Access Martin County divorce records for free via the convenient search methods covered in this resource.
Divorces are called dissolutions of marriage in Florida and are finalized in a family court of law. There are several different custodians of divorce records that allow members of the public to obtain or view these records at no cost by posting the information in online databases or making them available in person or through other methods.
This brief article clearly explains how to run a divorce records search in Martin County, Florida.
How To Access Martin County Divorce Records at No Cost
As mentioned above, divorces are called dissolutions of marriage in Florida. These proceedings occur in a family court of law, and interested persons can look up public divorce records for free.
In Martin County, Florida, dissolution of marriage proceedings occurs in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court. The custodian for court records in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit is the Martin County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. The clerk’s office allows members of the public to access dissolution of marriage records online and to submit requests directly to the office.
Interested parties and researchers can access divorce records online through the Martin County Clerk’s Case Search.1 You should navigate to the ‘Court Types’ section and select ‘Domestic Relations/Family’ to isolate family court cases from the other types. Then select ‘Dissolution’ in the ‘Causes of Action / Case Types’ section for results to exclusively yield divorce case records.
The search will yield results based on a person’s name or the case number. If you do not know the case number, simply select ‘Name’ and enter the last name followed by a comma and a space, and then enter the first name.
You do not need to create an account to use the search, as anyone can conduct a search anonymously. Once the search yields results, select the name of the individual or the case number to view additional details about a dissolution of marriage.
You can then view the names of both parties, case history, case status, and dates. You can also print the summary page by selecting the option in the upper right corner.
Additionally, interested persons can submit a Court Records Online Request Form to access divorce records in Martin County.2
The requester must fill in their contact information, including their name, address, and email. The clerk’s office will also need the requester to provide the name of one of the parties to the divorce and select ‘Domestic Violence’ under the ‘Select File Type’ section.
The search fee is $2, an uncertified copy is $1 per page, and certifications cost $2 per document. Records can be received in person, by email, or by mail.
Alternatively, you can submit a Court Records Paper Request Form in person, by email, fax, or by mail. For more information, contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court office.
Martin County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller
100 SE Ocean Blvd.
Stuart, Florida 34994
Phone: 772.288.5576
Fax: 772.288.5548
Email: [email protected]
Cities and towns within Martin County do not have divorce records access. You must access records through the county government or the state government, as described below.
How To View Divorce Records Throughout the Entire State via the Florida Department of Health
When a divorce is finalized by the Martin County family court, the record is forwarded to the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Anyone can order a divorce certificate that definitively shows that a dissolution of marriage took place. Certificates are different from a decree of divorce, which can only be accessed by the Martin County Clerk’s office.
If you are looking to obtain a certificate of dissolution, the Florida Department of Health allows interested persons to order in person, by mail, or online. You must complete an Application for Florida Dissolution of Marriage Certificate.3
The form must be completed in its entirety. Requesters are required to list their name, address, phone, email, and particular relationship to the person on the record. Because dissolution of marriage certificates are public, not being related to someone on the record will not prohibit your access.
The first certificate of divorce is $5, which also includes the search fee. Additional certificates cost $4. You should try to discover when the divorce took place before submitting a request because if you do not know, you may be charged $2 for each additional year searched.
If you choose to mail an application, payment may only be made by check or money order made payable to the ‘Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics’.
Walk-in service is conducted at:
Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
1217 N. Pearl Street
Jacksonville, FL 32331
Hours of Operation: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mailed applications must be sent to:
Florida Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics
Attn: Vital Records Section
Post Office Box 210
Jacksonville, Florida 32231
Phone: 904.359.6900
Email: [email protected]
Additionally, interested persons can order a certificate online through VitalChek, a third-party provider.4 VitalChek also allows interested persons to order over the phone by calling 1.877.550.7330.
Martin County nor Florida provide the public with divorce index records. If you are interested in indexed records, contact a third party to track down historical dissolution records for genealogy or research purposes.
There are no common law divorces in Florida. Common law marriage is not recognized, and all dissolution of marriage records must comply with Florida divorce statutes.
Who Is Able To View & Acquire Divorce Records in Martin County?
According to the Florida Vital Records Law, dissolutions of marriage are part of the state’s vital records.5 The particular statute concerning divorce records can be found in Florida Statute 382.025(2).
According to the statute, the ‘Department’ must issue divorce records to any person that submits a request and payment of the fee. The ‘Department’ is the Florida Department of Health (FDH).
The FDH cannot deny any person who submits a request. If they do, they must provide a detailed description of the statutory reason.
If the FDH does not comply with the vital records law pertaining to dissolutions of marriage, a requester may contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office to assist in resolving the issue.
Florida Attorney General’s Office
Office of Public Records
107 W. Gaines St., Suite 228
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: 850.245.0140
As mentioned in the sections above, a divorce is a dissolution of marriage. Dissolutions of marriage are formal court proceedings that effectively terminate a marriage. Because a dissolution is a court proceeding, the rule concerning the disclosure of court cases will govern the accessibility of these records.
Florida Statute 119.0714(2) specifically explains the rules surrounding court cases. Essentially, anyone may inspect and copy court records. If there is private information barred from disclosure, the court will redact that portion and disclose the remainder of the file to the requester.
Additionally, dissolution of marriage case files are public records because they are documents and papers created by the court in the ordinary course of court business. Florida Statute 119 provides that public records are available to be inspected and copied by any person.6
When a person files for a dissolution of marriage, the initial paperwork is generally called divorce papers. When the dissolution is finalized, the court will generate a divorce decree.
Third-party providers may also be able to assist if the Martin County or FDH are not helpful. It should be noted, however, that any records received from a third party cannot be used in any official capacity.
Conduct your Martin County divorce records search today; the methods and information provided by this resource will help you obtain dissolution of marriage records in no time.
References
1Martin County Clerk of Court. (2024). Case Search. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from <https://court.martinclerk.com/Home.aspx/Search>
2Martin County Clerk of Court. (n.d.). Court Records Request Form. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from <https://www.martinclerk.com/FormCenter/Clerk-Web-Request-Forms-10/Court-Records-Request-Form-65>
3Florida Department of Health. (2022, January). Application for Florida Dissolution of Marriage Certificate (Divorce or Annulment). Retrieved April 9, 2024, from <https://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/marriage/_documents/DH260-diss-marr-app-6-30-2023.pdf>
4VitalChek. (n.d.). Order a divorce record. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from <https://www.vitalchek.com/order_main.aspx?eventtype=DIVORCE#>
5The Florida Legislature. (n.d.). Public Health. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from <http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0300-0399/0382/Sections/0382.002.html>
6The Florida Legislature. (n.d.). Public Officers, Employees, and Records. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from <http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0119/0119.html>