The Georgia Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit (DRFA) is a sworn court document that every party in a Georgia divorce, separate maintenance, alimony, child support, or modification case must complete to disclose income, expenses, assets, and debts under Uniform Superior Court Rule 24.2. Judges rely on this affidavit to set child support under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15, divide marital property, and award alimony, so an inaccurate or incomplete form can derail your entire case before the first hearing.
A 2024 report from the Georgia Commission on Child Support noted that more than 70% of pro se filers submit a DRFA with at least one math error, missing attachment, or unsigned page, and clerks reject roughly one in three on first review. The good news is that the form is fixable, the math follows a simple monthly framework, and you can finish it in a single sitting if you gather the right paperwork first.
- 📋 What the DRFA is, who must file it, and the exact statute that requires it
- 💵 How to convert weekly, biweekly, and yearly income into the monthly numbers the court wants
- 🏠 How to value your house, retirement accounts, and debts without guessing
- 🧾 Three full named-person scenarios showing exactly what to write on every page
- ⚖️ The 12 most common mistakes that get DRFAs rejected and how to avoid each one
What the Form Is and Who Must File It
The Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit is a standardized, sworn financial disclosure required statewide under USCR 24.2, which orders that “in all domestic relations actions involving alimony, child support, or division of property, each party shall serve … a domestic relations financial affidavit.” That single sentence sweeps in divorces, legitimations with support, contempt actions, and modifications. The Superior Court of each county receives the filing, and although counties such as Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb publish their own letterhead versions, every county DRFA asks the same core questions because the statewide rule controls.
You must file a DRFA if you are a plaintiff or defendant in any case touching money or children, including the spouse who “doesn’t want anything.” There is no income floor, no marriage-length floor, and no exception for amicable cases. Even an uncontested divorce with a signed settlement still needs a DRFA from each side so the judge can confirm the deal is not unconscionable. Attorneys in firms across Atlanta routinely tell clients that the DRFA is the single most reviewed document in the case file because it doubles as evidence at temporary hearings and final trial.
The form’s revision dates vary by county, but the statewide version most filers use is the USCR 24.2 DRFA template. Fulton County uses a near-identical local form available through the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk, and Cobb County publishes its version on the Cobb Superior Court Clerk page. Always confirm the revision date printed at the bottom of the page so you are not filing a retired version that the clerk will reject on intake.
Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need
Pull every document below before you open the form, because the DRFA expects monthly figures down to the dollar and you cannot estimate honestly without source paperwork. Filers who try to fill it out from memory almost always understate expenses and overstate retirement balances.
- The last three years of federal tax returns, including all schedules and W-2s, because the form asks for prior-year gross income and the judge will compare it to your stated current income.
- Your most recent six pay stubs, so you can average overtime, shift differentials, and bonuses instead of cherry-picking one slow week.
- Year-to-date profit and loss statements if you are self-employed, since Schedule C add-backs (depreciation, home-office, vehicle) often raise your court-recognized income.
- Bank statements for the last three months for every checking, savings, and money-market account in your name, joint, or in trust.
- The most recent statement for every retirement account (401(k), IRA, TSP, pension), because vested balances are marital assets in Georgia.
- A mortgage statement and most recent property-tax bill, so the asset and the monthly housing expense lines match.
- Vehicle loan payoffs and Kelley Blue Book values for each car, truck, motorcycle, or boat titled to you.
- Credit card and student loan balances, ideally pulled from a single annualcreditreport.com tri-merge so nothing slips through.
- Health, dental, and life insurance premium amounts, separated into the worker-only portion and the family portion, because O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 treats the child portion differently in the child-support worksheet.
- Childcare receipts and school tuition invoices, since work-related childcare is a presumptive add-on to child support.
If any item is missing, the gap will show up in your numbers and the opposing attorney will use it on cross-examination at the temporary hearing.
