Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers | May 11, 2022 | Divorce
Divorce is sadly common in the United States. According to the U.S. Census, close to 50% of all marriages end in divorce. All of these divorces create a lot of records, which can be accessed if you know how to find them. Continue reading to learn more.
What Are Divorce Records?
The average divorce creates a lot of paperwork. Even the simplest divorce requires certification by a judge. And like any case that goes through the courts, every step in the process must be documented.
Divorce records are the sum of all documentation that the court system has about a divorce. This includes evidence provided for a trial, financial records stored by the court, and the actual document that dictates the terms of the divorce and dissolves the marriage.
Acquiring Divorce Records in New Jersey
Getting divorce records in New Jersey is no different from getting any other type of court records. The New Jersey Courts have a standardized procedure for acquiring copies of court records. You simply need to download the request form, fill it out, and submit it through the same website.
This form requires that you have certain information to make your request. You must know the docket number of the case.
If you don’t know the docket number, you can get it by calling the customer service unit at the Superior Court Clerk’s Office and providing the following information:
- County in which the divorce took place
- Year the case was filed
- Names of the parties involved
In some cases, the information you are looking for may be in another location. If this happens, you should contact the Family Division of the New Jersey Courts for additional assistance.
Why You Might Need Divorce Records
There are several reasons you might need divorce records. If you are trying to prove that you are the sole custodial parent of your child, for example, you might need a copy of the Final Judgment of Divorce to prove your status.
However, if you only want to prove that you are divorced, all you need is a Certificate of Divorce. This can be acquired for a nominal fee by contacting the Superior Court Clerk’s Office.
Full records are normally needed only for legal issues. And if you are involved in legal matters, your lawyer can probably acquire those records more easily than you can.
The most common reasons you might need your divorce records are:
- Your ex-spouse is violating the terms of your divorce
- You need to prove a custodial relationship
- You are paying taxes the first few years after a divorce
- You need to determine how unexpected financial awards must be split
In almost every situation, unless you are an attorney, you will only ever need copies of your divorce records.
When you request records, you can get different types of court authentification. For your records, a plain copy should be enough. But if you are using the records in a legal proceeding, you should get a certified copy or a copy with the seal of the court.
For some very unusual proceedings, there are even more complex forms of authentication. You will need these only if a lawyer says you do.
Protect Your New Jersey Divorce Records
While divorce records are reasonably easy to acquire, there is a cost to obtain records from the state. The best way to avoid this cost is to keep copies of your records in safe places. If possible, you should store them electronically in multiple locations and also have at least two physical copies in places like safe deposit boxes.
Contact the Bergen County Family and Divorce Law Firm of Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers for more help
Contact the experienced family attorneys at Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers today for legal assistance. Visit our law office in Bergen County or give us a call at (201) 487 1199 to schedule a free consultation with our team.
Bergen County Law Office
1 University Plaza Dr #400, Hackensack, NJ 07601, United States