How to Find a Divorce Decree
A divorce decree is the court's final order granting your divorce. Divorce decrees are part of divorce records. They are stored in the vital statistics office located in the state or county where your divorce hearing was held. Divorce records include basic information such as the names of both parties, date, place and grounds for divorce. In most cases, the settlement ruling is also stated in the divorce records. Once your divorce is finalized, you will be able to locate the divorce decree.
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Instructions
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Call or visit your state department of health and human services. In some states, divorce records are considered part of the public record. If this is the case in your state, you can submit a written request to the proper department to obtain the divorce decree. The divorce decree will either be located at your county courthouse or office of vital statistics.
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Complete the application. You will need to provide personal information about the parties involved in the divorce. Information will include the name of the husband, maiden name of the wife and date of the divorce. The application can usually be submitted in person, online, over the phone or through the mail.
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Include the fee for the divorce decree. Each state determines the amount charged for a divorce decree. Additional fees for processing and handling may be charged.
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Check the county clerk's website to search public records. Some counties provide public information, such as dissolution of marriage, on their websites for public view. It does not provide detailed information, only the date the divorce occurred and the names of both parties. You will need to know the date of the divorce.
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