Divorce Records in the United States

Divorce records record a termination of a matrimonial state, or dissolution of marriage. By filing for a divorce, all legal duties a spouse has toward the other party are null and void. United States law says that a judge must approve a divorce before it can be finalized. Along with the actual filing for divorce, divorce records also address issues of spousal support, distribution of property, division of debt, child support and child custody.

Divorce records are a matter of public record in many states. Some states, however, restrict access to them to only those who are on the divorce record, the immediate family of those on the divorce record, and the respective attorneys of the husband and wife. Information that may be contained on a divorce record includes: the full name of the husband, the full name (including maiden name) of the wife, the names and addresses of their respective attorneys, the couple’s current addresses, the date the marriage ceremony took place, the date the divorce was finalized and the names and birthdates of any children born during the marital union. Divorce records are part of a person’s vital records. Other vital records include birth records, death records, marriage records and adoption records.

Obtaining a divorce record can be complicated. Not all states have divorce records listed online; a trip to the county courthouse in the county where the divorce was finalized or a mailed request to the state vital records office may be called for.

Divorce records are commonly used when filing taxes for the first time after the divorce is finalized, future marriage plans, identification as well as ongoing custody issues. When researching a divorce record, identification and information on the person’s divorce record being researched is needed before a divorce record can be produced. A divorce record request in the United States will also usually require a reason why a divorce record is being produced, as well as all the necessary facts of a divorce.