| Looking up public records at government | | | | certificate is $13 and the processing time can |
| departments in general will be a challenge to most | | | | easily exceed 6 months. Requestors are often |
| of us but trying to find a Divorce Record in | | | | advised to submit their requests directly to the |
| California at their Office of Vital Records will be a | | | | County Recorder's Office in the county where the |
| test of character in black-belt proportions. Those | | | | divorce was filed. |
| who have tried are likely to opine that if you are | | | | Certified copies of California Divorce Decrees are |
| able to persist with them, you are either a really | | | | only available from the Superior Court in the |
| tough cookie or you are just not aware of any | | | | county where the divorce was filed. The complete |
| other means. | | | | details of the divorce settlement are stipulated on |
| As of 2007, day-to-day functions of the California | | | | this document. They typically include the rulings on |
| Department of Health Services (CDHS) have been | | | | matrimonial assets, alimony order and child |
| reorganized under two separate departments: | | | | support, custody and visitation rights. Disposition |
| The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) | | | | on all other contentions between the divorcing |
| and the California Department of Public Health | | | | parties are also captured on the divorce decree. |
| (CDPH). Certificate and Licenses is one of units | | | | Divorce records are also known as Records of |
| under the latter. Among other functions, it | | | | Marriage Dissolution. Marriage and divorce records |
| maintains a central registry of California Divorces, | | | | invariably appear side by side in a search whether |
| Marriages, Birth and Death records at its Vital | | | | the search is primarily for one or the other. They |
| Records Office. This is one of the public services | | | | are often merged as Marriage and Divorce |
| offered by the department. | | | | Records, in both government and commercial |
| California is one of the four states which do not | | | | databases. Many states require a certified copy of |
| keep track of the number of divorces within the | | | | Divorce Records detailing the proper dissolution of |
| state. The other three are Colorado, Indiana and | | | | previous marriages when divorcees apply for |
| Louisiana. In regard to providing divorce records, | | | | Marriage License to re-marry. California is one |
| the Office of Vital Records in Sacramento, | | | | such state. |
| California can only issue a Certificate of Record - | | | | At 36 million, California has the most number of |
| and only for divorces that occurred between | | | | residents and theoretically has a proportionately |
| 1962 and June 1984. More detailed information on | | | | large amount of divorce records. County Divorce |
| California Divorce Records can only be obtained at | | | | Records are known to go back hundred over |
| the actual county offices where the divorces | | | | years. Although they are somewhat scattered, |
| were filed and granted. | | | | they can add up to heaps but fear not! Divorce |
| A Certificate of Record includes the names of the | | | | Records Online search is pretty advanced |
| parties to the divorce, the county where the | | | | nowadays where you just let your fingers do the |
| divorce was filed and the court case number. It is | | | | walking. If the government agencies have yet to |
| not equivalent to a divorce decree and does not | | | | get their act together, the commercial record |
| indicate whether the divorce was ever finalized in | | | | providers long have, cheap and good. |
| court. The basic processing fee for each | | | | |