Understanding How to Find and Obtain Copies of Harris County Divorce Records

According to recent research, as many as 40% of all people who are married or have been previously married in the U.S. have been divorced. Also, as many as 1 out of every 3 marriages today in the country are ending up in a divorce. In fact, every year there are more than a million cases of divorces. There was a time when divorce was more of an aberration and people were expected to remain married forever – but not anymore.

Harris County, Texas is not an exception to this and Harris County divorce records are a testimony to this fact. Just take a look at the Harris County divorce records and you are sure to find an extensive database there.

The state and the county offices are legally bound to maintain and update the vital statistics and this includes the divorce records as well. This is why all divorces that have occurred in the state and within Harris County have been duly recorded by the authorities.

Information Available in Harris County Divorce Records

The good news is these records are in the public domain, so you can legally ask for them when you need to find out whether a person has been divorced or not. You must appreciate the fact that a divorce is an emotionally-charged event and the person also has the right to their privacy. The state and county are aware of this as well and want to protect the interest of the divorced individual. However, the state is also concerned about your right to information.

When you submit an application correctly and approach the right authorities, you can obtain the Harris County divorce records that you want. You will not be able to access some of the details, however. The information that you can receive contains confirmation of the fact of whether the person has indeed been divorced. You can also find out the date of the divorce and the county where it was granted. You cannot access the divorce decree and will not know the reason of the divorce, issues related to child custody or settlement arrangements.

What Makes Harris County Divorce Records So Important?

As mentioned above, when you are getting married, you might want to be sure that the person is actually divorced if you know as a fact that he or she has been married before. Accessing the divorce records can help you immensely in this. Since these records are maintained by the state and the county offices, you can depend on them.

There is another reason why you may want to access these records, and this involves genealogy research. Divorce records play a lesser role in genealogy research when compared to marriage records. You can still clear up some confusing situations with these records. A person who left the family in many cases disappears from the memory completely or at least partially. The fact is, we all know very little about someone who has been a spouse in the family and might be living today. If that event happened years ago, it obviously is a major block for a future family historian.

Where Can You Find Harris County Divorce Records?

Requests for certified copies of the divorce record should be directed to the District Clerk's Office in which the event occurred. This is because it is actually at the county level that the information is maintained. In many cases, there are quite a few applicants who are unsure about the particular county where the divorce was granted.

If this is the challenge you are also facing, you can send the application to:

Texas Department of State Health Services

1100 W. 49th Street

Austin, TX 78756

The phone number is (888) 963-7111 or (512) 458-7111

The fax number is (512) 458-7711

The state office will then direct the application to the right county and you will in time receive the Harris County divorce records that you want. Keep in mind that this usually takes longer.

If you are completely sure that the divorce happened in Harris County, then you should directly approach the County Clerk’s office for your Harris County divorce records. The office to approach is:

Harris County Clerk's Office

201 Caroline

P.O. Box 1525

Houston, TX 77251

The phone number is (713) 755-6405

You can also send an email to: peggy_sparks@co.harris.tx.us

You must pay a fee for this service of $20.00. You will need to write a check or send a money order in this amount. Once the application and the money are received, the authorities will conduct the search and send the information to you. Keep in mind that the fees are not refundable, even if no record is found.

How to Apply for Harris County Divorce Records

Remember a few things when you are sending over your request for Harris County divorce records. You will need to provide the following details when you are applying:

•    The date of request

•    Full name of husband (last name in caps)

•    Full name of wife (maiden name in caps)

•    The date of divorce or annulment

•    The place of divorce (city or town, county, state)

•    The type of final decree

•    Your relationship to the person on whom you want the record

•    The purpose for which the record is needed

•    Your name & address

•    The number of your driving license and state (it is needed by some counties)

•    Your signature