divorce does not always take effect automatically in another country.

In some countries a certificate with an apostille and a translation is enough, elsewhere there is a separate recognition procedure.

The local requirement is checked by a lawyer there, and we prepare the documents to meet it.

A foreign divorce in Georgia

If you divorced abroad, the Georgian registry may still show the marriage as valid.

A foreign court decision may need a recognition procedure in Georgia.

Without it, a new marriage or the sale of property in Georgia can be held up.

Residence after a divorce

If a residence permit was based on marriage to a Georgian spouse, the divorce may affect it.

Often another basis for residence has to be found - work, business, study or property.

We plan this in advance so that there is no gap in your status.

Marrying again

A new marriage requires a document proving that the previous marriage has ended.

If the new marriage is being registered in Georgia, the divorce must first show in the Georgian registry too.

We arrange this chain together with our wedding section.

A religious marriage

In Georgia only civil registration has legal force.

A church wedding or other religious marriage is not dissolved by a state divorce; that is for the relevant religious institution to decide.

Some countries require a religious procedure in addition to a civil divorce, and a lawyer there checks this.

Safety

If there is violence or danger in the family, safety comes first and documents second.

The emergency number in Georgia is 112, and the police and the courts can issue restraining or protective orders.

In such a case we put you in touch with a lawyer and a shelter service, with an interpreter if needed.

Confidentiality

A divorce is a private matter, and we share information only with those who need it for the case.

We tell the other spouse nothing about you without your consent.

We never name clients, not even in examples.

Timing

At the House of Justice, once all the documents are ready, registration is often quick.

The court route often takes months, especially if the other side is abroad or there is a dispute about the children.

Preparing foreign documents often takes the most time, so we start with that.

Common mistakes

Going to the House of Justice when the agreement about the children is only verbal.

A Georgian divorce that your own country then does not recognise, because nobody checked in advance.

A divorce abroad that was never reflected in the Georgian registry.

"Quick divorce" offers online

Online you will find offers of a "divorce in one day, without the other side".

A lawful divorce cannot happen without the other spouse being informed, and such a "decision" may later be set aside.

We work only with licensed lawyers and official authorities.

What we need from you

Where and when the marriage was registered, and the citizenship of both spouses.

Whether you have an agreement about children and property, even a partial one.

Where you and the other spouse are now, and where the divorce has to work.

Cost

Registration and court fees are official and paid directly.

The lawyer, interpreter, translation and notary are separate services, and they quote their own terms.

Our coordination is agreed in advance, and we add nothing to partners' prices.