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 divorce records between 1962 and 1984. They provide divorce certificates, which is different from a certified divorce record. Certified divorce records are maintained at the specific Clerk of Superior Court that granted the divorce. A copy of a divorce certificate serves as a source of information only, while a certified divorce record can be used as a legal supporting document in any legal proceeding.
Certified divorce files are granted only to the husband, the wife, and their respective attorneys. Other people are only granted a divorce certificate. To file for a request, there is an application form found at the Vital Records office. Vital particulars of that form should be filled-out accordingly. The form should be sent to the office together with a sworn statement. The request may also be mailed but the sworn statement should be notarized and signed by you. There is a $13 fee for every transaction and an additional fee of $7 if you wish to fax it.
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 private websites that provide public records to the public: free sites and paid sites. Free sites offer basic pieces of information of the records such as the name of the couple, their birthday, date and place of divorce, and the likes. Paid sites also provide the basic pieces of information and a little bit more for a certain fee. You may register as a member so you can enjoy unlimited searches and get more information each time or you may pay per name searched. A membership fee is paid only once and there are no other fees after that.
Marriage and Divorce Records are usually kept in one repository because they complement each other. Marriage records are necessary when filing for a divorce while divorce files are required of people who wish to acquire a marriage license. Both files can be obtained from an online search tool but corresponding requirements should be submitted, which varies from state to state.
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