Orange County Divorce Decree Records

Orange County divorce decree records are filed with the Circuit Clerk in Paoli, Indiana. Clerk Elizabeth (Liz) Jones maintains all court records for Orange County, including divorce filings and certified copies of decrees. The courthouse at 1 Court Street in Paoli is where all divorce cases in Orange County are heard and stored. This page explains how to search Orange County divorce decree records and how to get certified copies from the clerk.

Orange County Clerk of Courts

Clerk Elizabeth (Liz) Jones leads the Orange County Clerk of Courts at 1 Court Street in Paoli. Her office handles divorce case filings, maintains court records, and issues certified copies of decrees for cases heard in Orange County. You can reach the main clerk line at (812) 723-2649, and fax at (812) 723-0239. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. County email contact is countyclerk@orangecounty.in.gov.

The clerk office has multiple deputy clerks who handle divorce records and related court work. Deputy Clerk Heather DiBlasi is at extension 125, Deputy Clerk David Padgett is at extension 130, and Deputy Clerk Matt Tabor is at extension 123. Judge Owen of the Circuit Court can be reached at (812) 723-2411, extension 129, for court-related matters.

The Indiana Judicial Branch page for Orange County has current information on the local court system. Orange County is part of Judicial District 24, which also covers Crawford, Harrison, and Washington counties in southern Indiana.

Search Orange County Divorce Cases Online

The statewide MyCase Indiana portal gives free access to Orange County divorce case records. You can search by the names of the parties or by case number. Basic information including the filing date, case type, and current status shows up without charge. This is a convenient way to find a case from Orange County courts without visiting Paoli in person.

The Indiana Courts Public Records Portal is another state resource worth checking for Orange County cases. Between MyCase and the public portal, most recently filed Orange County divorce cases can be found online. Older cases from before the digital era may not appear. For those, contact the clerk directly and ask staff to do a manual search of Orange County court records.

The Indiana court directory PDF from the state has contact information for every court in Indiana, including Orange County. It is useful if you need to find a specific court or judge in the Orange County area.

Note: Online searches give case information only. Certified copies require a direct request to the Orange County Clerk's office in Paoli.

Getting Orange County Divorce Decree Copies

Certified copies of Orange County divorce decrees cost $3 per document under the Indiana statewide fee schedule effective July 1, 2021. Page copies are $1 per page. A certified one-page decree runs $4 total. The clerk can tell you the total cost once staff locates your file and counts the pages.

In-person requests go to the clerk at 1 Court Street in Paoli. Bring a valid photo ID. For mail requests, include a written request with the full names of both parties, the approximate divorce date, any case number you have, a copy of your ID, and a check or money order for the fee. Mail to the courthouse address directly since Orange County does not list a separate PO Box for court records requests. The clerk will mail the certified copy back to your return address.

Orange County divorce decrees are public records under IC 5-14-3, Indiana's Access to Public Records Act. Any member of the public can request them. You do not need to be a party to the case or prove a special interest. The clerk must respond to lawful requests and cannot refuse to provide copies of public court records.

Indiana Divorce Law in Orange County

Divorce cases in Orange County follow Indiana state law. IC 31-15-2-6 requires one spouse to live in Indiana for six months and in Orange County for three months before filing. Orange County is in south-central Indiana near the Kentucky border. Confirm you meet the local residency requirement before filing here, since the court can dismiss a case that does not meet it.

The 60-day waiting period under IC 31-15-2-10 applies to every divorce filed in Orange County. After you file the petition, the court cannot sign the final decree for at least 60 days. Both spouses agreeing on all issues does not shorten the wait. After the 60 days pass, the court can hold a final hearing and sign the divorce decree. The Orange County Clerk then records and stores that decree as the official court record.

Orange County courts serve a rural population and handle a relatively low volume of divorce cases compared to urban Indiana counties. This can mean faster scheduling and quicker processing in some situations, but the same Indiana statutes and procedures apply regardless of county size.

What Orange County Divorce Decrees Cover

An Orange County divorce decree is the final court order that ends a marriage. It names both spouses, records the date of the divorce, and sets out all terms the court ordered or the parties agreed to. Property division, debt responsibility, child custody and visitation, child support amounts, and spousal maintenance all appear in the decree when they apply to the case.

The full case file at the Orange County Courthouse includes more than just the final decree. The original petition, any temporary orders, financial disclosures, and agreements the parties reached are also part of the file. Most people only need the final decree for personal or legal use. If you need earlier documents from the file, ask the clerk what is available and get a cost estimate before ordering copies.

Older Orange County divorce records going back many decades may not be in the digital system. The Indiana State Archives at 6440 E. 30th St in Indianapolis, phone (317) 591-5220, holds historical court records from all Indiana counties including Orange County. If you need records from the early or mid-1900s, the archives may be the right place to look after checking with the county clerk.

Legal Resources for Orange County Residents

The Orange County staff directory lists all clerk deputies and their direct extensions for divorce decree records requests in Paoli.

The staff directory above shows direct extensions for each deputy clerk in Orange County, which can speed up your request when you know which staff member handles divorce records.

Indiana Legal Help provides free information on divorce law and procedures for all Indiana counties, including Orange County. The site explains what to expect at each stage of an Indiana divorce and has links to court forms and legal aid referrals. Low-income residents of Orange County may qualify for free representation from legal aid organizations that serve southern Indiana.

The Indiana Self-Service Center has official court forms for Orange County divorce cases and instructions on how to fill them out. This is useful for people who want to handle their own divorce without hiring an attorney. Both resources are free and maintained by state agencies.

Note: These resources provide general information on Indiana law. For advice on your specific Orange County divorce case, consult a licensed Indiana attorney who practices family law.

Cities in Orange County

Paoli is the county seat of Orange County and the location of the courthouse. French Lick and West Baden Springs are other well-known communities in the county. All divorce filings from Paoli, French Lick, and the rest of Orange County go to the Circuit Court in Paoli. None of these cities reach the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site.

Nearby Counties

Orange County borders these Indiana counties. File your divorce case in the county where you or your spouse lives under the residency rules in IC 31-15-2-6.