Montgomery County Divorce Decree Lookup
Montgomery County divorce decree records are filed at the Circuit Clerk office in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Clerk Sondra Sixberry oversees all court records in the county, including divorce decrees, case filings, and related court documents. If you need to search for a Montgomery County divorce case or get a certified copy of a decree, the clerk office at 100 E. Main Street in Crawfordsville is where you start. This guide explains how to find and request Montgomery County divorce records.
Montgomery County Quick Facts
Montgomery County Clerk of Courts
Clerk Sondra Sixberry runs the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts at the courthouse in Crawfordsville. The clerk office handles all divorce filings, issues certified copies of decrees, and keeps the official court record for every case heard in Montgomery County. The clerk also processes divorce-related payments and maintains records as part of its broader county court duties.
According to the county's own description of the clerk's role, the office is responsible for "processing request for marriage licenses and divorces" as well as collecting payments and record-keeping for county courts. You can reach the office by phone at (765) 364-6430 or by email at sondra.sixberry@montgomerycounty.in.gov. The Montgomery County Clerk's page has additional details on what the office does and how to contact staff.
| Clerk | Sondra Sixberry |
|---|---|
| Address | Montgomery County Courthouse 100 E. Main Street Crawfordsville, IN 47933 |
| Mailing | PO Box 768, Crawfordsville, IN 47933 |
| Phone | (765) 364-6430 |
| Fax | (765) 364-6355 |
| sondra.sixberry@montgomerycounty.in.gov | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
The county also operates a government center at 1580 Constitution Row in Crawfordsville, but court record requests for divorce decrees go to the main courthouse address above.
Search Montgomery County Divorce Records Online
You can search for divorce cases from Montgomery County using the statewide MyCase Indiana portal. MyCase is free and open to the public. Enter the name of one or both parties to pull up case listings from Montgomery County courts. You can also search by case number if you have it. The results show the case type, filing date, and current status. It is a quick way to confirm whether a divorce was filed in Montgomery County and to get the case number you need to request records from the clerk.
The Montgomery County Circuit Court page has information on local court operations. The Indiana Judicial Branch page for Montgomery County lists the courts and judges that handle divorce cases in this area. Montgomery County is part of Judicial District 11, which covers Fountain, Montgomery, Parke, Vermillion, and Warren counties.
MyCase works well for basic lookups, but it does not issue certified copies. For official documents with the court seal, you must contact the Montgomery County Clerk directly.
Note: Limited case information is available online. Older cases may not appear in MyCase. Contact the clerk to search manually if you cannot find a specific Montgomery County divorce case online.
Certified Copies of Montgomery County Divorce Decrees
A certified copy of a divorce decree from Montgomery County has the official court seal and the clerk's signature. It serves as legal proof of the divorce for courts, lenders, government agencies, and other official purposes. The fee in Montgomery County follows the Indiana statewide standard: $3 per certified document, plus $1 per page for copies. A single-page certified decree costs $4 total.
In-person requests at the Crawfordsville courthouse are usually processed the same day. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. For mail requests, send a written request to PO Box 768, Crawfordsville, IN 47933. Include the full names of both parties, the approximate date of the divorce, any case number you have, a copy of your ID, and payment by check or money order. Do not send cash. The clerk will mail the certified copy back to your return address.
Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, IC 5-14-3, makes divorce decrees from Montgomery County open to anyone. You do not need to be a party to the divorce to request a copy. The law gives you the right to inspect and copy most court records, and the clerk must respond to your request within a reasonable time.
Divorce Filing Rules in Montgomery County
Indiana law controls how and where you file for divorce in Montgomery County. IC 31-15-2-6 sets the residency rule: at least one spouse must live in Indiana for six months and in Montgomery County for three months before filing. If you just moved to Crawfordsville or another part of the county, you may need to wait a bit before you can file here.
After you file, IC 31-15-2-10 sets a 60-day waiting period before the divorce can be finalized in Montgomery County. The judge cannot sign the final decree until those 60 days have passed. Both spouses agreeing on everything does not waive the wait. Once the period ends, the court can hold a hearing and issue the divorce decree. That decree is the official record of the end of the marriage, and the Montgomery County Clerk keeps it on file.
Montgomery County courts handle both uncontested and contested divorces. Uncontested cases tend to move faster after the 60-day wait. Contested cases may involve additional hearings on property, custody, or support before a judge can sign the final order.
What Is in a Montgomery County Divorce Decree
The final divorce decree from a Montgomery County court is a legal order that formally ends the marriage. It includes the names of both spouses, the date the divorce was granted, and all the terms the court ordered. Property division, debt assignment, custody arrangements, visitation schedules, child support amounts, and any spousal maintenance orders all go into the decree.
Most people who need a copy of a Montgomery County divorce decree are using it to prove the divorce for a legal purpose. Common uses include changing your name on a driver's license or passport, removing a former spouse from a deed, or showing proof of single status when remarrying. For all of these uses, you need a certified copy, not a plain photocopy. The clerk in Crawfordsville provides both, but legal matters almost always call for the certified version.
Montgomery County divorce records go back many years. If you are searching for an older case, give the clerk as much information as possible: both names, the approximate year, and the type of proceeding. Staff can search the records and tell you whether they have the file you are looking for.
Legal Help for Montgomery County Divorces
The Montgomery County Clerk's page on the county website has current office information including services, contact details, and hours for divorce decree requests in Crawfordsville.
The page above covers the full range of clerk office services in Montgomery County, including divorce records, marriage licenses, and court payment processing.
Free legal help is available to Montgomery County residents through Indiana Legal Help. The site covers the divorce process, custody rules, and forms used in Indiana courts. It also has referrals to local legal aid programs that serve west-central Indiana. If you have low income, you may qualify for free representation through one of these organizations.
The Indiana Self-Service Center is another free resource. It has court forms you can download and fill out for a Montgomery County divorce case. Plain-language instructions walk you through each form and explain what you need to file. Both sites are maintained by Indiana courts and government agencies.
For historical research on Montgomery County divorce cases, the Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis holds older court records. Call (317) 591-5220 to ask whether the archives have records from Montgomery County courts that predate digital systems.
Cities in Montgomery County
Crawfordsville is the county seat of Montgomery County and the location of the courthouse where all divorce filings are handled. Other communities in the county include Waveland and New Market. None of these cities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Montgomery County residents file divorce cases at the Circuit Court in Crawfordsville.
Nearby Counties
These counties share a border with Montgomery County. If you need to confirm which county your address falls in, check with the clerk before filing a divorce case.