A Closer Look at Divorce Records

by Kristyne McDaniel

Divorce records are always kept in your county's records office and can be obtained at any time. There are just a few guidelines you will need to follow when obtaining an old divorce decree. There is a waiting period before getting an official document, but a records office will outline this for you.

Getting re-married can be a wonderful experience  for a divorced person, but it might require that individual to obtain their divorce records. States will have different requirements in terms of what documentation they will need before issuing a marriage certificate, so you need to check with the County Clerks Office beforehand. There are other situations that require a divorce settlement, such as when someone is applying for immigration into the country. Federal or state laws will dictate what is needed during this process, and you will have to obtain divorce records from wherever the divorce took place.

When you want to obtain a divorce record, you should begin by going to the Vital Records Office for the state where the divorce was legalized. Even if you move to another state after your divorce, the former state you lived in will be where the document is kept. You can usually call the office or visit it personally to obtain the necessary applications you will need to fill out beforehand. Applications can vary from state to state based on their own divorce laws, but most likely they will all require some form of payment and proof of identification. 

There may be a waiting period before you can receive a copy of your divorce settlement, and the timing will depend on whether the copy is to be certified or uncertified. Most of the time a record of the divorce settlement will need to be certified before it is accepted by another party. Because divorce seems to be a more common occurrence in today's society, there are several web sites available to help you find divorce records. Some of the most popular are through a state's Vital Records web site or Federal records web sites. Most people-finder search engines will have a section that allows you to search for a divorce record. But you should remember these all require a fee, and are not considered a free service to the public.

Obtaining divorce records for whatever reason you have is not a difficult process. It just takes a little planning and the expectation that you will have to pay a fee. If you live out of state, then the process could be more involved. But the practice is not uncommon, and the Vital Records Office is prepared for any questions you will have.