Georgia § 15-11-420 Authority to file petition

Georgia Statutes

§ 15-11-420 — Authority to file petition

Georgia § 15-11-420

Title15

This text of Georgia § 15-11-420 (Authority to file petition) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

O.C.G.A. § 15-11-420 (2026).

Text

A petition alleging that a child is a child in need of services may be filed by a parent, a guardian, a legal custodian, a law enforcement officer, a guardian ad litem, an attorney who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed and believes that such facts are true, or a prosecuting attorney. Except when such petition has been filed by a prosecuting attorney, it shall not be accepted for filing unless the court or a person authorized by the court has determined and endorsed on the petition that the filing of the petition is in the best interests of the public and such child. When such petition is filed by a prosecuting attorney, the prosecuting attorney shall be authorized to conduct the proceedings on behalf of the state as parens patriae.

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A petition alleging that a child is a child in need of services may be filed by a parent, a guardian, a legal custodian, a law enforcement officer, a guardian ad litem, an attorney who has knowledge of the facts alleged or is informed and believes that such facts are true, or a prosecuting attorney. Except when such petition has been filed by a prosecuting attorney, it shall not be accepted for filing unless the court or a person authorized by the court has determined and endorsed on the petition that the filing of the petition is in the best interests of the public and such child. When such petition is filed by a prosecuting attorney, the prosecuting attorney shall be authorized to conduct the proceedings on behalf of the state as parens patriae.

Legislative History

Amended by 2015 Ga. Laws 75,§ 2-3, eff. 5/5/2015. Amended by 2014 Ga. Laws 635,§ 1-32, eff. 4/28/2014. Added by 2013 Ga. Laws 127,§ 1-1, eff. 1/1/2014.