Whether it is needed for official or personal reasons, many people wonder, how do I get a copy of my divorce decree online?
Luckily, obtaining any court document is easier than ever thanks to so many court records being digitized. This makes it possible to get a certified copy of your divorce decree online in a matter of minutes.
Indeed, anyone can find a copy of their divorce record and search for the date of their divorce online free of charge by using a no-cost criminal history check tool. Since divorce records are part of the courts, they are public and can be searched by anyone.
The following guide provides all the information needed for learning how do I get a copy of my divorce decree online, when the certified record is required.
How Do I Get a Certified Copy of My Divorce Decree?
Most individuals will find it easiest to obtain a copy of their divorce decree using one of the online methods that are available these days, however, this is far from the only option available.
Despite the number of options available to obtain court documents, not all of these options are exactly the same and individuals should understand the basic differences between these methods to ensure they use the method that best suits their specific needs.
When answering the question, how do I get a copy of my divorce decree, the first thing that needs consideration is what you need it for. Many individuals may be interested in obtaining their divorce decree for personal reasons, such as checking the exact date that it was filed. However many will need it for other legal reasons, and in this case, a certified copy is needed and not just any method to obtain it will suffice.
Obtaining Non-Certified Copies
The process for obtaining non-certified copies of a divorce decree is generally the quickest and easiest, however, these unofficial copies can not be used for legal purposes. The best way to obtain a non-certified copy would be to go through an online background check service that offers divorce documents as part of their services.
This can be done using the search box at the top of the page or a variety of other background check services available online.
Obtaining Certified Copies
If the divorce decree is needed for more official reasons and a certified copy is required, then the best method is to go through the official channels. This will generally be the local court where the divorce was filed. These documents, like many legal records, are generally considered public information and should be easily obtainable via one of two methods.
The first and easiest for most individuals is to use the online court case lookup offered by most state courts. The exact method for this will be discussed further down but generally involves entering the name of the individual into a database and paying a small fee to obtain a certified copy in the mail from the courthouse.
The other option is to contact the clerk of the court directly to obtain the documents. This involves calling, emailing, or talking to the court clerk in person and requesting the documents needed directly.
The end result will be the same: a certified copy obtained after paying a small fee.
Where Can I Get a Copy of My Divorce Decree?
As mentioned, those with the question: How do I get a copy of my divorce decree? Can do so quickest by using the search box at the top of this page. However, this will only yield non-certified copies, which may not be sufficient for many individuals.
Those requiring certified copies will probably find it easiest to use the official state court case lookup. Virtually every state has an online court case database that can be accessed online from anywhere. Every website is a little different but for the most part, only the name of the individual will be needed. In some cases, slightly more information will be necessary such as the court where the case was filed, or that the individual created an account using their personal information before making the request.
Copy of Divorce Decree Online in 3 Steps
Getting a copy of your divorce decree online is extremely easy and should take just a few minutes, provided that the basic information of the case is readily available.
Step 1: Access the State Court Website
The first step is to locate the website of the state court records. This is easily done using a quick Google search or via the provided links in the list below.
Example: The official state court website for the state of Alabama is maintained by the Alabama Judicial System1
The next step is to perform a search. This is usually fairly self-explanatory, simply follow the instructions laid out by the website to perform a name-based search of court records. In some cases, it may be necessary to narrow the search to obtain the proper results.
Example: Alabama requires that individuals create an account before performing a search.2
Step 3: Pay Fee and Obtain Results
When the documents have been located there is usually a small processing fee that must be paid via credit card in order to obtain certified copies of the results. The certified copies will then be mailed to the individual after they have provided mailing information and payment.
How Do I Get a Copy of My Divorce Decree in Every State?
Most states consider divorce filings to be public information. Use the list below to locate the state court website and perform a search to obtain certified copies of your divorce decree. If an online search function is unavailable, use the contact information on the page to locate the phone number or email address of the court clerk and reach out to them directly.
Free Public Divorce Records Search
Many individuals with the question: How do I get a copy of my divorce decree? May just be curious as to what documents involving their divorce are considered public information. What divorce documents are considered public information varies based on the state. Many states will limit the availability of certain divorce documents to the individuals that are involved.
To figure out what information about your divorce is available to the public, the best thing to do is to perform a free divorce records search.
This can be done using an online background check service, or using the search above. Most online background check services work the same way: a name is entered in and the service will then search the name through dozens of different databases and return all public information that is available to the requestor.
Although sometimes the amount of information that is returned may be surprising, this is a great way to get an understanding of all the information that is available.
Keep in mind that many background check services will allow users to perform a search of an individual’s name for free, but will require that users pay a fee in order to access the results. In many cases the fee associated is for a subscription, allowing individuals to make an unlimited amount of searches for a certain period of time.
Although this can be useful, many individuals may only need to perform a single search. It can be difficult to find a background checks service that allows for single searches but there are plenty of options for services that offer free trials. When using these, be sure to cancel the subscription if you no longer need it as most will automatically renew when the trial period is over.
Getting divorced is an extremely stressful situation, and having to deal with locating court documents can only make the situation worse. Luckily with so many court records being available electronically, those with questions like, how do I get a copy of my divorce decree, can access the documents they need in a matter of minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions About How Do I Get a Copy of My Divorce Decree