Divorce Records - Learning from Separation

Divorce Records - Learning from Separation
By: Amit Mehta

Divorce records are documentation following divorce proceedings, which normally include the name of the husband and wife, date of the marriage and the date of the divorce. Other information that may also be included in divorce documents are the date of birth of both the spouses, the addresses of the spouses and the names and ages of their children. The reason for the divorce and the property they both own can also be seen in divorce documents.

People obtain divorce records primarily for genealogical purposes, such as tracing family history and determining how property was divided between spouses and later on transferred to the children. Another reason why people access divorce documents is to determine if someone is legally divorced.

Divorce Records – Are You Ready to Know What You May Find Out?

Many say that divorce records can serve as a good measure of the character of an individual especially since these records indicate the final divorce decree and the circumstances surrounding the situation. If there are any issues of domestic violence or child abuse, these will be clearly stated in the divorce documents. Likewise, if there were any disputes regarding properties between the spouses, restraining orders and any other settlement issues, these will also be seen in the divorce records.

Where to Get Divorce Records

Since divorces are settled in court, divorce documents are obtained through the county court in which the proceedings took place. At the same time, divorce documents are also kept on the state level, which serves as a central repository for all the divorce records from each county.

At this time, not all counties and states have digitized their divorce documents and due to limited manpower and resources, it often takes about two to nine business days or as long as three weeks before requests are processed. With this process, requests have to be placed either in person or by mail before the divorce records are released.

Once divorce documents are online, the processing time will become more efficient, allowing anyone to view these public records as long as they have Internet access. Another advantage of conducting a search for divorce records online is that even with minimal information you will be able to obtain a lead for the full data on the divorce. For instance, you can use a current and ex spouse search beforehand to identify the names and addresses of the spouses which will in turn, bring you to the correct county in which you can request for the divorce documents.

There are two kinds of divorce records that you can request for – certified and uncertified copies. Uncertified copies are primarily used for research purposes only and cannot be submitted as legal document, such as for remarriage. A certified copy, on the other hand, will bear the seal and signature of the registrar and will only be issued to parties involved in the divorce or someone who was authorized by one of the involved parties to request for a copy. In special cases, divorce documents can be granted to an individual who can show that he or she needs a copy of these records to protect a personal right.

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