October 31, 2025
Too many genealogists restrict their genealogical research to online records. The idea seems to be “if it’s not online, it doesn’t exist.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The number of records offline far exceeds those online. This is especially true of divorce records.
Although divorces were rare in earlier eras, they were surprisingly common in the mid to late 19th century. By the 20th century, divorces were easy to obtain in most parts of the United States. If you are researching more recent periods, the chances are good there will be divorces in your family.
Divorce records are usually considered public records which means that they are open to researchers. Divorces were filed at the county level. Most of the records can be obtained from the county clerk’s office. Earlier records may have been sent to the state archives. Check the Family Search Wiki for information about where a county’s divorce records are held.
Although they are usually open to the public, most divorce records have not been digitized. This means that you will need to make a visit to the county courthouse or the state archives. Another option is to write or call the courthouse or archives and request the divorce papers. A fee is usually charged, but it is seldom more than a few dollars.
Some repositories will conduct a multi-year search for a divorce record, but many require the names of the parties involved and the date of the divorce. One good way to find this information is the local newspaper. Earlier newspapers often published courthouse news including articles listing recent divorces.
The effort and expense of finding divorce records are worthwhile since they can provide information not available elsewhere. An example from my own family concerns my great grandparents. I had never been able to find where and when the couple had been married. Through a newspaper article entitled “Unhappy Couples Divorced” in a local newspaper, I learned my ancestors were divorced in 1908. Using that information, it was a simple matter to order the papers from the state archives where they were stored.
The moment I looked at the divorce papers, I knew I’d broken down a long-standing brick wall. The divorce papers included the date and place of my great grandparents’ marriage: March 3,1871 in Pickering, Yorkshire, England. This was a long way from Norfolk, where the couple had lived previously. I would never have thought of looking there since neither had any ties to that area.
Since then, I’ve found other divorce records which included the names of children and explained who would be granted custody of them and why. Almost all divorce papers also detail
detail the reasons the divorce was granted. It can make for a riveting read and help you to understand your ancestors better.
Divorce records are worth the extra steps it takes to obtain them. They also emphasize the fact that not all genealogical records are online.
Carol Stetser
Researcher
Larimer County Genealogical Society