Thursday 24 October 2013

California Free Divorce Records

By Ben Kingsley


If you want to obtain the records of a Divorce in California, head to the state's central repository of public records at the Vital Records Office, Department of Health Services. For some time, divorce records could be accessed for free, but over the years the cost of processing them became more expensive, so government offices passed on the cost to users in exchange of their services.

The Vital Records Office keeps files of divorces that were granted from 1962 up to 1984. Certified divorce files are stored only at the specific Clerk of Superior Court that approved the divorce. The Vital Records office is only authorized to disseminate divorce certificates which the court does not accepts as a legal file that can be used in a court trial.

Any person can request for a divorce certificate but only the couple and their representatives have full access to the certified divorce records. A request form is available at the California Health Department. The request form should be filled-out correctly and be submitted with a signed sworn statement. If the request is through mail, the sworn statement should be signed and be notarized. A request costs $13 and there is an additional fee of $7 in case you want to fax your request.

The time it takes to process requests at the Health Department is about 15 to 20 weeks, which I s mainly because of the shortage of employees in government agencies. It is probably okay if you are not in a hurry to get the records. But if time is a luxury you do not have, you may access the records through private websites. The Health Department has an official website and a database where they keep soft copies of public records such as divorce records. Private websites keep public records as well but with the permission of the government. Such websites are experienced in providing information online and can provide them instantly.

There are two kinds of search tools that you can choose from. Some provide the files free of charge while others render corresponding fees. You will get the basic pieces of information from both kinds of search tools such as the full names of the husband and the wife, their birth date, place and date when the divorce was approved, and more. If you register as a member of online search tools that have corresponding fee, you will get the luxury of doing unlimited searches and get more than the basic pieces of information. You become a member by paying a membership fee that is paid just once and with no additional payment. You may also pay separately for every file that you search.

Marriage and Divorce Records are kept together because they are inter-related. Without a marriage record, an application for divorce will not be accepted. Subsequently, without a divorce record, a person will not be granted a marriage license should that person wish to marry at a later date. Both marriage and divorce records can be accessed through private websites upon request. The requirements may be different depending on which state you are trying to access the records from.




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