Run a free Tippecanoe County divorce records search now; this information is readily available to anyone who knows where to look. Divorce records are generally maintained and kept by government agencies at the county and state levels and are accessible to citizens per state and federal public records laws.
Official agencies and record custodians often provide members of the public with online search databases at no cost. This brief resource explains how to conduct a divorce records search in Tippecanoe County, Indiana, seamlessly and efficiently.
Locate Free Tippecanoe County Divorce Records
A search for public divorce records should also start at the county level. Divorce records in Indiana are maintained by the county clerks. The Tippecanoe County Clerk’s Office is the custodian for divorce case records and allows anyone to view and obtain files.1
Tippecanoe County Court cases can be viewed for free in the Indiana My Case Search.2 This case management system allows any member of the public to look up divorce case information.
Searches can be conducted by case number, name of the parties, or attorney. If a researcher does not know the case number, searching by name is the best option. Ensure that Tippecanoe County is selected in the ‘Court’ dropdown menu.
To further narrow results more accurately, check the ‘Family’ box to search family court case records exclusively. Users should input both the first and last names of a party to a divorce.
When results are generated, researchers will know if a case is divorce-related as it will read ‘In Re: The Marriage of…’ as the case title. Additionally, the case type will read ‘DN – Domestic Relations without Children’ or ‘DN – Domestic Relations with Children’.
Clicking on the case title will provide additional case information, including the full names of both parties to the case, the filing date, status, case summary, and financial information.
Alternatively, interested parties can request physical copies of divorce records from the Tippecanoe County Clerk Portal. This portal also allows requesters to track their request submissions by entering the transaction ID number.4
Interested parties must complete a Tippecanoe County Clerk Marriage Dissolution Decree request.5 Requesters should provide as much detail as possible so the clerk’s office will be able to locate the divorce record.
Certified records are $3 per document, faxed or emailed documents are $1 per page, court records are $1 per page, and mailed documents are $2 plus page charges. Fees are not to be paid until the clerk’s office locates the record. They will inform requesters of the final payment amount and how it should be made.
Tippecanoe County Clerk
301 Main St., Second Fl
Lafayette, Indiana 47901
Phone: 765.423.9326
Fax: 765.423.9194
Email: [email protected]
The office is open 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. On the first Tuesday of each month the office is open 8:00am to 6:30pm.
Execute a Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage Search via Towns in Tippecanoe County Indiana
As explained in detail above, searching divorce certificates and records on the county level is the best method. However, there are instances where searching divorce records on the county level can be unfruitful. This is where researchers may turn to local town government agencies.
The benefits of requesting records through municipalities is that the requests are generally in person and the staff is usually more attentive. Unfortunately, the municipalities in Indiana do not offer such services. Divorce records are only available for inspection and copying by the county clerk’s offices.
Interested parties cannot request common law divorce records as those do not exist in Indiana. Follow the information in the section above to learn how to obtain a divorce record filed in Tippecanoe County.
How To Use the Indiana State Library for Finding Statewide Divorce Information
On the occasion that a person seeking a dissolution of marriage records realizes that it took place in a neighboring county or somewhere else in the county, a broader state vital records office may be able to assist. State vital records offices generally maintain birth, death, marriage, and divorce records.
The Indiana Department of Health Division of Vital Records only provides services on birth, death, marriage, adoption, and paternity acknowledgment records.6 If a researcher discovers that a divorce took place in a different county located in Indiana, they should contact the appropriate county court clerk.
The Indiana State Library allows members of the public to access historical records from divorce indexes.7 Researchers can select ‘Divorce’ in the ‘By Record Type’ dropdown menu, and then enter the name of a person in the search bar and click on the magnifying glass icon. This will show the results of divorce records maintained by the library.
Records will show the names of the individuals to the divorce, the filing date, and the county where it occurred. Researchers can also search the Vital Information Exchange (VINE) Divorce Records Index.8 By entering a person’s name in the search bar, this index will display the names of persons divorced in the state dating back to 1915.
For more information contact the Indiana State Library.
Indiana State Library
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
Phone: 317.232.3675
The Availability of Divorce Records in Tippecanoe County
Indiana Code 5.14.3.3 states that any person may gain access to public records for inspection and copying.9 The law further states that this is a right bestowed on every person and that no one requesting records has to provide a reason for why they want the records. Public records pertain to writings created or maintained by a government body.
Divorce records would fall under this definition.
There are no laws exempting divorce or dissolution of marriage records from disclosure. Anyone can obtain divorce decrees by requesting them from a county court clerk’s office.
Divorce papers like certificates may also be obtained from the county clerk’s office. They are not official judgments like decrees but they will show that a divorce took place.
In the event that you cannot find a divorce record in Tippecanoe County, there are third party providers that could potentially help you. However, Tippecanoe County divorce records can be reliably obtained in the methods described above; get divorce record information today.
References
1Tippecanoe County, Indiana. (n.d.). Tippecanoe Court Records. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/854/Tippecanoe-Court-Records>
2Indiana Judicial Branch. (n.d.). Indiana Courts Case Search – MyCase. Indiana Courts Public Records. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/#/vw/Search>
3Indiana Judicial Branch. (n.d.). Indiana Courts Case Search – MyCase. Indiana Courts Public Records. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://public.courts.in.gov/mycase/#/vw/CaseSummary/eyJ2Ijp7IkNhc2VUb2tlbiI6ImZTWWM2N3F4cGFhTmtETkdxU09XNXNNSFVja3JhQk5BNEwyc2NJdnlCSXcxIn19>
4Tippecanoe County Clerk. (n.d.). Request Tracking System – SBS Portals. SBS Portal. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://portal.sbsportals.com/modules/request-tracking.php?guid=asksjswlsse2>
5Tippecanoe County Clerk. (n.d.). Forms Management – SBS Portals. SBS Portal. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://portal.sbsportals.com/modules/forms.php?guid=0a900380ad89c13f56c2fe904a9403f1>
6Indiana Department of Health. (n.d.). Health: Vital Records: Home. IN.gov. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://www.in.gov/health/vital-records/>
7Indiana State Library. (n.d.). Search Indiana Legacy. Indiana Legacy. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy/>
8Indiana State Library. (n.d.). VINE – Divorce Records. Indiana Legacy. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://digital.statelib.lib.in.us/legacy/search.aspx?index=12>
9Indiana General Assembly. (n.d.). 2023 Indiana Code – IC 5-14-3-3. Retrieved January 8, 2024, from <https://iga.in.gov/laws/2023/ic/titles/5#5-14-3-3>