Where to Get the Form and How to Access It
The cleanest, statewide-compliant version of the DRFA is the fillable PDF inside the Uniform Superior Court Rules appendix, which every Georgia Superior Court accepts. Self-represented filers can also pull a plain-language packet from Georgia Legal Aid’s divorce self-help center, which walks through the same fields with simpler language. Both versions produce a legally identical filing.
If you are filing in a metro county, your clerk likely prefers its local letterhead version. Fulton County hosts its packet through the Fulton County Clerk forms library, Cobb County publishes its packet on the Cobb Superior Court Clerk site, Gwinnett’s is on the Gwinnett Clerk forms page, and DeKalb’s lives on the DeKalb Superior Court Clerk page. Pick the version that matches the county where your case is filed.
You can complete the DRFA on paper or as a fillable PDF. Most filers now use the fillable PDF and upload it through PeachCourt eFileGA, Georgia’s e-filing portal for civil matters. Filling it out on a computer also makes it easy to update before the final hearing if your income changes. Print two copies before signing: one for the clerk and one for your records, plus a third if your judge’s standing order requires a courtesy copy.
Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Georgia DRFA Line by Line
The form has a caption block, an income section, an expenses section, an assets section, a liabilities section, and a verification block. Every county version follows that same skeleton. Use the official USCR 24.2 DRFA as your reference while you read each H3 below.
Caption: Court, County, and Case Number
The caption sits at the very top and tells the clerk where the case lives. It asks for the Superior Court name, the county, the civil action file number, and the parties’ names in the format Plaintiff v. Defendant.
To answer it, copy the caption directly from your divorce complaint or your spouse’s complaint. Use the exact spelling, the exact case number, and the same party order. Do not invent a number if you have not filed yet; leave it blank and the clerk will stamp it on intake.
For example, Janet Reyes writes “IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF FULTON COUNTY, STATE OF GEORGIA” on the top line, “Janet Reyes, Plaintiff v. Marcus Reyes, Defendant” in the parties block, and “Civil Action File No. 2026-CV-014892” on the case-number line.
A common edge case is a modification action, where the moving party is sometimes the original defendant. Keep the original party labels (Plaintiff/Defendant) from the divorce decree, not the petitioner/respondent labels you might see on a contempt form.
The most common caption mistake is mixing up the case number with the criminal magistrate number on a related family violence petition; if those numbers cross, the DRFA gets filed in the wrong case file and your hearing happens without it. A frequent misconception is that the caption is “just paperwork.” It is not. The caption is what links your sworn financial disclosure to a specific judge’s docket, and a wrong caption is functionally an unfiled affidavit.
Affiant Identification: Name, Age, Occupation, Education
This block confirms who is swearing to the numbers below. It asks for your full legal name, your age, your occupation, your employer, and the highest grade or degree you completed.
Write your full legal name as it appears on your driver’s license or Social Security card, write your age in years (not your birth date), and list your current occupation, not what you went to school for. Education is the highest level completed, not started.
For example, Carlos Mendoza writes “Carlos Eduardo Mendoza,” “41,” “HVAC Technician,” “Atlanta Comfort Pros, Inc.,” and “Associate’s degree, Atlanta Technical College, 2008.”
The most common edge case is a stay-at-home parent. Write “Homemaker” as occupation and “N/A” as employer; do not leave it blank, because blank lines look like concealment.
A common mistake is listing a former employer because you were laid off three weeks ago. The court will read that as your current job and impute that wage to you. State your true current status, even if it is unemployed, and explain it in the income section. The misconception here is that occupation and education are throwaway lines; in truth, judges use them to evaluate earning capacity when imputing income under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(f)(4).
Section 1: Gross Monthly Income From Salary and Wages
This line asks for your gross (pre-tax) monthly income from your primary job. It is not your take-home pay and it is not your annual salary divided by twelve unless you are paid exactly monthly.
To answer it, take your most recent year-to-date gross wages from your pay stub, divide by the number of months covered, and write the result. If you are paid biweekly, you can also multiply your gross check by 26 and divide by 12. Round to the nearest dollar.
