Divorce records in St. Joseph County, Indiana, are available through several channels: online search tools, the court that issued the decision, the county clerk's office, and the state civil registry office. StJosephCourt.us allows you to find public information about divorce records in the county. Additionally, you can contact the St. Joseph County Clerk's Office, the court where the decision was made, or the Indiana State Department of Health for divorce certificates.
St. Joseph Divorce Records Search
The St. Joseph County Clerk's Office maintains court records on divorces — divorce decrees, property division agreements, child custody orders, and related procedural documents. These materials are part of civil cases handled by the county court system, which includes the Circuit Court and Superior Court.
The Indiana State Department of Health maintains a separate registry — it issues divorce certificates that confirm the fact of divorce but do not contain case details. To search for information about a specific case online, use the MyCase system — the Indiana state court system portal.
Main office for inquiries:
St. Joseph County Clerk's Office
Note: Some records may be restricted from public access according to Rule 5 of the Indiana Rules for Access to Court Records, which excludes from open access, among other things, information about minor children and the financial data of the parties.
Where Divorce Records Are Filed in St. Joseph
In Indiana, divorce cases are handled by courts of general jurisdiction. In St. Joseph County, this is the Superior Court and Circuit Court — both courts have the authority to handle civil cases, including divorce cases. After the court's decision, the original decree is kept in the county clerk's office.
What you need determines where to go:
- Full copy of the court decision (divorce decree) — St. Joseph County Clerk's Office. The clerk issues both regular and certified copies.
- Divorce certificate — Indiana State Department of Health, Vital Records Office. This document only confirms the fact of divorce without case details.
- Property division agreement, custody orders — county clerk's office, as these documents are part of the court case.
St. Joseph County Clerk's Office
Indiana State Department of Health — Vital Records
The Marriage & Divorce Information page on the county's official website contains additional information on the procedure for obtaining copies. For online case searches, the MyCase help explains how to use the portal and what data is available there.
Divorce Record Search Fees, Copy Costs, and Processing Times in St. Joseph
| Service | Fee | Typical Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Certified copy of divorce decree (St. Joseph County Clerk) | $1.00 per page + $5.00 for certification | Usually the same day for in-person requests |
| Non-certified copy of court record | $1.00 per page | Usually the same day for in-person requests |
| Divorce certificate (Indiana Vital Records) | $10.00 | 2–4 weeks by mail |
| Online search via MyCase | Free | Immediate |