---
title: O.C.G.A. § 19-9-2. Right of surviving parent to custody of child; discretion of judge.
collection: code
id: 19-9-2
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 19-9-2 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-9-2
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-9-2.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-9-2/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t18-t19-(v16)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=d30bd29e_0#page=247
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/19-9.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: DOMESTIC RELATIONS / CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS / GENERAL PROVISIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 19-9-2. Right of surviving parent to custody of child; discretion of judge.

Upon the death of either parent, the survivor is entitled to custody of the child; provided, however, that the judge, upon petition:

(1) May exercise discretion as to the custody of the child, looking solely to the child’s best interest and welfare; and

(2) In the case of a surviving parent being criminally indicted for the offense of murder or voluntary manslaughter of the other parent, can proceed in the court’s discretion.

## History

Orig. Code 1863, § 1745; Code 1868, § 1785; Code 1873, § 1794; Code 1882, § 1794; Civil Code 1895, § 2503; Civil Code 1910, § 3022; Code 1933, § 74-106; Ga. L. 1979, p. 466, § 42; Ga. L. 1996, p. 412, § 2; Ga. L. 2007, p. 554, § 5/HB 369; Ga. L. 2023, p. 367, § 4/SB 131, effective July 1, 2023.

## Amendments

The 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, rewrote this Code section, which read: “Upon the death of either parent, the survivor is entitled to custody of the child; provided, however, that the judge, upon petition, may exercise discretion as to the custody of the child, looking solely to the child’s best interest and welfare.”