When undergoing your divorce, you may wish to keep matters private and not share information with others. This may include protecting information about your child custody and support or which assets were included in your divorce. Our divorce attorneys at Law Office of Michael R. Young share what you should know about the privacy of your divorce records.
Public Records
As a result of the Public Records Act, Californians have the legal right to access records regarding public information. Since a divorce is a matter of public information, the public can access your divorce records, but it is more difficult to access them as a layer of protection for the divorced couple. During your divorce, you can request to have your divorce records sealed so that they will not be eligible for public access.
Despite divorce records being public, identifying information or information regarding minors will be redacted for your protection. This will include child custody matters, social security numbers, bank information, or any other information that could cause harm to the couple if it was public knowledge.
Where Can I Find Divorce Records
To protect the divorced family, divorce records are difficult to access. If you wish to access a divorce decree, you must reach out to the court where the divorce was originally filed or request a copy of the face sheet from the divorce action from Vital Records.
The Original Court of Filing or Superior Court
If you seek a full copy of the divorce or are searching for a divorce that did not occur between January 1962 and June 1984, you must request a copy from the original court of filing. Here, you can access a copy of the divorce decree, with information redacted for privacy. If you are unsure which court the divorce was filed at, you can use the California court finder tool to find the closest court to the divorce.
Vital Records
If you are searching for records from a divorce that occurred between January 1962 and June 1984, you can request a copy of the face sheet of the divorce action. You will not receive the full divorce decree and instead will receive a document that includes basic information about the divorce, including the full names of the divorcing couple, the filing date, the county of filing, and the case number.
San Bernardino Divorce Attorneys
Divorce can make you feel extremely vulnerable, and you may wish to keep your divorce matters private. Our divorce attorneys can help you pursue your divorce with the discretion you require, protecting your private matters.
Are you concerned about your privacy during a divorce? Schedule a consultation with our team today by calling (909) 315-4588 to learn more about how we can help you resolve your private matters and dissolve your marriage.