Search Divorce Records Indiana

Find the divorce case, then request the decree

For an Indiana divorce, locate the court case through MyCase and obtain the final decree from the clerk in the county where the decree was entered. The Indiana Secretary of State’s authentication instructions identify that filing county. Do not automatically request the decree from the county of the wedding: marriage and divorce records can have different custodians.

Decide whether you need the case number and dates, an ordinary copy for your own research or a certified final decree for an organization. A case-search result can help locate the file, but it is not the clerk’s certification and does not substitute for reading the final order. Tell the clerk the document and certification you need.

Search names and filing details in MyCase

Start with the official MyCase link on Indiana Courts’ help page. Use a case-number search if you have the number; otherwise select a party search with the name used in the case, including a former surname where relevant. Compare both parties, county, court and filing period. A same-name case in another county may be unrelated.

MyCase offers court, case-type, filing-date and open-or-closed filters. Try a trailing asterisk for a partial name or the separate sounds-like search for alternate spellings; the sounds-like option does not work on a name containing a wildcard. Birth dates are often not recorded in civil cases, so adding one can exclude a relevant divorce. A search returns no more than 1,000 results, making careful narrowing useful.

In the public-access matrix, divorce-related case types include DC, Domestic Relations with Children; DN, Domestic Relations without Children; and DR, the older Domestic Relations category. Record the whole case number and court rather than only the two-letter type. Check the docket for a final decree and any later order relevant to the document you need.

Divorce case information does not mean public online documents

Indiana’s specific public-access matrix lists no public online orders or other documents for DC, DN and DR cases. Nonconfidential documents in those categories can be available in person at the clerk’s office. The general statement that MyCase contains some documents in some cases should not be read as a promise that a member of the public can download a divorce decree.

MyCase covers courts using the state’s Odyssey system, with historical coverage varying by court and county. Older documents may not be available. An empty document area or missing case does not prove that no divorce occurred; use the filing court and its clerk to investigate the particular record. Confidential or sealed material requires the appropriate access authority.

If this is your case, consider verified party access

A party to a public case that appears on MyCase can create an Indiana Courts account and connect the case using the access-code process described in Party Access to MyCase. This may provide documents that are not publicly available online. It is a separate access level, not a way for unrelated users to view protected documents.

Even when a party can see or download a document, ask the receiving organization whether it requires a clerk-certified copy. Keep the official version intact and verify that it is the final decree or specific later order requested. Do not assume that access to your case resolves a certification requirement.

Give the clerk a precise copy request

• ✓
  Supply the case number, county and court, both parties’ case names and approximate filing or decree date. If you do not know the number, describe the search period.
• ✓
  Name the final divorce decree or the exact later order you need, how many copies you want and whether each must be certified.
• ✓
  Provide your contact details and preferred delivery method. Ask for the page count, copy charge, certification charge, postage and current turnaround before paying.

Indiana Courts directs court-document requests to the clerk in the county where the case was heard. Its general marriage-or-divorce paragraph uses marriage-county wording, while the Secretary of State’s divorce-specific instructions point to the county where the decree was entered. For a divorce request, use the actual case’s filing court and confirm custody with that clerk.

Expect county-specific ordering instructions

As a concrete example, Jay County’s published court-copy form lists $1 per page plus $3 per document when certification is requested. It accepts a check or money order payable to Clerk of Jay Circuit Court and asks for a self-addressed stamped envelope. Its form requests the parties, case number, document and date, certification choice and number of copies. These are Jay County ordering instructions, not a quote for every Indiana clerk.

The reviewed statewide pages do not give a single divorce-copy price or completion time for all counties. Confirm the total and accepted payment with the clerk holding your case. Online case lookup and clerk preparation of a certified paper decree are separate services, so an immediately visible case does not guarantee immediate delivery of the document.

Review the result and resolve missing or wrong information

Check that the supplied document names the intended parties, carries the correct case number and is the final decree rather than a petition, hearing notice or unrelated post-judgment filing. If the index and decree differ, identify the discrepancy to the clerk and request the proper record. Correcting a court order is different from correcting a search entry; seek the court’s instructions or legal advice when the order itself is disputed.

If MyCase cannot locate the case, try the other party’s case name and a broader filing period, then contact the likely county clerk with the details already checked. Ask whether older records, a transferred case or restricted access explains the gap. Retain the search and request reference so the next inquiry builds on what is known instead of treating an online no-hit as proof of marital status.