Access Newton County Divorce Decree Records
Newton County divorce decree records are held at the clerk's office in Kentland, Indiana. Clerk Jessica Firkins manages all court records for the county, including divorce filings and certified copies of decrees. The Newton County Courthouse is on the Illinois border in northwest Indiana, and its court records are accessible both in person and through the statewide MyCase search system. This page explains how to find and request divorce decree records from Newton County.
Newton County Quick Facts
Newton County Clerk of Courts
Clerk Jessica Firkins is the official keeper of divorce decrees and all civil court records in Newton County. Her office is at the Newton County Courthouse, 201 North 3rd Street in Kentland. You can reach the clerk by phone at (219) 474-6081, by fax at (219) 474-5749, or by email at jfirkins@newtoncounty.in.gov. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Central Time. Newton County operates on Central Time, so keep that in mind when calling.
The Indiana Judicial Branch page for Newton County has details on local court operations and the judges who handle divorce cases in the county. Newton County has a Circuit Court that handles civil matters including divorce. If you visit the courthouse in Kentland, staff can look up cases and make copies while you wait for most in-person requests.
| Clerk | Jessica Firkins |
|---|---|
| Address | Newton County Courthouse 201 North 3rd Street Kentland, IN 47951 |
| Mailing | PO Box 49, Kentland, IN 47951 |
| Phone | (219) 474-6081 |
| Fax | (219) 474-5749 |
| jfirkins@newtoncounty.in.gov | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Central Time) |
Note: Newton County is in the Central Time zone. The office closes at 4:00 PM Central, which is 5:00 PM Eastern. Plan your call or visit accordingly.
Search Newton County Divorce Records Online
Indiana's free public case search tool, MyCase Indiana, covers Newton County divorce cases. You can search by name or case number from any device. Basic case information including the filing date, case status, and party names comes up for free. This is a good way to find the case number for a Newton County divorce before you contact the clerk to request documents.
The Indiana Courts Public Records Portal is another state resource that may have information on Newton County cases. Between MyCase and the public records portal, most recent Newton County divorce cases are findable online. Older cases from before the digital systems went live may not appear. For those, contact Clerk Firkins directly and ask staff to search the paper indexes.
Certified copies are not available through any online system. You must contact the Newton County Clerk to get official documents with the court seal. Plan ahead if you need certified copies by mail, since mail requests take five to ten business days in most cases.
Getting Certified Copies From Newton County
The fee for a certified copy of a divorce decree in Newton County is $3 per document. This is the Indiana statewide standard set by law on July 1, 2021. Page copies cost $1 per page on top of the certification fee. A simple one-page certified decree costs $4 total. Ask the clerk for the exact amount when you contact the office, since fees can vary with the length of the document.
In-person requests go directly to the clerk at 201 North 3rd Street in Kentland. Bring a government-issued photo ID. For mail requests, send a written request to PO Box 49, Kentland, IN 47951. Your written request should include both parties' full names, the approximate year of the divorce, any case number you know, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order for the fee. Do not mail cash. The clerk will mail the copies back to your return address after processing.
Newton County divorce records are public under IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. You do not have to be a party to the divorce to request a copy. Anyone with a valid purpose can obtain records from the Newton County Clerk. The clerk must respond within a reasonable time and cannot refuse a lawful public records request.
Indiana Divorce Law in Newton County
Divorces in Newton County follow the same Indiana statutes that govern all counties in the state. IC 31-15-2-6 requires one spouse to live in Indiana for six months and in Newton County for at least three months before filing. Newton County sits on the Illinois border, so some residents may have recently moved from across the state line. If you have not lived in Newton County for three months yet, you need to wait before you can file here.
After filing, the 60-day waiting period under IC 31-15-2-10 applies. The court cannot finalize your Newton County divorce until those two months have passed. Even if both spouses agree on every issue, the judge cannot sign the final decree before then. Once the wait is over, the court can schedule a hearing and issue the divorce decree. The Newton County Clerk records and stores that decree as the official end of the marriage.
The law that governs public access to court records in Newton County is IC 5-14-3. This is the Access to Public Records Act, and it makes divorce decrees available to any member of the public who requests them. You do not need a special reason or a relationship to the parties in the case.
Newton County Divorce Records for Older Cases
Newton County is a small county, and some older divorce records may not be in any digital system. If you are searching for a Newton County divorce decree from decades ago, start by calling Clerk Firkins at (219) 474-6081. Staff can search paper indexes and tell you whether a record exists in the courthouse files. Give them as much information as possible: full names of both parties, approximate year of the divorce, and the type of case.
The Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis at 6440 E. 30th St, phone (317) 591-5220, may also hold older Newton County divorce records. The archives collect and preserve historical court records from all Indiana counties. If the county clerk does not have what you need, the archives may be able to help. Call ahead to ask before making the trip to Indianapolis.
For genealogy research on Newton County divorces, older records can reveal information about family relationships and dates. Both the county clerk and the archives are useful sources depending on the era of the record you need.
Newton County Legal Resources
Indiana Legal Help offers free online guidance on divorce procedures, forms, and legal aid referrals for all Indiana counties including Newton County. If you qualify based on income, legal aid organizations that serve northwest Indiana may provide free representation for your divorce case. The site is maintained by Indiana legal services and covers state law.
The Indiana Self-Service Center has downloadable court forms for Newton County divorces and plain-language guides on how to fill them out and file them. This is a good starting point for people handling their own divorce case without an attorney. Both resources are free and run by state agencies.
Note: The Indiana courts records request guide explains the rules for accessing public court records across all Indiana counties, including Newton County.
The Newton County Clerk in Kentland handles all divorce decree filings and certified copy requests for cases heard in Newton County courts.
Cities in Newton County
Kentland is the county seat and largest community in Newton County. Other towns include Morocco, Brook, and Goodland. All divorce filings in Newton County go to the Circuit Court at the Kentland courthouse. None of the towns in Newton County meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.
Nearby Counties
Newton County borders Lake County to the north, Jasper County to the south, Benton County to the east, and White County to the southeast. The western border is with Illinois. File your divorce case in the county where you or your spouse lives.