Can the courts grant joint custody in Georgia even though the parties were never married?

Absolutely, why couldn't they? As long as the father has been legally established as the biological parent, he has every right that the mother has whether marriage took place or not.

Yes, Georiga is a very progressive state and joint custody is much more common there now.

They will look at if you live in the same general area, esp in the same school district or have plans to keep the child in the same school