
If you mail a request to the state's records department, you should include:
- names of each spouse
- date of your request
- the date of the divorce
- the location (court) of divorce
- the type of final decree
- the purpose for why you need it
- your name and address
- your driver's license information (and a copy)
- the state's required request form, and
- your signature.
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree?
You may also request a copy of your divorce decree from the state or local vital records department where you divorced. Vital records include marriage licenses, divorce decrees, and birth or death records.
How do I Find my Divorce Records?
Typically, divorce records can be obtained online, by mail, or in person. Depending on when the party or parties filed the divorce and in which state and county the court granted the divorce, divorce records can be accessed online using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system or the state or national archives.
How do I get a copy of a court record?
Complete the Request for Copies form and mail or bring the form and payment to the courthouse you're requesting a copy of the court record from. Note: If you're looking for a historic record, please see Accessing Court Archives.
How do I unseal my divorce records?
Many state courts can unseal divorce records if they see fit or if prompted by a petition to do so. A person requesting the court to unseal records must file a notice or petition to unseal and serve the same to all parties in the case.

How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in North Carolina?
You can get a copy of a divorce judgment from the clerk of court's office in the county where the divorce was granted for a fee.
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in Virginia?
Marriage/Divorce Certificates Marriage and divorce certificates may be obtained by sending an Application For Certification of a Vital Record to the VDH, Office of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia 23218.
How do I get a copy of my divorce papers in Washington state?
Any person can order certified copies of divorce certificates, and when requesting through the WDH, it is not necessary to provide valid identification. These records can be viewed and obtained online through state portals, by mail, or in-person.
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in Colorado?
*For a copy of the original divorce decree, contact the county district court that issued the document. We provide verification of marriages, civil unions and divorces for the years 1900 to 1939 and 1975 to present, recorded with the Colorado Office of the State Registrar.
How do I look up divorce records in Virginia?
Virginia Vital Records OfficesRecord Type: Marriage Certificates. State Health Department. Office of Vital Records. ... Records Available: Divorce Records. State Health Department. Office of Vital Records. ... Phone: 804-674-6750. Fax: 804-674-8529. Business Hours: 8AM-5PM. ... Phone: 804-674-3131. Fax: 804-674-3598. Business Hours: 8AM-5PM.
Are divorce decrees public record in Virginia?
In Virginia, death, marriage and divorce data become “public” information 25 years after the event; birth data are “public” after 100 years. Virginia birth and death records from 1912 to the present, divorce records since 1918 and marriage records since 1936 are now available in an index form on Ancestry.com.
Can I look up divorce records in Washington State?
The case file number can be used to request records from the King County Superior Court Clerk. For divorces between 1935 and 1967, you must search under the "General Plaintiff" index. For divorces between 1968 and 1979, you must search under the "Domestic" index.
How do I get a copy of my divorce Decree in Seattle?
You can obtain a divorce decrees from the county superior court clerk, not the Department of Health.
How do I get a copy of my court records?
There are three ways to look at court records:Go to the courthouse and ask to look at paper records.Go to the courthouse and look at electronic court records.If your court offers it, look at electronic records over the internet. This is called “remote access.”
Where can I get my divorce certificate in Colorado?
Contact the District Court in which the divorce was filed for you record. Most people who are looking for divorce records that concern themselves will need to contact the courts for their records.
Are divorce filings public record in Colorado?
What are Colorado Divorce Records. Divorce records are the most full document and hold the most specific details. These records can be accessed and viewed by members of the public, but only certified copies can be obtained by the divorcd parties and their attorneys.
How do you find out when I got divorced?
Divorce records, like marriage records, are public. You can search for divorce records from the comfort of your own home, or you can visit the state's Department of Health and Vital Records. Although records are sometimes free, you might need to pay to use certain private or state services.
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in Fairfax county?
Fairfax County Office of Vital Records can provide certified copies of divorces that have taken place in Virginia from 1918 to the present. If you need a Divorce Decree please contact the Courthouse where your divorce is filed.
