Lawrence County Divorce Decree Records

Lawrence County divorce decree records are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, Indiana. Clerk Amy Voorhies handles all court records in the county including divorce decrees, marriage records, and probate filings. If you need to find or get a certified copy of a Lawrence County divorce decree, you can search basic case information through Indiana's MyCase system or contact the clerk's office directly during business hours. Certified copies of divorce decrees must be requested in person or by mail since online certified copy services are not available.

Lawrence County Clerk of Courts Office

The Lawrence County Clerk's Office is on the third floor of the Lawrence County Courthouse at 916 15th Street in Bedford. Clerk Amy Voorhies leads the office, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The clerk's office is responsible for keeping official records for all court cases filed in Lawrence County, including all divorce decrees. Staff can help you find a case, request a certified copy, or direct you to the right forms for filing a new case.

The Indiana Judicial Branch Lawrence County page lists court contacts and local rules for the county. For statewide court access tools, the Indiana Public Records Portal provides helpful links and resources.

Search Lawrence County Divorce Decrees Online

Indiana's public case search portal, MyCase, is available for searching Lawrence County divorce cases at no cost. You can search by party name or case number and view filing dates, case types, court assignments, and hearing information. MyCase is the best starting point if you want to confirm that a divorce was filed in Lawrence County or to find a case number before going to the clerk's office.

MyCase shows case-level information only. The actual divorce decree document is not available to download from the portal. For a certified copy of the decree, you must request it directly from the Lawrence County Clerk's Office. Very old cases may be on file in archived storage, so calling ahead at (812) 275-4145 is useful if you need a record from many decades ago.

Note: Basic case information through MyCase is free to access and does not require an account or registration.

How to Request a Certified Lawrence County Divorce Decree

There are two ways to get a certified copy of a Lawrence County divorce decree: visit in person or send a mail request. In-person requests are typically handled the same day. Go to the clerk's office on the third floor of the courthouse at 916 15th Street in Bedford. Bring the names of both parties and the approximate year of the divorce. If you know the case number, bring that too. Pay the fee at the counter and receive your copy before you leave in most cases.

For mail requests, send a written letter to the Lawrence County Clerk at 916 15th Street, Room 314, Bedford, IN 47421. Your letter should include the full names of both parties, the year the case was filed, the case number if you have it, and your return address. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment. Allow at least a week to two weeks for processing and return by mail. Call ahead at (812) 275-4145 to confirm the current fees and accepted payment forms before sending anything by mail.

Lawrence County Divorce Decree Copy Fees

Indiana applies a standard fee schedule across all counties for court record copies. The copy fee is $1.00 per page. The certification fee is $3.00 per certified document, effective July 1, 2021. A one-page certified divorce decree costs $4.00 total. A longer multi-page decree adds $1.00 for each additional page.

If a Lawrence County divorce decree you need is not at the courthouse because of its age, the Indiana State Archives at 6440 E. 30th St in Indianapolis may have it. The Archives can be reached at (317) 591-5220. They hold historic court records transferred from counties across Indiana over many years.

Indiana Divorce Laws in Lawrence County

Indiana Code IC 31-15-2-6 sets the residency requirement for divorce filings. At least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for six months and in Lawrence County for three months before the case can be filed in Lawrence County's court. This rule determines which county clerk keeps the final divorce decree on file.

Under IC 31-15-2-10, Indiana requires a 60-day waiting period from the date the petition is filed before a court can issue the final divorce decree. The court cannot act before those 60 days end. If both parties agree on all terms, they can submit a written agreement and waiver of rights, but the court still cannot finalize the divorce until after 60 days. The final divorce decree is the court's official order ending the marriage.

IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, makes Lawrence County divorce decrees available to the public. Anyone can request a copy of a decree without being a party to the case. Some parts of a case file may be sealed or restricted, such as financial disclosures containing personal identifiers. A court order would be needed to access those portions.

Legal Help for Lawrence County Divorce Cases

Lawrence County residents who want to file for divorce or find a divorce decree without an attorney can use the Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center. The center has forms and step-by-step guides for dissolution of marriage cases in Indiana. Both contested and uncontested divorce procedures are covered.

Free and low-cost legal assistance is available through Indiana Legal Help, which connects people with legal aid programs across the state. If you need help understanding Indiana divorce law or want to know what to expect at each stage of the process, this is a good resource to start with.

The Lawrence County Clerk's Office in Bedford is the official source for all divorce decree records filed in the county, handling in-person and mail requests during business hours Monday through Friday.

Cities in Lawrence County

Bedford is the county seat of Lawrence County and the location of the courthouse where all divorce decrees are filed. Other communities in the county include Mitchell, Oolitic, and Springville. None of these communities reach the 25,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Lawrence County divorce decree records are held at the clerk's office in Bedford regardless of which town the parties lived in at the time of the filing.

Nearby Counties

Adjacent county clerk offices handle divorce records for their own jurisdictions; use the links below to navigate to the right county page.