Find Divorce Decrees in Franklin County

Franklin County divorce decree records are maintained by the Franklin County Clerk's Office at the courthouse in Brookville, Indiana. To find or request a certified copy of a divorce decree filed in Franklin County, the clerk's office is the official source. Basic case information is searchable online through Indiana's MyCase system, but certified copies of Franklin County divorce decrees must be obtained directly from the clerk's office by visiting in person or mailing a written request.

Franklin County Clerk of Courts Office

Neysa R. Raible serves as the Franklin County Clerk. The office is in Room 104 at 459 Main Street, Brookville, Indiana 47012. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with the office closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily. The phone number is (765) 647-5111. You can also reach the clerk by email at clerk@franklincounty.in.gov. The Franklin County Clerk maintains all court case records including dissolution of marriage filings and serves as the official custodian for the Franklin County Circuit Court.

The Indiana Judicial Branch maintains a local courts page for Franklin County courts with contact details for the circuit and superior courts. For online case searches, use Indiana's MyCase portal.

Search Franklin County Divorce Records Online

Indiana's MyCase public case search is the main online resource for finding Franklin County divorce decree records. Search by name or case number. MyCase returns filing dates, hearing history, court orders, and case status. The actual decree document is not available for download through MyCase. Once you have the case number and year from MyCase, contact the clerk's office to request the certified document.

For in-person research, visit Room 104 at 459 Main Street in Brookville during business hours. Note that the office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. daily, so plan your visit accordingly. For older Franklin County divorce records that may have been archived, the Indiana State Archives at 6440 E. 30th St, Indianapolis, (317) 591-5220, holds historical court records that county offices have transferred over the years. Check with the clerk first to confirm where the record is stored.

Requesting a Certified Franklin County Divorce Decree

Certified copies of Franklin County divorce decrees are not available online. You must go through the clerk's office in Brookville. For in-person requests, visit Room 104 during office hours. Bring valid photo ID, the full names of both parties, the approximate date of the divorce, and a case number if you have one. The clerk's office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, but closes from noon to 1:00 p.m. Walk-in requests are usually processed the same day.

For mail requests, write to Franklin County Clerk, 459 Main Street, Room 104, Brookville, IN 47012, or email clerk@franklincounty.in.gov to ask about mail request procedures. Your written request should include full party names, the divorce date or approximate year, the case number if available, and your return address. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment. Mail requests take roughly 7 to 10 business days. Standard Indiana fees apply: $1.00 per page plus $3.00 certification per document.

Note: Franklin County accepts cash, money orders, cashier checks, and credit cards. The office charges a 3.5% card fee with a minimum of $0.50 for credit card transactions. Personal checks are not accepted.

Franklin County Divorce Record Fees

Indiana sets statewide court record copy fees. As of July 1, 2021, copies cost $1.00 per page and the certification fee is $3.00 per document. A one-page certified Franklin County divorce decree costs $4.00 total. Each additional page adds $1.00. Franklin County accepts cash, money orders, cashier's checks, and credit cards (with a 3.5% fee or a $0.50 minimum). The office does not accept personal checks. Confirm the total cost based on decree length before sending payment. You can also make certain payments online through Indiana's online court payment portal.

Indiana Divorce Laws and Franklin County Courts

Indiana's divorce statutes apply uniformly across Franklin County and all other Indiana counties. Under IC 31-15-2-6, one spouse must have lived in Indiana for at least six months and in Franklin County for at least three months before a divorce petition can be filed there. After the petition is filed, IC 31-15-2-10 sets a mandatory 60-day waiting period before the court can issue the final divorce decree. The signed final order becomes the permanent court record maintained by the Franklin County Clerk.

Indiana is an equitable distribution state under IC 31-15-7. The court divides marital property fairly but not necessarily equally. Franklin County is part of Judicial District 18 along with Fayette, Rush, Union, and Wayne counties. The Franklin County Circuit Court handles all dissolution of marriage cases filed in the county.

Under IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, most Franklin County divorce records are public. Anyone can request a copy of a divorce decree. Sealed records, financial affidavits, and records with Social Security numbers are not publicly available. The Indiana courts public records page outlines the full process for requesting court records statewide.

Public Access to Franklin County Divorce Decrees

Most Franklin County divorce decrees are public records under Indiana Code IC 5-14-3. You do not need to be a party to the case to request a copy. The clerk's office can provide certified copies to any member of the public who requests them and pays the applicable fees. What is not publicly available: sealed case portions, financial affidavits, documents containing Social Security numbers, and restricted materials related to minors. If a record is restricted, a court order may be required to access it. The clerk can tell you whether a specific record is open before you make the drive to Brookville.

Legal Help for Franklin County Divorce Cases

The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center offers free dissolution of marriage forms and step-by-step filing instructions for all Indiana counties, including Franklin County. The forms cover both contested and uncontested divorce situations. For residents who need direct legal help, Indiana Legal Help connects Franklin County residents with free and low-cost legal aid organizations serving southeast Indiana. Some programs offer phone consultations or in-person appointments for qualifying individuals.

Franklin County Clerk staff can answer questions about filing requirements and what documents to bring, but cannot offer legal advice. For complex divorce matters involving property disputes, custody, or support issues, consulting a family law attorney before filing is the recommended approach. The Franklin County government website provides general information on county services and offices.

Franklin County divorce decree records are filed at the courthouse in Brookville and can be requested from the clerk's office in Room 104 during regular weekday business hours.

Cities in Franklin County

Brookville is the county seat of Franklin County and the location of the courthouse and clerk's office. Other communities in Franklin County include Batesville (partially in Franklin County), Cedar Grove, and Laurel. None of these communities meets the 25,000-population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Franklin County divorce decrees, regardless of which town or township in the county the parties lived in, are filed with and maintained by the Franklin County Clerk in Brookville.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County is in southeastern Indiana and borders the following counties, each of which maintains its own divorce decree records at the county level.