Can you look up marriage records online Virginia?
It's impossible to access marriage records for completely free. However, members of the public can find copies for a cheap price through the Virginia Department of Health Vital Records or the clerk of courts in the Virginia circuit court in the county where the marriage happened.
How do I get a copy of my divorce decree in Chesapeake VA?
Call Monica (757) 382-8677 or Becky (757)382-2694 for more information. Open Mon-Fri, 8AM to 4:45PM and most Saturdays, from 8 AM to Noon, closed scheduled state holidays....Links to forms:Birth certificate form.Death certificate form.Marriage/Divorce forms.
Are divorce proceedings public record?
As a legal document, you can't have a public record erased. However, it's important to note that as only the final order is classified as a public record, all other information pertaining to the divorce file is kept private and retained only by the court and the legal teams involved.
When Do You Normally Get a Divorce Decree?
Some courts call the judgment of divorce "JOD" or "Divorce Decree." After finalizing your divorce, the court will issue the final decree to both spouses, but only after entering it into the court system.
What happens after divorce?
After finalizing your divorce, the court will issue the final decree to both spouses, but only after entering it into the court system. If you and your ex-spouse created your own divorce decree, the judge will sign it, enter it into the court system, and provide you and your ex-spouse a certified copy.
What Happens If You Lose Your Divorce Decree?
The divorce decree contains all the essential provisions on child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and any other critical element of your divorce.
How long do divorce papers need to be kept in Michigan?
For example, in Michigan, lawyers must retain client files for a minimum of 5 years (6 years for tax records.) After 5 years, the attorney must notify the clients before destroying the file. If you finalized your divorce and your lawyer destroyed your file, you will need to obtain a copy of your decree using one of the other methods listed in this article.
What is a divorce decree?
The divorce decree contains all the essential provisions on child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and any other critical element of your divorce. Both spouses should keep a copy of their divorce decree in a safe place. Some spouses choose to leave a certified copy with their attorney, ...
How long do lawyers keep client files?
For example, in Michigan, lawyers must retain client files for a minimum of 5 years (6 years for tax records.)
What is a final judgment of divorce?
Whether you and your ex-spouse had an amicable divorce, or you battled through a contentious divorce trial, at the end of your divorce proceedings, the judge will issue a final judgment of divorce laying out all of the provisions for your case. Some courts call the judgment of divorce "JOD" or "Divorce Decree.".
How to get a copy of a court record?
Complete the Request for Copies form and mail or bring the form and payment to the courthouse you're requesting a copy of the court record from.
Where to send a copy of a court record?
Mail the form and payment to the Probate and Family Court you're requesting a copy of the court record from.
What is the payment method for Massachusetts?
Payments must be made by attorney's check, money order, bank certified check or bank cashier's check. All payments should be made out to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Who must submit their divorce papers?
For each prior marriage, both the sponsoring spouse (the U.S. citizen or current green card holder) and the spouse seeking a green card must provide a photocopy or certified copy (with the issuing office’s seal or stamp) of their final divorce decree. You must also bring the original document or certified copy to your green card interview.
What to do if you can't find your marriage certificate?
If you can’t find your marriage certificate or get an official copy, you must submit both of the following documents instead: A notarized personal affida vit (written explanation) in which you describe the facts of your marriage and the reason you’re unable to obtain an official copy of your marriage certificate.
What to do if you can't get a certified statement?
If you cannot obtain a certified statement from a government agency, you must instead provide an additional notarized personal affidavit (written statement) from one of your parents who is living or a close relative who is older than you. In the affidavit, they must attest to having personal knowledge of your marriage and describe the following:
Does boundless mail divorce papers?
Boundless will assemble your complete green card application package precisely how the government prefers it — including required divorce documents — and mail it to your doorstep with clear instructions. Learn more, or get started today.
Can you use boundless for divorce?