For example, Aisha Bennett earns $1,923.08 gross every two weeks at her hospital job. She multiplies by 26 to get $50,000 annually, then divides by 12 to get $4,166.67 on this line.
A frequent edge case is a salaried worker who also gets overtime. Average the last 12 months of overtime separately and add it on the overtime line, not here. The most common mistake is writing net (post-tax) income on this line; that single error can knock your child support obligation down by several hundred dollars and gets reversed at the hearing, sometimes with sanctions. The misconception is that “gross” means before-401(k); it actually means before any deduction at all, including pre-tax retirement and pre-tax health premiums.
Section 2: Other Earned Income (Overtime, Bonuses, Commissions, Self-Employment)
This block captures everything you earn that is not your base salary. It includes overtime, second jobs, tips, bonuses, commissions, and self-employment net profit.
Pull each subcategory from a 12-month look-back and divide by 12 to get a monthly average. For self-employment, use net profit from Schedule C after legitimate business expenses, but be ready to defend depreciation, home-office, and vehicle deductions because Georgia courts often add those back.
For example, Marcus Reyes runs a side landscaping LLC. His Schedule C shows $42,000 gross receipts, $14,000 in true expenses, and $6,000 in vehicle depreciation. He writes $2,333 per month on the self-employment line, then expects opposing counsel to argue for $2,833 by adding the depreciation back.
A nuance for gig workers is 1099 income from platforms like Uber or DoorDash. Treat the 1099 total minus actual mileage costs as net self-employment income; do not deduct the IRS standard mileage rate without keeping a true mileage log. The common mistake is hiding a slow month or a great month; courts catch this by ordering tax transcripts directly from the IRS Get Transcript portal. The misconception is that cash tips are invisible. They are not, and reporting them protects you from a later perjury claim.
Section 3: Unearned Income (Investments, Rental, Disability, Social Security)
This line covers money that comes in without you working a shift, such as dividends, interest, capital gains, rental income, Social Security, VA disability, pensions, trust distributions, and unemployment.
Write each category as a monthly average. For rental property, use rent received minus the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and ordinary maintenance, not gross rent. For Social Security, use the gross benefit shown on your SSA-1099, not the post-Medicare net.
For example, Janet Reyes rents out a duplex she inherited. She receives $2,400 monthly rent, pays $1,650 PITI plus $150 average maintenance, and writes $600 on the rental-income line.
An edge case worth flagging is VA disability, which is generally not taxable but is counted as gross income for Georgia child support under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(f)(1). The common mistake is forgetting capital gains from a one-time stock sale; it still belongs on a 12-month average. The misconception is that Roth distributions are tax-free, so they are “not income”; for support purposes they often still count, especially in modification cases.
Section 4: Average Monthly Deductions From Income
This block asks for federal income tax withheld, state income tax withheld, FICA, Medicare, mandatory retirement, union dues, and health-insurance premiums. It is not a wish list of deductions; it is what comes off your pay before you see it.
Pull each line directly from your most recent pay stub’s year-to-date figures and divide by months elapsed. Health-insurance premiums must be split between the worker-only portion and the portion attributable to the children, because the children’s portion plugs into the Georgia Child Support Worksheet as a credit.
For example, Carlos Mendoza lists $612 federal withholding, $298 state withholding, $372 FICA/Medicare, $185 worker-only health premium, and $210 premium for his two children.
A nuance: if your employer pays 100% of your health premium, write $0, not the “value” of the benefit. The common mistake is double-counting 401(k) contributions both here and as an asset; deductions belong only in this section. The misconception is that voluntary deductions like garnishments or charitable giving reduce gross income; they do not, and listing them here can backfire.
Section 5: Average Monthly Expenses (Housing, Utilities, Food, Transportation)
This is the longest line-item block on the form and the one filers most often understate. It walks through housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance, medical, clothing, personal, recreation, and miscellaneous expenses.
