Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Get Your Free Divorce Records Illinois

In today's world, marriage is a legal process in all civilized countries. Needless to say, it's very much so in the US. As such, to end a marriage, it's befitting that another legal process is in order. As with marriage, records of divorce are maintained by the state department. In the state of Illinois, the original Illinois Divorce Records remain with the circuit court clerk in the county where the divorce was granted.

The only source of detailed information supplied by the government in Illinois on divorce is the county divorce records although various public agencies do offer some degree of information and assistance on the topic. County divorce records of Illinois are basically the filing of all original documents that was granted in that particular county. Those that were granted in different counties have to be individually searched.

Illinois divorce records go under the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records. For a fee of $5, the facts of a divorce can be verified if it is listed on the index which is organized by the husband's name. It must also fall within the period of 1962 and the current index date. Data outside the period or certified copies of any Illinois Free Divorce Records have to be obtained directly from the county clerk where the divorce took place.

It's possible to find both free and paid version. The records from all government departments are technically free as these agencies are never profit centers. Fees are only collected as service revenue but the records themselves are not charged for. Private sites are known to provide free records to attract traffic or as inducement to purchase an attached product or service. Paid Illinois online divorce records are just that, they are sold for money on the internet.

For some reason, divorce records are not so readily provided by government agencies in Illinois. They are virtually only obtainable at the original county where it occurred. Besides the county divorce records in Illinois state authorities provide zilch but for a state divorce index at the Illinois Department of Public Health that's hardly adequate for any practical purpose. Fortunately, there're plenty of commercial record providers offering Illinois records online along with those of other states.

This is a very convenient feature as state laws nationwide require proper Divorce Records Illinois from those who were married before in applying for another marriage license even if it is done in a different state. Officially, this is to verify their legal single-status for eligibility to marriage. Perhaps it is also an inadvertent cautionary check and reminder to these folks of their previous failure.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Guide To Texas Divorce Records

Divorce records are considered public records in all states although there may be variations in the way they are governed and treated from one state to another. To search Texas Divorce Records in any of the states, there are basically two options: government or private. Government sources are generally thought to be free, albeit largely the contrary in Texas while higher expectations are placed upon private ones. Either will work and is a matter of individual preference or situation.

The government department which is in charge of divorce records in Texas is the Texas Department of State Health Services and the service is provided out of its Vital Statistics Unit under the Report of Divorce Index section. These indexes can be downloaded free of charge from the department's website. There are close to a hundred thousand divorce files maintained by the office but its function to this end is limited to primarily providing verification letters associated with divorce.

A Divorce Letter of Verification from the Vital Statistics Office only states whether or not a divorce was issued in the state of Texas. It contains the names of the divorcing parties, the county where the divorce was granted and the court case number. Fees are $20.00 for a letter. They are considered searching charges and hence not refundable or transferable to another record whether or not a search yields any results. However if a search results in a 'no record found', it can be used as proof of single-status (marital). Verification letters are available to divorces that occurred from 1968 to the last day of the year preceding the current one.

For other divorce records such as certified copies of Divorce Certificates and Divorce Decrees, you must contact the District Clerk's office in the county where the divorce was filed as they are not maintained at the Vital Statistics Office. On that same note, Reports of Divorce Indexes before 1968 are not available there either due to the fact that divorce applications were not filed with the State offices until 1968 so they too have to be obtained at their office of origin in the respective counties.

Texans are a special lot. The reasons behind their search for Texas Divorce Records are varied and flowery. There are also Texans who have resided in multiple states or county prior to Texas. As such, the complete divorce records of these folks will cut across state borders and the various state public record databases are not linked. As a result, employing government agencies for multiple-state divorce record searches becomes unfeasible. That's why private record providers are the preferred option for Texas Divorce Records Search especially when time and personal bandwidth are a constraint. Their databases typically cover all states.

Commercial Divorce Records Texas providers are the end-all solution for those who can see past the fees involved but only if you signed up with the right one. The demand for this type of service has soared in recent times due to its obvious edge over using public agencies. This has consequently attracted many pretenders onto the bandwagon. Having that said, it's not difficult to identify the bona-fide providers. One of the best ways is to check out the review or specialist sites which are abundantly found in any of the major search engines. They seldom miss.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

How To Obtain California Divorce Records

Looking up public records at government departments in general will be a challenge to most of us but trying to find California Divorce Records at their Office of Vital Records will be a test of character in black-belt proportions. Those who have tried are likely to opine that if you are able to persist with them, you are either a really tough cookie or you are just not aware of any other means.

In 2007, day-to-day operations at the former California Department of Health Services (CHDS) were reorganized under two new departments namely the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) purportedly to better serve the community. Public records went under the charge of the CDPH. This service is offered through their Vital Records Office which reports into the Certificate and Licenses Unit.

California is one of the four states which do not keep track of the number of divorces within the state. The other three are Colorado, Indiana and Louisiana. In regard to providing divorce records, the Office of Vital Records in Sacramento, California can only issue a Certificate of Record - and only for divorces that occurred between 1962 and June 1984. More detailed information on California Divorce Records can only be obtained at the actual county offices where the divorces were filed and granted.

For all practical purposes, a Certificate of Record on divorce is only a gateway document at best. The information that is presented on it consists of just the names of the divorcing couple, the county at which the divorce is filed and the assigned court case number. It does not even indicate if the subject divorce was ever finalized in the courts. On top of it, the waiting period could stretch up to 3 years although the quoted average processing time is 6 months and a fee of $13 is charged.

Certified copies of California Divorce Decrees are only available from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce was filed. The complete details of the divorce settlement are stipulated on this document. They typically include the rulings on matrimonial assets, alimony order and child support, custody and visitation rights. Disposition on all other contentions between the divorcing parties are also captured on the divorce decree.

Divorce records are often intertwined with marriage records, be they public or private source. Even in some official contexts, the terms 'divorce' and 'marriage dissolution' are interchangeably employed. This is because these two categories of public records are intrinsically connected. As such, it's common for divorce records to be produced as related information in a marriage records search and vice-versa. Some commercial record providers offer them in 2-in-1 package.

At 36 million, California has the most number of residents and theoretically has a proportionately large amount of divorce records. State Of California Divorce Records are known to go back hundred over years. Although they are somewhat scattered, they can add up to heaps but fear not! Divorce Records Online search is pretty advanced nowadays where you just let your fingers do the walking. If the government agencies have yet to get their act together, the commercial record providers long have, cheap and good.

There are numerous feasible avenues for State Of California Divorce Records Search. Which one is the most suitable for you? Learn all about them at California Divorce Records.