Divorce records (or other documented proof of a marriage’s legal termination) that are written in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Boundless can help you manage your divorce documents for your green card application. Get started today.
How Do I Get a Copy of my Divorce Decree Online?
The judgment is signed by the judge and entered into the court records system. Parties who lose their divorce decrees will need to provide a driver's license or state identification and the divorce case number to obtain a divorce decree copy. The first step in ordering a copy of your divorce decree online is finding the correlating website of the court that finalized the divorce.
How are divorce decrees kept?
Divorce decree and other documents relating to the divorce are kept by the courts in compliance to Federal and State laws and in the course of the court’s regular and administrative operations. All documents maintained by the courts form part of the documents accessible to the public as court records.
Why seal divorce records?
Reasons for Sealing Divorce Records. A judge is more likely to agree with the application to seal divorce records or redact information relating to: Minors - the court is always keen to shield the identity of children in a divorce. Financial and proprietary information of a company.
What is a representative for divorce in Maryland?
The representative must present a letter of authority signed by either spouse and certified by a notary public. In the State of Maryland, the applicant may be required to provide acceptable identification and the completed request for divorce record form.
What is included in a divorce decree?
Most significantly, it includes the divorce decree, which contains the agreements between the couple on important issues relating to continuance of their relationship as parents, rights and obligations, financial arrangements and more. The divorce certificate also forms part of the record.
What is ADR in divorce?
Divorces are court proceedings, even when a divorce is uncontested or the parties adopted alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tools to achieve an amicable divorce, the divorce paperwork and the agreements reached must be filed in court.
How long does it take to get divorced in Nevada?
Under many States Laws, except for Alaska and Washington, a person may only file a divorce if they have been resident in that state for a minimum number of days, usually between 90 to 360 days. Nevada only requires 6 weeks. When looking for divorce records an interested person may search online.
How to find my divorce papers?
To locate your divorce papers, the Court will need the case number. If you do not know your divorce case number, you can try looking up your case online by doing an index search on the Court's Case Information Portal , searching for your or your spouse's name ("party name") at the time of the divorce. Generally, divorce records for the last 10 ...
How to get a copy of my family history?
To ask for a copy by mail, send us: 1 Your written request, click here for the Family Records Copy Request Form . 2 A check payable to the Superior Court, and 3 A self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage.
Where to mail a request for a check in the Family Justice Center?
Mail your request, check and envelope to the mailing address on the Family Justice Center Courthouse page. Or, bring the information to the counter at the Clerk's Office at the Family Justice Center Courthouse.
How to find the county where a divorce took place?
Using the case docket number, find the county where the divorce case took place and the corresponding case year in the chart below. If your divorce case falls within the records listed in the chart, contact Customer Service about viewing your case or to obtain copies of case documents. Refer to our information on Copies of Court Records and subsequent authentication and/or copy fees.
Who can prepare a divorce certificate?
The Superior Court Clerk’s Office can prepare a Certificate of Divorce for a nominal fee. The certificate contains the county of venue, docket number, names of the parties and date of the Final Judgment of Divorce, and is stamped with the Seal of the Superior Court.
How to find my divorce docket number?
NOTE: If you do not know your docket number, please contact the Superior Court Clerk's Office Customer Service Unit at 609-421-6100. A search can be conducted for your docket number if you provide the following information: the county where the divorce occurred, the approximate year the divorce occurred, and the names of the parties involved.
Where are divorce cases heard in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, divorce cases (termed "dissolution cases" by the courts) are filed and heard in the Family Division of the Superior Court at the county court level. After a case is completed and a judgment of divorce issued, the case is closed.
Processing Times for Divorce Records
CDPH-VR's estimated processing times for copies of divorce records are listed below, which may occasionally increase as the volume of requests increases. The processing time begins when CDPH-VR receives your request.
All Other Years
CDPH-VR cannot provide a Certificate of Record if the divorce record you are seeking falls outside the range of these years.
