United States Divorce Records
Online Resources
- Divorce Records by State - See individual state divorce records for more information.
Offices to Contact
- Divorce records are often open to the public and can be obtained by contacting the clerk of the court.
Background
Divorces before the twentieth century were uncommon and in some places illegal.
Some of the earliest divorces were granted by state legislatures and may be listed in legislature records. County officials began keeping divorce records as soon as a court was established in the area. Early divorce actions are found in dockets, minutes, and case files of the county, circuit, or district court. In some areas of the United States, divorces have been under the jurisdiction of a county-level chancery, common pleas, domestic, probate, superior, or supreme judicial court.
Information Recorded in the Records
Divorce records may include:
- Petitions, which started the process, include at least names of parties and the grievance. May include date and place of marriage.
- Certificates or registers contain date marriage was dissolved and names of parties.
- Case files contain the papers created and include marriage and divorce details, residences, and name changes. May include children's names, ages, birth dates.
Strategy
- Divorces can be difficult to locate. The divorce may have occurred in another county. Try all the residences of both the husband and wife.
- Newspapers often printed information about separations and divorces in the area to help you determine if a divorce exists.
- Many couples simply separated, leaving no divorce record.
References