Use a 12-month average for every category, not last month. Pull electric, gas, water, and internet from your provider’s annual usage report, and pull groceries from your bank or card statements. Round to whole dollars and do not enter zero unless you truly spend nothing on that category.
For example, Aisha Bennett writes $1,650 mortgage, $185 electric, $48 water, $95 internet, $720 groceries, $340 gasoline, $165 car insurance, $240 health copays, $110 clothing, $95 personal care, and $140 recreation.
An edge case is the recently separated filer who still lives in the marital home. Use your projected expenses post-separation if you are about to move; the form has a “anticipated” column for that purpose in many counties. The common mistake is writing the gross mortgage payment without breaking out the property-tax and insurance escrow on the separate line; this creates a double count. The misconception is that the court compares your expenses to a state median; it does not, but a wildly inflated lifestyle line will draw cross-examination.
Section 6: Assets (Real Estate, Vehicles, Bank, Retirement, Personal Property)
This block lists every asset you own in whole or part, with a fair market value, a balance owed, and a net equity column. Real estate, vehicles, bank accounts, retirement, brokerage, business interests, and personal property each get their own row.
Use fair market value, not tax-assessed value, for real estate, and pull retirement balances from the most recent statement, not the last quarter. For vehicles, use Kelley Blue Book private-party value or NADA Guides and write the source in the description column.
For example, Marcus Reyes lists the marital home at $485,000 FMV with a $312,400 mortgage and $172,600 equity, his 2021 F-150 at $34,500 with a $22,100 loan, his Fidelity 401(k) at $148,300, and $8,400 in a joint Truist checking account.
An edge case is a small-business interest. List it as an asset with a “to be valued” note if you do not have a formal valuation; do not write “$0” simply because the business has no buyer today. The common mistake is omitting a 401(k) from a former employer; ERISA records will surface it during discovery, and omission looks like concealment. The misconception is that separate property (a pre-marital inheritance) does not belong on the affidavit; it does, because the court still wants to see the full picture even if that asset is not divided.
Section 7: Liabilities (Mortgages, Loans, Credit Cards, Taxes Owed)
This section captures every debt with a creditor name, an account number (last four digits only), the monthly payment, and the total balance. It includes mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit cards, medical debt, tax debt, and personal loans.
List each debt on its own row. For credit cards, write the current balance from this month’s statement, not the last billing cycle. For tax debt, separate IRS from Georgia Department of Revenue.
For example, Janet Reyes lists Truist Mortgage – x4471 – $2,180/mo – $312,400, Ford Credit – x9082 – $498/mo – $22,100, Navient Student Loan – x1140 – $312/mo – $41,250, and Chase Sapphire – x7755 – $250/mo – $9,840.
An edge case is a debt in only your spouse’s name that you co-signed. List it because you are still legally on the hook. The common mistake is omitting medical debt that has been sent to collections; collections debt is still a debt and still counts. The misconception is that debts in your name automatically become your responsibility in the divorce; the court allocates marital debt based on equity, not just whose name is on it.
Section 8: Child-Support and Alimony Obligations From Prior Cases
If you already pay child support or alimony from a different case, this line captures it. Many DRFAs miss this because the filer forgets the older case.
Write the case caption, the county, and the monthly obligation. Attach the most recent income deduction order if the form requires it.
For example, Carlos Mendoza writes “Mendoza v. Velez, DeKalb County, Civil Action 2018-CV-9921, $640/month child support for one child.”
The common mistake is including child support you receive; that goes on the unearned income line, not here. The misconception is that voluntary support counts; the court only credits court-ordered obligations on this line.
Section 9: Verification, Notary, and Signature
The form ends with a sworn verification under O.C.G.A. § 9-10-111 and a notary block. Sign only in front of a notary; signing in advance voids the verification.
Print your name, sign in ink, and let the notary complete the date, county, and seal. If e-filing through PeachCourt, most counties accept a scanned signature page after in-person notarization, or an online notary recognized under Georgia’s remote online notarization rules.
