Martin County Divorce Decree Records

Martin County divorce decree records are filed and maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Martin County Courthouse in Shoals, Indiana. Clerk Julie Fithian handles all court filings and certified copy requests for divorce cases heard in Martin County. You can search basic case information online through the statewide MyCase portal, but certified copies of Martin County divorce decrees must be requested directly from the clerk's office in Shoals either in person or by mail.

Martin County Clerk of Courts Office

Julie Fithian is the Martin County Clerk of Courts. Her office handles all records for cases filed in the Martin County Circuit Court, including divorce decrees. The clerk is responsible for filing court records, collecting and distributing payments related to cases, and administering elections. As the county's record keeper, Fithian's office is the only source for certified copies of Martin County divorce decrees.

Martin County is part of Indiana's Judicial District 25, which covers Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Perry, Pike, and Spencer counties. The clerk office in Shoals is small but maintains full records for all cases filed in the county. For the most accurate and current information, contact the office by phone before visiting or mailing a request.

Search Martin County Divorce Records Online

The statewide MyCase Indiana portal lets you search Martin County divorce cases for free. Enter one or both party names to find a case. Results show the case number, filing date, case type, and current status. This is the quickest way to confirm a divorce was filed in Martin County and to get the case number you need before contacting the clerk for official documents.

The Indiana Judicial Branch Martin County page has details on the courts that serve this county and lists contact information for judges and clerks. The Indiana Courts Public Records Portal is another resource worth checking for Martin County case information. Both are free to use.

Certified copies of divorce decrees are not available through any online system in Indiana. Martin County is no exception. For official documents with the court seal, you must go through Clerk Fithian's office in Shoals.

Note: Older cases from before the digital court system may not appear in MyCase. If you cannot find a case online, call the Martin County Clerk at (812) 247-3651 and ask staff to search the paper records.

Certified Copies of Martin County Divorce Decrees

To get a certified copy of a Martin County divorce decree, contact the Clerk's Office in Shoals. In person works best if you need the document quickly. Visit the courthouse at 129 Main Street during business hours. Bring photo ID and the names of both parties. Staff can usually process same-day in-person requests. If you have the case number, bring that too since it speeds up the search.

Mail requests go to PO Box 120, Shoals, IN 47581. Write a letter that includes both parties' full names, the approximate year and date of the divorce, the case number if available, your mailing address, and a photocopy of your photo ID. Enclose payment for the fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail requests typically take at least a week. Call the clerk's office first to confirm current payment methods before you send anything.

The Martin County Clerk's page on the state website has information about records services available from the office. For court-specific guidance, the Martin County entry on the Indiana Judicial Branch site is also helpful.

Martin County Divorce Record Fees

Indiana set a statewide fee schedule for court record copies effective July 1, 2021. Certified copies cost $3.00 per document. Page copies cost $1.00 per page. A certified one-page divorce decree runs $4.00 total. Longer decrees add $1.00 per additional page on top of the $3.00 certification fee.

Martin County's own filing fees are also set by the court. The divorce filing fee is $177 for new dissolution of marriage cases. That is a separate cost from the copy fees you pay when requesting an existing decree. For record copies, ask the clerk for the exact total based on the page count in your specific case before sending payment. The clerk's office accepts cash in person and typically requires a money order or cashier's check for mail requests. Personal checks may not be accepted.

The Martin County Clerk also offers several divorce forms directly through the office, including forms for uncontested divorces with and without children, contested divorces, and fee waiver applications. A copy of the self-help packet can be picked up at the courthouse. If you are researching older Martin County divorce cases, the Indiana State Archives at 6440 E. 30th St in Indianapolis, (317) 591-5220, may hold historical records not available at the county level.

Indiana Divorce Laws and Martin County Courts

Indiana Code IC 31-15-2-6 sets residency requirements for filing a divorce in Martin County. One spouse must have lived in Indiana for six months and in Martin County for three months before filing. Martin County sits in south-central Indiana between Lawrence and Daviess counties. If you have just moved to the area, confirm you have met the three-month local residency requirement before you file your case.

After filing, IC 31-15-2-10 requires a 60-day waiting period. The Martin County Circuit Court cannot finalize a divorce before 60 days pass from the date the petition was filed. Both spouses agreeing on all terms does not waive this wait. After the 60 days, the court may schedule a final hearing and issue the dissolution decree. That decree is then stored with the Martin County Clerk as the official record of the marriage's end.

Property division in Indiana follows the equitable distribution standard under IC 31-15-7. The Martin County courts divide marital property in a way that is fair but not necessarily equal. The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center offers plain-language guides to help people understand how this works in practice.

Public Access to Martin County Divorce Records

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3, makes most court records open to the public. This includes divorce decrees filed in Martin County. Anyone can request a copy. You do not need to be a party to the case or related to anyone in it. The clerk must respond to a lawful records request within a reasonable time and cannot refuse access to public records without a legal basis.

Certain parts of divorce files are not public. Financial affidavits, documents containing Social Security numbers, sealed exhibits, and records related to child welfare may be withheld or redacted. If a record you need has been sealed, a court order is required to access it. The Indiana courts public records guide explains the full process and your rights as a requester.

Legal Help for Martin County Divorce Cases

Martin County residents who need help with divorce filings or records can use free resources through Indiana Legal Help. The site offers guides on divorce procedures, forms, and referrals to legal aid programs serving southern Indiana. If your income qualifies, you may get free legal help with your Martin County divorce case through one of these organizations.

The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center has court forms and step-by-step instructions for handling a dissolution of marriage case in Indiana. The Martin County Clerk also has several divorce forms available at the courthouse for people who prefer to pick them up in person.

The Martin County Clerk's Office at the Shoals courthouse is the official keeper of all divorce decree records and handles all requests during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

Cities in Martin County

Shoals is the county seat of Martin County and the location of the courthouse where all divorce filings are stored. Loogootee is another community in the county. All Martin County residents file divorce cases at the Circuit Court in Shoals regardless of which town they live in. Neither Shoals nor any other Martin County community meets the 25,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Martin County. Each county clerk handles divorce records for its own jurisdiction.