Which Georgia court hears your civil case
Civil jurisdiction thresholds with statutory authority. Source: 1Court Directory, verified 2026-08-20 (official source).
| Tier | Court | Amount in controversy | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small claims | Magistrate Court Civil up to $15,000; unlimited over evictions. | Up to $15,000 | O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2 |
| Limited civil | Magistrate Court | Up to $15,000 | O.C.G.A. § 15-10-2 |
| General civil | State Court / Superior Court Over $15,000. | No limit | Ga. Const. art. VI |
Answer deadline after service
A defendant generally has 30 days after service of the summons and complaint to file an answer (O.C.G.A. § 9-11-12(a)).
Estimates from the statutory answer period; service-method extensions and local rules can change these dates. Verify before relying on them. Not legal advice.
19 Georgia forms SimpleCase prepares
Generated from your uploaded complaint, with captions and terminology matched to Georgia practice. Every document is a draft for attorney review.
- Demand for possession (pay rent or vacate)(pattern) O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50 (as amended 2024): pre-filing notice; verify service method
- Dispossessory affidavit(pattern) O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50: Magistrate Court; affidavit under oath
- Notice of Appearance(pattern) Appearance of counsel; service on undersigned requested
- Motion for Continuance(pattern) Good-cause continuance with proposed order
- Notice of Deposition(pattern) Oral deposition with optional duces tecum; recording method per rule
- Civil Subpoena(pattern) Testimony and/or production (duces tecum); issuance and witness-fee rules vary
- Answer(pattern) Responsive pleading: denials and affirmative defenses
- Satisfaction of Judgment(pattern) acknowledgment of satisfaction for entry on the docket
- SC-1 SummonsSupreme Court standard summons: 30-day answer
- SC-2 Sheriff's Entry of ServiceSheriff's return of service: Supreme Court standard form
- Civil Case Filing Information FormRequired in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and other counties
- Pauper's AffidavitFee waiver: O.C.G.A. § 9-15-2
- Voluntary DismissalO.C.G.A. § 9-11-41(a)
- Motion for Default JudgmentO.C.G.A. § 9-11-55: 30 days + 15-day grace period
- Military Status AffidavitSCRA compliance: 50 U.S.C. § 3931
- Default JudgmentProposed judgment for judge signature
- SC-5 Writ of Fieri FaciasSupreme Court standard writ of execution
- Summons of GarnishmentGarnish wages or bank accounts: O.C.G.A. § 18-4-60
- Statement of Claim (Magistrate Court)(pattern) Commences Magistrate Court civil actions to $15,000 (Fulton, Gwinnett, all GA counties); verified by oath
Filing packages
One click assembles the forms a Georgia matter typically needs at each stage.
Eviction: Notice & Filing
Demand for possession (pay rent or vacate) · Dispossessory affidavit
General Civil
SC-1 Summons · SC-2 Sheriff's Entry of Service · Civil Case Filing Information Form
Collections: File & Serve
SC-1 Summons · SC-2 Sheriff's Entry of Service · Civil Case Filing Information Form
Collections: Default Judgment
Motion for Default Judgment · Military Status Affidavit · Default Judgment
Collections: Enforce Judgment
Satisfaction of Judgment · SC-5 Writ of Fieri Facias · Summons of Garnishment
Pauper's Affidavit
Pauper's Affidavit
Voluntary Dismissal
Voluntary Dismissal
County-level court details
Filing fees, clerk contacts, e-filing portals, and courthouse addresses for every Georgia county are in the 1Court Directory: Georgia.
How it works
Upload your case document
PDF, Word, image, or text. SimpleCase extracts parties, claims, amounts, and dates.
Confirm venue and court
For unfiled cases, SimpleCase suggests the county, court level, and courthouse, with the statutory basis shown.
Generate the package
Every required form, filled and assembled as a ZIP, ready for attorney review and filing.
Turn a complaint into a filing-ready case
Your first 3 cases are free. No card required.
Try SimpleCase freeSimpleCase prepares document drafts for attorney review; it is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Court data on this page is sourced from the 1Court Directory with the verification date shown, and statutes and court rules change: always confirm current requirements, deadlines, and fees with the clerk of the court before filing.