West Virginia Divorce Records
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West Virginia Divorce Records Dates[edit | edit source]
| 1863-1976 | Circuit or Divorce Court (counties) |
| 1976-2000 | Circuit Court (counties) |
| 2000-present | Family Court (counties) |
| See Virginia Divorce Records prior to June 20, 1863 | |
Online Resources[edit | edit source]
- West Virginia Map by county - used to locate contact info for Circuit Court. Go to a circuit courthouse to use a public access terminal or query the clerk's office staff.[1]
Printed Publications[edit | edit source]
- Connections and Separations: Divorce, Name Change and other Genealogical Tidbits from the Acts of the Virginia General Assembly, by Wesley Pippenger. Westminster, Maryland: Willow Bend Books, 2000; FS Catalog book 975.5 P2pi; At various libraries (WorldCat)
Get Copies[edit | edit source]
Restrictions
Divorces are not public record until 50 years after the divorce is granted.
County Courthouses
- Divorce records are available from the circuit or family court clerk in the county where the decree was granted.
- Divorce records are not available from the Vital Registration office or the West Virginia Archives and History Library. [2]
West Virginia Vital Registration Office
350 Capitol Street, Room 165
Charleston, WV 25301-3701
Phone: (304) 558-2931
Email: dhhrvitalreg@wv.gov
Website
- Have an index to divorces, 1967 to present. Obtain records from county
West Virginia Division of Culture and History
Archives and History Library
The Culture Center
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
Phone: (304) 558-0230
Website
- Click a county: many circuit courts post online indexes of their records
Background[edit | edit source]
Divorces could only be granted by the Virginia legislature until 1851. The following book indexes divorces granted during this time period:
- Connections and Separations: Divorce, Name Change and other Genealogical Tidbits from the Acts of the Virginia General Assembly, by Wesley Pippenger. Westminster, Maryland: Willow Bend Books, 2000; FS Catalog book 975.5 P2pi; At various libraries (WorldCat)
Legal separations could be granted by the county court. After 1851, divorce proceedings were kept by the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the divorce was granted. Divorces are not public record until 50 years after the divorce is granted. Petitions and other paperwork related to divorces are kept by the clerk of the circuit court.
Coverage and Compliance[edit | edit source]
- Divorces are court records and have high compliance.
- Many couples separated leaving no divorce record.
Information in the Records[edit | edit source]
| Names of Parties* | x |
| Original Marriage Place | x |
| Divorce Place | x |
| Divorce Date | x |
| # of Children Affected | x |
| * Usually not maiden name of the woman | |
West Virginia divorce records have been kept in the counties since before their separation from Virginia in 1863.
See also:
- United States Divorce records
- West Virginia Judiciary Family Courts
Strategy[edit | edit source]
- 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 separated leaving no divorce record.
- See United States Divorce records for more information.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ How to Find Public Divorce Records Online at westvirginia.staterecords.org "That said, an individual can use third-party or private aggregate databases as an alternative to finding West Virginia public divorce records online. These databases are typically searchable with a divorcee's name and state, but search fees frequently apply to use such sites."
- ↑ West Virginia Vital Research Records Project .pdf page 1, column 1, bottom of paragraph 1