| Geeky folks may actually find it rewarding to be | | | | processing time is 6 months but exceeds that |
| able to retrieve Public Divorce Records free of | | | | easily during peak periods. It's also important to |
| charge from state agencies but the majority of | | | | note that a Certificate of Record does not |
| us are not likely to be cut out for the task. In | | | | constitute a Divorce Decree. It merely indicates |
| itself, government sources for public information | | | | that a divorce was filed. |
| has always tend to be a test of patience, not | | | | The centre stage of California Divorce Records is |
| least if you're researching State Divorce Records | | | | the California Divorce Decrees. They can be |
| and all the more so if you are attempting to | | | | obtained solely from the Superior Court in the |
| extract California Divorce Records in particular | | | | county where the divorce was filed and granted. |
| from the Office of Vital Records of California. | | | | Besides the basic information pertaining to the |
| The California Department of Health Services | | | | divorce, it is to principally state the settlement |
| (CHDS) has recently reorganized into the following | | | | ruling of the separation such as asset division, |
| two departments: The Department of Health | | | | alimony and children custody, support and |
| Care Services (DHCS) and The California | | | | visitation. All divorces, contested or uncontested |
| Department of Public Health (CDPH). If it's public | | | | and fault or no-fault will be issued with an official |
| records of Californians you are after, CDPH is the | | | | decree upon its finalization by the courts. |
| responsible department. One of their services is | | | | Divorce records and other associated information |
| maintaining a central registry of California | | | | about an individual are commonly found in his or |
| Marriages and Divorces. This task is undertaken | | | | her Marriage Records as these two vital records |
| through their Office of Vital Records under the | | | | inherently go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, a |
| Certificate and Licenses Unit. | | | | recognized alternative term for divorce records is |
| The Vital Records of California can only issue | | | | Records of Marriage Dissolution so that would be |
| Certificates of Record for divorces that occurred | | | | a good place to look when sizing up someone's |
| between 1962 and June 1984. For divorces that | | | | divorce background. Divorce records often show |
| date outside this time window, the records are | | | | up as substantive information in a marriage record |
| only available at the very county offices where | | | | search conducted through commercial records |
| the divorce proceedings were heard or through | | | | providers and vice-versa. |
| non-governmental sources. This is quite | | | | With a population of 36 million and 58 counties, it |
| disappointing for a state like California. The state is | | | | can get laborious contending with government |
| also one of the 4 states that do not keep track | | | | procedures in a California Divorce Records Search. |
| of its number of divorces. The other 3 are | | | | Fortunately, unlike state repositories which are not |
| Colorado, Indiana and Louisiana. | | | | linked, commercial databases are crossed and |
| The information attached in a Certificate of | | | | networked. That makes life a whole lot easier for |
| Record includes the names of the divorcing | | | | people searching for records. They come in |
| parties, the county it happened at and the divorce | | | | particularly handy in certain states where this |
| court case number. This applies to divorces that | | | | public service is slack which California is clearly one |
| were never finalized in court and the average | | | | in this regard. |