Marion County Divorce Decree Records

Marion County divorce decree records are maintained by the Marion County Clerk's Office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell oversees one of the largest court record systems in the state, with multiple office locations serving Indianapolis and all of Marion County. If you need to find or request a certified copy of a Marion County divorce decree, you can use the online records request tool at indy.gov or visit one of the clerk's office locations in person. Marion County is unique in Indiana in that it offers a dedicated online records request system for divorce decrees.

Marion County Clerk's Office Locations

The Marion County Clerk's Office operates out of three locations in Indianapolis. The main clerk's office is in the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington Street, Room W122, on the first floor. A second location serves the Community Justice Campus at 675 Justice Way. A third location, the Records Facility at 1330 Madison Avenue, handles records research requests but check before visiting since access has been affected by construction. The clerk's office hours at all locations are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Note: Due to construction at the Records Facility on Madison Avenue, the clerk's office recommends visiting the City-County Building or the Community Justice Campus instead for records research. The Indiana Judicial Branch also maintains a page for Marion County courts.

Request Marion County Divorce Decree Records Online

Marion County offers an online records request tool that allows you to request a copy of a divorce decree without visiting in person. The tool is at indy.gov/activity/request-copies-of-court-records. This is one of the most useful features of the Marion County Clerk's system and is not available in most other Indiana counties. The clerk's office states directly: "Request a copy of a divorce decree using our online records request tool."

For basic case information, MyCase is the free public search portal for Indiana courts. You can search by party name or case number to find filing dates, case types, and court assignment information for Marion County divorce cases. MyCase shows case data only; for the full decree document, use the online request tool or visit in person.

Additional information about Marion County marriage and divorce records is available at marioncountycourt.org.

In-Person Requests for Marion County Divorce Decrees

If you prefer to visit in person, go to either the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington Street, Room W122, or the Community Justice Campus at 675 Justice Way. Both locations handle court records requests. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Staff recommend arriving at least one hour before closing if you need to do research, since record searches can take time.

For urgent same-day requests, call the Records Facility at (317) 327-4715 to get an internal request number. Staff will call you when your record is located, and you can then pay in person at a convenient time. This approach works well if you need a decree quickly but cannot wait while a search is conducted at the counter.

Bring the names of both parties and the case number if you have it. Personal checks are not accepted at the Marion County Clerk's Office. Payment can be made by cash, money order, cashier's check, or credit or debit card. There is a nominal fee for card payments.

Marion County Divorce Decree Copy Fees

The Marion County Clerk's Office charges $1.00 per page for physical copies. Since July 1, 2021, the cost to certify a record is $3.00 regardless of the number of pages. So a certified one-page divorce decree costs $4.00 total. A longer decree with multiple pages adds $1.00 per page beyond the first, plus the $3.00 certification fee.

Payment methods accepted are cash, money order, cashier's check, and credit or debit card with a nominal processing fee. Personal checks are not accepted at any Marion County Clerk location. If you are mailing a request, enclose a money order or cashier's check since personal checks cannot be used. Always call ahead at (317) 327-4740 to confirm the exact total before mailing any payment.

Indiana Divorce Laws That Apply in Marion County

Indiana Code IC 31-15-2-6 requires residency before a divorce can be filed in Marion County. One spouse must have lived in Indiana for six months and in Marion County for three months before the petition is filed. This is the rule that makes Marion County the county of record for that particular divorce decree.

Under IC 31-15-2-10, Indiana's 60-day waiting period applies in Marion County as it does statewide. No court in Indiana can finalize a divorce before 60 days have passed from the date the petition was filed. The Marion County courts cannot waive this requirement. Once the 60 days have passed and the court enters its final order, the divorce decree becomes a public record maintained by the Marion County Clerk's Office.

Marion County divorce decrees are open to the public under IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. You do not need to be a party to the case to request a copy. Financial affidavits, sealed records, and files containing Social Security numbers are restricted and not available without a court order. Staff at the Marion County Clerk's Office cannot assist with in-depth genealogy research, though they can locate and copy specific records.

Legal Help for Marion County Divorce Cases

Marion County has more legal resources than most Indiana counties given its size. The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center provides free court forms and step-by-step guides for dissolution of marriage cases. Both contested and uncontested divorce procedures are covered. This is a good resource for people who want to handle their own case.

Indiana Legal Help connects Marion County residents with free and low-cost legal services across the state including Indianapolis-area legal aid organizations. For guidance on how to request court records statewide, the Indiana courts public records request page explains the full process.

The Marion County Clerk's Office offers an online records request tool for divorce decrees, making it one of the most accessible county clerk systems in Indiana for obtaining court records remotely.

Cities in Marion County

Marion County and Indianapolis are a consolidated city-county government. The city of Lawrence within Marion County meets the 25,000 population threshold for a dedicated page on this site. All divorce decrees for Marion County residents are filed with the Marion County Clerk regardless of which city, township, or neighborhood the parties live in.

City pages for Marion County: Lawrence.

Nearby Counties

Marion County is the center of the Indianapolis metro area and borders several Indiana counties; use the links below to find divorce records in neighboring jurisdictions.