Lookup State Of California Divorce Records

Looking up public records at government departments in general will be a challenge to most of us but trying to find a Divorce Record in California 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.