A common mistake is signing the affidavit with a “best estimate” disclaimer; the verification language does not allow it, and a knowingly false affidavit can support a perjury charge under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-71. The misconception is that the notary verifies the truth of your numbers; the notary only verifies your identity and signature. Truth is on you.
Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios
Scenario 1: Aisha Bennett — Short Marriage, W-2 Worker, No Kids, No Real Estate
Aisha is a 31-year-old hospital phlebotomist filing for divorce after a four-year marriage with no children and no jointly owned property.
| Form Section | What Aisha Enters |
|---|---|
| Caption | Bennett v. Bennett, Superior Court of Gwinnett County, Civil Action 2026-DR-002847 |
| Affiant | Aisha M. Bennett, age 31, Phlebotomist, Northside Hospital, Bachelor’s degree |
| Gross Monthly Salary | $4,166.67 |
| Other Earned Income | $185 average overtime |
| Unearned Income | $0 |
| Monthly Deductions | $612 federal, $298 state, $372 FICA, $185 health |
| Total Monthly Expenses | $3,488 |
| Total Assets | $22,140 (car, checking, 401(k)) |
| Total Liabilities | $28,950 (car loan, student loan, credit card) |
| Prior Support Orders | None |
Scenario 2: Marcus Reyes — Long Marriage, Self-Employed Side Business, Two Kids, Mortgage
Marcus is a 47-year-old salaried IT manager with a side landscaping LLC, married 19 years, two minor children.
| Form Section | What Marcus Enters |
|---|---|
| Caption | Reyes v. Reyes, Superior Court of Fulton County, Civil Action 2026-CV-014892 |
| Affiant | Marcus A. Reyes, age 47, IT Manager, Equifax Inc., Bachelor’s degree |
| Gross Monthly Salary | $10,833.33 |
| Self-Employment Net | $2,333 (subject to depreciation add-back) |
| Unearned Income | $95 dividend interest |
| Monthly Deductions | $1,840 federal, $740 state, $984 FICA, $410 family health |
| Total Monthly Expenses | $8,920 |
| Total Assets | $641,200 (home equity, 401(k), vehicles, business) |
| Total Liabilities | $386,950 (mortgage, truck loan, credit cards) |
| Prior Support Orders | None |
Scenario 3: Captain Janet Reyes — Active-Duty Military Spouse, Rental Property, Modification
Janet is a 38-year-old active-duty Army Captain stationed at Fort Moore, filing a modification of an existing child-support order after a promotion.
| Form Section | What Janet Enters |
|---|---|
| Caption | Reyes v. Reyes, Superior Court of Muscogee County, Civil Action 2021-DM-1188 (Modification) |
| Affiant | Janet L. Reyes, age 38, U.S. Army Captain, Fort Moore, Master’s degree |
| Gross Monthly Salary | $8,940 base pay + $2,103 BAH + $460 BAS |
| Other Earned Income | $0 |
| Unearned Income | $600 net rental income |
| Monthly Deductions | $1,210 federal, $0 state (military exempt), $720 FICA, $185 SGLI/health |
| Total Monthly Expenses | $7,640 |
| Total Assets | $298,400 (TSP, duplex equity, vehicle, savings) |
| Total Liabilities | $192,300 (rental mortgage, vehicle, credit cards) |
| Prior Support Orders | $1,180/month child support, prior decree |
How to File the Completed Form
You can file the DRFA through three channels in Georgia: e-file via PeachCourt eFileGA, file in person at your Superior Court Clerk, or mail a paper copy. Most metro counties (Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Clayton, Henry, Cherokee) require e-filing for represented parties and strongly encourage it for pro se filers.
For e-filing, log in to PeachCourt, select your case, upload the signed and notarized DRFA as a PDF, choose the “Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit” document type, and pay any service fee with a credit card; there is no court fee for filing the DRFA itself, but PeachCourt charges roughly $7 per envelope. Processing is usually same-day, and you keep the e-file confirmation as proof of filing.
