UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURTS 

Middle District of GEORGIA

P.O. Box 1957

430 Cherry Street

Macon, GA 31201

Telephone: 1-912-752-3506

Middle District of GEORGIA

P.O. Box 2147

901 Front Avenue, Ste. 310

Columbus, GA 31902

Telephone: 1-706-649-7837

Northern District of GEORGIA

1340 Richard B. Russell Bldg.

75 Spring Street, S.W.

Atlanta, GA 30303

Telephone: 1-404-215-1000

Northern District of GEORGIA, Newnan Division

P.O. Box 2328

Newnan, GA 30264

Telephone: 1-770-251-5583

Northern District of GEORGIA, Rome Division

600 E. 1st Street, Rm. 339

Rome, GA 30161

Telephone: 1-706-291-5639

Southern District of GEORGIA

P.O. Box 8347

Rm. 212, U.S. Courthouse

Savannah, GA 31412

Telephone: 1-912-944-4100 

Southern District of GEORGIA, Augusta Division

P.O. Box 1487 (30903)

827 Telfair Street, #1487

Augusta, GA 30901

Telephone: 1-706-724-2421

In general, a debtor may claim exemption of his homestead and non-exempt personal property from attachment or execution of a judgment, or in a bankruptcy proceeding.

A debtor generally is entitled to exemption from levy and sale by virtue of any legal process any real or personal property, or both, in the amount of $5,000.00.  (Section 44-13-1.)  If a debtor refuses to apply for exemption under this provision, his spouse, qualified representatives of his minor children or dependents, may make such pplication and the exemption is binding upon the debtor.  (Section 44-13-2.)

For the purposes of bankruptcy, a debtor may elect, in lieu of the exemption provided under Section 44-13-1, the exemption provided under Section 44-13-100 of the Official Code of Georgia.  Some of the property which may be exempt include the personal and real property used by a debtor or his dependents as a residence or a burial plot,  in the aggregate value of $5,000.00, social security benefits, unemployment comepnstiaon, local public assistance, veteran's benefit, disability benefit, alimony, support or separate maintenance to the extent reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and his dependants, pension payments, undistributed interest in retirement plans or pension plan, automobiles in the aggregate value of $1,000.00, household furnishings and goods, wearing apparel, appliances, books, animals, crops, or musical instruments that are primarily for personal family or household use not to exceed $200.00 in value in each item but not to exceed $3,500.00 in aggregate value, jewelry in the aggregate value of $500.00, the debtor's aggregate interest, not to exceed $400.00 in value plus any unused amount of the homestead exemption in any property, professional books or tools of the trade in the aggregate value of $500.00, unmatured life insurance contract, the debtor's aggregate interest in the loan value on any unmatured insurance contract not to exceed $2,000.00, professional health aids, an award under a crime victim's reparation law, payment of not more than $7,500.00 from the recovery for personal injuries excluding pain and suffering or compensation for actual pecuniary loss, and payment for compensation for loss of future earnings to the extent reasonably necessary for the support of the debtor and his dependants.

An individual debtor whose domicile is in the State of Georgia is specifically prohibited from applying or utilizing the exemptions provided under 11 U.S.C. Section 522(d). An "individual debtor whose domicile is in Georgia" means an individual whose domicile has been located in Georgia for the 180 days immediately preceding the date of the filing of the bankruptcy petition or for a longer portion of such 180 day period than in any other place.  (Section 44-13-100(b).)

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