How to Obtain Illinois Divorce Records

If you are searching for Illinois divorce records, remember one thing: divorce records may belong, like the other vital records, in the public domain - but they are maintained only by the counties where the divorce decrees were granted.

It is one thing if you check just to find out if someone is really divorced or not. It is however quite another to look for details such as the grounds for divorce, property settlement, child support and other such issues. What information are you trying to find?

In most states in the US, and also in Illinois, you can find out whether the person is really divorced or not, and the date and the county of the divorce. However, you cannot know the grounds for the divorce, settlement terms, child custody and cannot obtain the divorce decree.

Where Can You Find Illinois Divorce Records?

You can find the essential facts of any Illinois divorce records filed since January 1962. All you need to do is simply contact the Division of Vital Records, Illinois Department of Public Health, 605 West Jefferson Street, Springfield, IL 62702-5097. You can also call 217-782-6553.
 
$5.00 is what the state office charges you, and it is payable by check or money order to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The county fees vary – please check with the relevant County Clerk’s office. The fees may however vary from one request to another, depending on exactly what you need searched.

Your relationship to the person about whom you want the record could accelerate the search substantially. You may even get an actual copy of the divorce decree by helpfully providing the full name of the husband or the wife.

You can of course apply to the state agencies to receive the divorce records that you need. There are various other ways in which you can obtain them as well. Apart from walking in, mailing and calling the office, you can also apply over the Internet. This has become very popular in recent times as the Internet is helping people get what they need quickly and without hassles.

There are some websites where you can access not only the data you are looking for, but also related data that you cannot get from just one state. These public databases are such that searches can be performed with little data – maybe only the first name, last name and birth date or last known address. The more information you provide, the quicker and more broad-based your search will be, and the more comprehensive and reliable your results will be.

You can perform a more extended search for a copy of the divorce judgment, case files, evidence files and any other document on the court record regarding the divorce. These can all be obtained at reasonable cost, and with no hassle of any kind.