Divorce records typically contain the name of the husband and wife who are divorcing, the date of their marriage and the date of their divorce. In addition, a divorce records might also include the birthdates of each of the spouses and the names (and ages) of any children they have. Divorce records can also contain the reason the couple decided to end their marriage and the property records before and after the divorce judgment.
The portion of the divorce records that people often find to be the most interesting is the divorce decree. The divorce decree is the divorce record that spells out how the divorce was settled: it states who got what property, what assets and what funds. It also states if alimony or child support is to be paid and now much and what the child custody arrangements were. It is possible for a couple to contest their divorce decree or to appeal it.
Divorce records are necessary for a number of reasons:
1. To provide a legal document stating how the marriage was dissolved and how each partner stood after the dissolution of their marriage (the division of assets, etc). This is important for any legal disputes that might later arise concerning property-either between the spouses themselves or, if one of them passes away, if children or grandchildren need help figuring out how to divide the assets among them.
2. If one or both of the spouses decides to remarry, most states require a copy of the divorce records to prove that the person applying for a new marriage license is not still married to somebody else. As polygamy is illegal, a person cannot re-marry if they are still married to their first spouse.
3. If one of the spouses decides to change his or her name, they might need to provide proof of their divorce.
4. Finding out if the person you are thinking about marrying has ever been married before and how it ended. This is the most popular reason that a third party might look into divorce records: they want to find out more about a person and don't want to have to actually ask them (or don't trust the response they would get).
There are many sites on the internet that promise to retrieve divorce records for a fee. While it might be tempting to try to speed up the process of getting a person's divorce records by using one of these services, the best way to obtain a copy of a divorce record (even of your own, if you don't have a copy) is to contact the Vital Statistics office of your state and make a formal request. Often divorce records need to be "official" and have a raised stamp-these cannot be printed out from your home printer.
Divorce records are necessary for a number of reasons-sorting out who is related to whom, how property should be divided and checking into the person you are thinking about marrying.
How to Get a Divorce Tip #1
You need a lawyer. Even if you think that things will stay friendly and both you and your spouse make every effort to keep them that way, a lawyer must be consulted to make sure that everything is filled out and filed correctly. You can use the same lawyer if you want to keep the costs down, but a lawyer must be consulted. |
How to Get a Divorce Tip #2
Your County Clerk is the best place to go for divorce forms and filings. They will have the forms that are the most up to date. Using older forms can waste time and money when you are forced to fill out a more current version. Laws and forms change all the time, make sure yours are the correct ones to use! |
How to Get a Divorce Tip #3
This is not going to be an easy time for you. Even if you and your spouse are convinced that the divorce is in both of your best interests and things remain friendly, ending a marriage is never an easy process. Make sure you have a good system of support surrounding you to help you get through it. |
