The Internet will allow you to perform searches for divorce records at no charge, however you won't be able to find a lot of information unless you shell out some cash. You will be able to learn if a particular person has been through a divorce by searching his/her name, city and state, but you probably won't get a lot more information than that. This might be the only information you are looking for. If that's the case, you can get it at no charge and you're done. However, if you are seeking additional information, you will probably need to pay a fee to get it.
Personal records are usually carefully regulated by state governments. You can get approved copies, however, a fee must be paid. In addition, state governments generally do not give unapproved copies to just anyone.
So, in essence, you will probably have to hire a private detective to search the records for you. Or, you can take some time and do the research yourself by way of a public records association website.
The legal order declaring a divorce, along with some other divorce information, is accessible at all times by the general public through the county district court. The legal order declaring the divorce provides information about the final divorce agreement. This is the legal report that indicates the disposition of certain items that were one communal property, such as children, the home, and finances. If you'd like to obtain an approved copy, visit or write to the District County Clerk in the county that dissolved the marriage.
A divorce certificate is a form filed by the lawyer for the plaintiff in the divorce case. This document is fairly basic in that it simply states the husband's and wife's names and the dates of marriage and divorce. This document is filed in the Office of Vital Records in the state in which the marriage was dissolved. You can get an approved copy from this office. This minimal information can be found at no charge via the Internet.
If you're trying to locate a divorce record by yourself, you should visit the National Center for Health Statistics (part of the CDC), which will provide you with addresses to which you can send requests for records related to births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. In order to get the correct information, you must know which state dissolved the marriage.
