Even though marriage is considered a holy and sacred institution entered in by both parties with promises and intentions that its forever, divorce is sometimes inevitable for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons are dire making information on them not to be of public knowledge. Divorce records are public information thus making them accessible to anyone who have need of them, unless they are made confidential. This guide will assist you on how to find divorce records in Texas.
A divorce can be termed as a process whereby a marriage between two people is terminated or dissolved according to the rules and laws of that particular country or state. The rules that govern the process of divorce vary from location to location but in most instances, it calls for the involvement of the court or any other legal authority.
Divorce Records in Texas
Texas, the Lone Star state, has about 12 % of its population divorced by the age of 30. Couples who get married between the age of 20 – 25 in Texas has a 60 % chance of getting divorced. Couples who get married after 25 years are 24 % less likely to get divorced. It is normally the wives who initiate divorces in Texas, with 70 % of them initiated by women.
Divorce records on someone are considered public records in Texas, which means anyone can access them. Even though they are public records in the state, divorce records can prove hard to locate in Texas. This is because of the laws that surround divorces in the state. They make these documents mostly accessible to legal professionals and the people involved in the divorce.
A lot of the documents that has to do with divorce in Texas are kept with the county’ clerk’s office. This is because divorce is regarded as a matter of family court in Texas.
To obtain divorce records in Texas, you will need to provide the following details:
- The full name of the person you are looking for (in most cases, both names are needed)
- The date and place of divorce
- Your relationship with the person
- The type of order
- The purpose for seeking the divorce records
- The ex-spouses’ dates of birth (optional)
- The age of one or both of the spouses at the time of marriage
The state office will help you out if you have no clue where the divorce decree was made. It would help your search significantly if you could provide as much information on your search as you can. This will help speed up the process and make the results more accurate.
Find Divorce Records in Texas
If you are looking to find divorce records in Texas, then you will have to go through the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (TDHHS). The TDHHS has a list of county clerks, registrars and people who issue local records from their records website.
Divorce records can be found from the specific location where they were created. Sources of divorce records online in Texas are the Texas Vital Statistics Verification website and TDHHS website through the Annulment Indexes and the Report of Divorce.
The TDHHS Vital Records Application page will help you obtain public Texas divorce records online with ease, if you send an application. You will have access to divorce records from 1968 to today.
You must also keep it in mind that once an order has been made, you won’t be able to cancel it neither get a refund. If ever the requested record is not found, the fee is also non – refundable or non – transferable.
Find Texas Divorce Records in Person
You can get Texas divorce records from both local and state levels in Texas. If you are looking to obtain divorce records in person in Texas, you will need to visit the district clerk’s office where the divorce was registered or the TDHHS Vital Statistics central office where you will have to fill up an application form.
The fees that is charged for obtaining the divorce records depends on the custodian of that record. Divorce records obtained from local level do not cost the same as those from state level.
Find Texas Divorce Records by Mail
If you are looking to obtain divorce records in Texas by mail, you will need to first print and then complete the application form. You will then have to send it, with a copy of your valid ID from a government body plus all necessary fees to the following address:
DSHS Vital Statistics
- O. Box 12040
Austin, TX 78711 – 2040
Find Texas Divorce Records Online
In order to get Texas divorce records online you will need to go to the Texas.gov Vital Records Application. It normally takes 20 – 25 working days for them to process an application. Payment is possible with a credit card or debit card. An order cannot reverse once it is placed and payment is non – refundable once it has been made.
Texas divorce records can also be performed on third party websites that offer public records.
This guide on how to find divorce records in Texas might be a solution to your divorce records needs in the state. The only way to find out is to try them.