For in-person filing, bring two printed copies plus a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Superior Court Clerk in the county of your case. The clerk file-stamps both copies, keeps one, and returns the other. There is no separate filing fee for the DRFA when it is filed inside an existing case. Plan for a wait at metro clerks; the Fulton County Clerk and DeKalb Superior Court Clerk often run 30 to 60 minutes during peak hours.
For mail filing, send two notarized copies plus a self-addressed stamped envelope to the clerk at the courthouse address listed on your county clerk’s site, with your case number on a cover letter. Expect 5 to 10 business days for the return file-stamped copy. Use certified mail with return receipt as your proof of filing; a tracking-only number is not enough if a copy is lost in the mail.
What Happens After You File
Once the DRFA is filed, the opposing party (or their attorney) reviews it before the temporary hearing, the Child Support Worksheet is built from your numbers, and the judge uses your sworn figures to set temporary support, attorney-fee awards, and exclusive use of the home. Filing also opens the door to discovery, where opposing counsel can subpoena tax returns and bank records to verify your numbers.
If your numbers materially change before the final hearing — a job loss, a bonus, a new health premium — you must file an amended DRFA. Most judges expect an updated affidavit if more than 90 days have passed since the original filing. Filing an amended DRFA is the same process as the original.
If the opposing party challenges your numbers, the judge can hold an evidentiary hearing, accept supplemental affidavits, or order a forensic accountant. A DRFA that turns out to be materially false can support contempt under O.C.G.A. § 15-1-4, an attorney-fee award against the lying party under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-2, and in extreme cases a perjury referral. Treat every line as if it will be cross-examined under oath, because it might be.
Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form
- Writing net income instead of gross income on Section 1, which will distort every downstream calculation and shrink your child support number until the judge corrects it.
- Forgetting overtime, bonuses, or commissions, which opposing counsel will surface from W-2 Box 1 and use to argue you concealed income.
- Skipping self-employment depreciation add-backs, which Georgia courts routinely add back into gross income for child support purposes.
- Listing tax-assessed value instead of fair market value for real estate, which understates marital equity by 20% to 40% in many counties.
- Omitting a 401(k) from a former employer, which still belongs in the asset list and will surface in ERISA records during discovery.
- Forgetting to break out the children’s portion of the health-insurance premium, which costs you a credit on the child support worksheet.
- Using last month’s expenses instead of a 12-month average, which makes the form indefensible under cross-examination.
- Leaving any line blank instead of writing $0 or N/A, which clerks read as incomplete and which judges read as evasive.
- Signing before the notary, which voids the verification and forces a refile.
- Filing on a retired version of the form because you grabbed an old PDF, which the clerk will reject on intake.
- Failing to update the DRFA after a material change, which leaves you locked into stale numbers at the final hearing.
- Listing voluntary 401(k) contributions as “deductions from income,” which they are not under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15 and which will get added back.
Do’s and Don’ts
- Do average income and expenses over a full 12 months because Georgia judges expect a stable picture, not a snapshot.
- Do attach pay stubs, the last W-2, and the most recent tax return because most counties require them under local rule.
- Do keep a copy of every supporting document in a labeled folder so cross-examination is painless.
- Do file an amended DRFA when income changes by more than 10% so your numbers stay credible.
- Do use the official USCR 24.2 form or your county’s letterhead version so the clerk accepts it on first review.
- Do sign only in front of a notary because pre-signed affidavits are routinely rejected.
- Don’t estimate from memory, because every estimate becomes a target on cross.
- Don’t hide a side business or 1099 stream, because the IRS transcript will reveal it.
- Don’t copy your spouse’s affidavit numbers, because the judge will read them side by side.
- Don’t write zero for any expense category that you actually spend money on, because zero is rarely true.
- Don’t ignore credit-card balances older than 90 days, because they are still debts.
- Don’t wait until the day of the hearing to file, because most judges enforce a 5-day pre-hearing rule.
Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help
- Pro – DIY saves money because attorneys typically charge $400 to $1,200 just to draft the DRFA.
- Pro – DIY moves faster in uncontested cases where both spouses agree on the numbers.
- Pro – DIY teaches the case because you learn your own finances cold before any hearing.
- Pro – DIY uses free resources like Georgia Legal Aid and the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation.
- Pro – DIY keeps control of every line and every disclosure decision.
- Con – DIY filers miss deductions like the children’s-portion health premium that lower child support.
- Con – DIY filers misclassify self-employment income, which can balloon imputed income at the hearing.
- Con – DIY filers forget attachments, which delays approval and pushes hearings out.
- Con – DIY filers underestimate expenses because they forget annual or quarterly bills.
- Con – DIY filers face cross-examination alone, which is brutal in contested cases involving alimony or custody.
DRFA vs. Child Support Worksheet vs. Settlement Agreement
| Document | Purpose in Your Case |
|---|---|
| Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit | Sworn snapshot of one party’s income, expenses, assets, and debts under USCR 24.2. |
| Child Support Worksheet | Calculates the presumptive monthly child support obligation under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15. |
| Settlement Agreement | Final negotiated terms on property, debt, support, and custody, attached to the divorce decree. |
E-Filing vs. In-Person Filing in Georgia
| Channel | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| PeachCourt eFile | 24/7 upload, ~$7 envelope fee, same-day stamp, immediate PDF receipt, mandatory for attorneys in most metro counties. |
| In-Person at Clerk | Free file-stamp, two printed copies needed, 30–60 minute waits at metro clerks, immediate stamped copy returned. |
| Free except postage, 5–10 business day turnaround, certified mail with return receipt strongly recommended for proof. |
FAQs
Do I have to file a DRFA in an uncontested divorce?
Yes. USCR 24.2 requires both parties to file a DRFA in every domestic relations action involving alimony, child support, or property division, even uncontested ones.
Can I file the DRFA online in Georgia?
Yes. Most counties accept e-filing through PeachCourt eFileGA, and attorneys are typically required to e-file in metro counties.
Is there a separate filing fee for the DRFA?
No. The DRFA is filed inside the existing case, so the only cost is the e-filing envelope fee (around $7) or postage if you mail it.
Do I write gross or net income in Section 1?
Yes, you write gross monthly income before any deductions, including before pre-tax 401(k) and pre-tax health premiums.
Should I list pre-marital separate property in the assets section?
Yes. List every asset you own, even pre-marital or inherited property; identify it as separate, but do not omit it.
Do I have to include my spouse’s income on my DRFA?
No. Each party files their own affidavit; you list only your own income, expenses, assets, and debts.
Does VA disability count as income on the DRFA?
Yes. Under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(f)(1), VA disability is included in gross income for child-support purposes even though it is tax-free.
Do I write the gross or escrowed mortgage payment on the housing line?
Yes, write the full PITI (principal, interest, taxes, insurance) payment, but do not also list taxes and insurance separately or you will double count.
Do I list the last four digits of account numbers on the liability section?
Yes. Georgia courts and federal privacy rules require redaction; only the last four digits of any account number belong on the form.
Can I sign the DRFA at home and bring it to the notary later?
No. A notary must witness your signature in person (or via approved online notarization), or the verification is invalid.
Do I need to file an amended DRFA if I get a raise?
Yes, file an amended DRFA whenever your financial picture changes materially before the final hearing, especially if more than 90 days have passed.
Can a wrong DRFA hurt my custody case?
Yes. Judges weigh credibility across every issue, and a sloppy or false DRFA can damage your standing on custody, parenting time, and attorney-fee awards.
Do military allowances like BAH and BAS count as income?
Yes. Georgia treats Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence as gross income for child-support purposes under O.C.G.A. § 19-6-15(f).
Do I have to attach my tax returns to the DRFA?
Yes in most counties; local rules in Fulton, Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb require the last three years of returns plus recent pay stubs as attachments.
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