About this service
Enforcement of alimony begins where the court ends — the decision is in hand, but the sum will not be collected by itself. The Law of Georgia on Enforcement Proceedings regulates this stage fully: which acts are subject to enforcement, who issues the enforcement sheet, how the National Bureau of Enforcement commences the proceedings, and what special rule applies to an alimony collection case. This page lays out the practical route of enforcing arrears — from the standpoint of both recipient and payer.
Which acts are subject to enforcement
Article 2 of the law establishes the list of acts subject to enforcement, and in the alimony context three of its items matter. First — a court decision entered into legal force in a civil case: an established alimony decision belongs precisely to this circle. Second — a notarial act: an agreement on alimony formalised before a notary carries enforcement force. Third — a decision of a foreign court within the framework of the Hague Convention on the international recovery of child support and other forms of family maintenance, as well as a maintenance agreement formalised by an authorised body, backed by a court decision on recognition and enforcement — for disputes with an international dimension, these are exactly the gateways.
The enforcement sheet and its issuance
Under Article 20 of the law, enforcement proceedings may not be instituted without the enforcement sheet (the original), save for the exceptions provided by law. The enforcement sheet is issued on a decision subject to enforcement, and it is issued to the creditor — in the alimony case, to the recipient. This detail is decisive: the sheet is in the creditor's hands, and the creditor decides on its use. A court ruling obtained within enforcement proceedings and subject to enforcement is enforced without a separate sheet, on the basis of a ruling entered into legal force or one subject to a private complaint.
Commencement of enforcement: the Bureau's route
Under Article 25 of the law, the National Bureau of Enforcement commences enforcement proceedings on the basis of the creditor's written application for compulsory enforcement and the enforcement sheet. The sheet, together with a certified copy of the enforceable decision, is submitted to the Bureau's territorial body according to the location of the debtor or his property; where the creditor is a natural person or a private-law legal person, observance of the territoriality principle is not mandatory — a meaningful simplification for the alimony recipient.
After the proceedings begin, the law obliges the Bureau to inform the debtor: the debtor is notified of the commencement no later than 5 days from the start; and moreover, if the demand is performed voluntarily within 7 days of the notification, only the corresponding part of the enforcement fee prepaid by the creditor is imposed, whereas on failure to perform voluntarily the full amount of the enforcement fee is imposed. Timely voluntary performance is thus built into the law as a principle translated directly into the debtor's economic interest. In cases of the category of recovery of sums, together with the delivery of the proposal the enforcement officer immediately begins the search, inventory and attachment of the debtor's property.
The special rule for alimony cases
Article 89 of the law frames the alimony collection case with a separate rule: if, in enforcing the decision, the sum payable by the debtor monthly in accordance with the agreement is less than the minimum limit established by law, then on the accumulation of alimony arrears, recovery may be made from the debtor's property, by the established procedure. This norm strengthens the recipient's position: a low monthly sum does not mean that the arrears cannot reach enforcement — it can be extracted at the expense of property as well.
Frequently asked questions
On what basis does the Bureau commence enforcement?
On the creditor's written application and the enforcement sheet; the sheet is issued to the creditor and submitted to the Bureau's territorial body according to the debtor's or the property's location, together with a certified copy of the decision.
What happens after commencement?
The debtor is notified no later than 5 days from the start and may perform the demand voluntarily within 7 days of notification — then only part of the fee is imposed; on failure, the officer begins the search, inventory and attachment of property.
Can alimony be recovered from property?
Yes — if the monthly sum is less than the legal minimum limit, arrears may be recovered from the debtor's property by the established procedure, under Article 89 of the law.
Is a notarial agreement usable for enforcement?
Yes — a notarial act is on the list of acts subject to enforcement; so is a foreign decision under the Hague Convention, where backed by a decision on recognition and enforcement.
How We Help on Legal.ge
We build the complete route of alimony enforcement: we determine which act you hold — a court decision, a notarial agreement or an international decision — and accordingly map the path of obtaining the sheet and filing with the Bureau; we place the application with the correct territorial body; and on the accumulation of arrears we activate the direction of recovery at the expense of property. We also work in the debtor's position: we verify the legality of the attachment and weigh the opportunity to use the voluntary-performance window to save the fee. Contact us for a concrete enforcement plan.