Sunday, 1 March 2015

New York Divorce Records Online Searches

By Claire Dowell


Statistics have recorded that in the year 2012, there is a total of 58,556 divorces in the New York State. Grounds for the marriage dissolution in the state as recorded are abandonment with the highest percentage, cruelty which came next to the former, imprisonment, adultery and etc. Among these numbers of divorce, marriages that lasted from 5 - 9 years gained the highest percentage in the breakdown.

Divorce decrees, the more comprehensive type of divorce document are available only at the local courthouse in the county where the divorce was filed and ratified. Usually, it is the judge of the local court who finalizes the decree, and sets for the terms and conditions of the divorce. Data of such proceeding are then archived at the local courthouse. Divorce certificates, on the other hand, are accessible through the New York State Department of Health. Such entity is in fact the primary repository for all vital documents in the Big Apple State. Certificates that are obtainable through this agency, nevertheless, are those of divorces registered since January 1863.

Although most records generated by government repositories are deemed public, divorce records specifically divorce decrees are restricted only to the persons indicated in the document and to those who have been issued with a court order allowing them to request for such file. Divorce certificates, the other type of divorce record, are accessible through the Department of Public Health in New York State. They are not restricted as they contain only the basic information about the divorce. Nonetheless, the only certificates of divorce that can be accessed or requested at the state level are those that transpired and recorded on or after January 1, 1963.

To file an entreaty, the Mail-in Application for Copy of Divorce Certificate form must be completed. You can use such form if you are the wife, husband or spouse indicated in the divorce document. Otherwise, a New York State Court Order must be submitted along with the application form. Please take note that for entreaties whose purposes are explicitly for genealogy research, such application form cannot be used. Once accomplished with all the significant particulars, the form must be mailed with a check or money order to the State Office or to the local county court.

Orders placed with priority handling are processed within 2 - 4 weeks while those with regular handling take 10 - 12 weeks to be processed. To place an order for any divorce records in New York, a form must be completed. First, you have to download this through the Department of Health's online portal. Take note that divorce registers in New York, specifically the more comprehensive type or divorce decrees, are restricted to those people indicated in the record. If you are outside the restriction, you have to secure a New York State Court Order before you can file a request for a divorce record in the State of New York. This court order must then be submitted along with the completed application or request form to the right agency. The payment must also be enclosed and must be made via check or money order only.

Are divorce records public? This is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to the application for such noteworthy documents. Divorce records, along with other vital registers, are considered public as per the Public Records Law. However, divorce decrees which are more specific and comprehensive are restricted only to either spouse or other people with a New York State Court Order. For every certificate of divorce in New York, $30 is required as the search fee. An additional fee of $15 is required should priority handling is opted, thus a total of $45. Because of the long waiting time, most requesters today prefer the online method. Truly, alternative repositories can provide you with any document you need in a much faster turnaround thereby saving you the hassle of applying for the record manually and waiting for it to be mailed back for weeks.




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