Perry County Divorce Decree Records

Divorce decree records in Perry County are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Perry County Courthouse in Cannelton, Indiana. If you need to find a divorce decree from this county, you can start with a basic case search through Indiana's statewide MyCase portal or contact the clerk's office directly. Certified copies of Perry County divorce decrees must be requested through the clerk since the full documents are not available for download online. This page explains how the process works, what it costs, and where to go for help.

Perry County Clerk of Courts

The Perry County Clerk of the Circuit Court in Cannelton is the official keeper of all court records filed in this county, including divorce decrees. The clerk's office is inside the Perry County Courthouse and is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Staff there can help you search for a case, get a copy of a decree, or answer questions about how the records system works in Perry County. The clerk handles not just divorce records but also marriage licenses, probate filings, and other civil and criminal court matters.

For the most current hours, fees, and contact information, visit the Indiana Judicial Branch page for Perry County. That page lists the courts operating in the county and provides contact details for the clerk's office. You can also call ahead before making the trip to Cannelton to make sure the office is open and that you have everything you need for your request.

Search Perry County Divorce Records Online

Indiana's public case search tool is called MyCase. It lets you search for divorce cases filed in Perry County by name or case number. The search is free and does not need a login. You can find party names, case numbers, filing dates, and upcoming court dates. What you cannot do is download or view the actual divorce decree document through MyCase. The portal gives you case information only.

If you find a case in MyCase and need the decree itself, you will need to contact the Perry County Clerk directly. Some older cases may not appear in the online system at all. Records filed before the courts started using electronic systems may only exist in paper form at the courthouse or at the Indiana State Archives. Starting with MyCase is still worthwhile because it can confirm a case exists before you make a records request.

Note: The Indiana Public Records Portal has additional tools and resources for locating court records statewide.

How to Get a Certified Perry County Divorce Decree

To get a certified copy of a divorce decree from Perry County, you have two main options: visit the clerk's office in person or send a request by mail. In-person visits during regular business hours are the fastest way to get what you need. Bring valid government-issued photo ID and any information you have about the case, including both parties' names, the year the divorce was filed, and the case number if you have it. Staff will search the records and provide copies once they locate the file.

For a mail request, write a letter to the Perry County Clerk's Office at the courthouse in Cannelton. Include the full legal names of both parties, the approximate year the divorce was granted, your case number if known, and a valid mailing address for your copies to be sent to. Also include payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call the clerk's office first to confirm the exact fee and acceptable payment methods before sending anything. Mail processing can take several business days depending on request volume.

Copy Fees for Perry County Divorce Decrees

Indiana courts use a statewide fee structure for certified copies. Since July 1, 2021, the cost to certify a document is $3.00 per certified copy. Copies of the document itself run $1.00 per page. So a certified divorce decree that is two pages long would cost $5.00 total: $2.00 for the pages plus $3.00 for the certification seal. A five-page decree would be $8.00 total. Non-certified plain copies cost just $1.00 per page with no certification fee, but these are typically only used for personal reference, not legal purposes.

If a divorce decree is very old and no longer held at the Perry County Courthouse, it may have been transferred to the Indiana State Archives at 6440 E. 30th St, Indianapolis, IN. The Archives can be reached at (317) 591-5220. They hold historic court records from counties across the state.

Note: Always call the Perry County Clerk before mailing payment to confirm current fees and what forms of payment they accept.

Indiana Divorce Laws That Apply in Perry County

Before a divorce can be filed in Perry County, at least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for six months and in Perry County for three months. This residency requirement is set by Indiana Code IC 31-15-2-6. If a person moved to Perry County recently and has not yet met the three-month mark, they would need to wait before filing or file in the county where they lived previously if they still meet that county's residency rules.

Indiana also has a mandatory waiting period built into the divorce process. Under IC 31-15-2-10, no divorce can be finalized before 60 days have passed from the date the petition was filed. The 60-day clock starts on the day the case is opened. The Perry County Circuit Court cannot enter a final divorce decree before that period expires. This waiting period is one reason why it can take at least two months from start to finish even in a straightforward uncontested case.

Indiana's Access to Public Records Act, found at IC 5-14-3, makes most court records including divorce decrees available to the public. You do not have to be a party to the divorce to request a copy. Certain sections of a case file may be sealed by a judge or redacted if they contain sensitive personal information like Social Security numbers or financial account data, but the decree itself is generally a public document in Perry County.

Court Structure for Perry County Divorce Cases

Perry County is part of Indiana's Judicial District 25, which covers Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Perry, Pike, and Spencer counties. The Perry County Circuit Court handles divorce filings and issues final decrees. The clerk's office maintains all filings from the time the petition is submitted through the entry of the final order.

For people who want to file for divorce or navigate the process without an attorney, Indiana provides a free self-help center through the courts. The Indiana Courts Self-Service Legal Center has step-by-step guides, plain-language forms, and instructions for dissolution of marriage cases. It covers everything from how to start a case to what to bring to court. Free legal help is also available through Indiana Legal Help, which can connect Perry County residents with legal aid services and family law resources.

The Indiana courts' public records guide explains the full process for requesting certified copies of court records including divorce decrees from Perry County and all other Indiana counties.

Perry County Divorce Decree Resources

Several online resources can help you find and request Perry County divorce decree records. The Indiana Judicial Branch site keeps a page for Perry County courts at in.gov/courts/local/perry-county with contact information and local court details. For statewide case searches, use MyCase. For guidance on how to request records formally, the courts public records request page lays out the full process.

If you need help navigating the process and are unsure where a particular case was filed, the Indiana courts' how-to page can point you in the right direction. Perry County sits in far southern Indiana near the Kentucky border, and some older cases involving people who lived near the state line may need extra research to track down.

Cities in Perry County

The county seat of Perry County is Cannelton, where the courthouse and clerk's office are located. Tell City and Troy are among the other communities in the county. None of the towns in Perry County meet the 25,000 population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All Perry County divorce decrees are on file at the Circuit Court in Cannelton regardless of which town in the county the parties lived in at the time of the divorce.

Nearby Counties

Neighboring county clerks each maintain their own divorce decree records; links to those pages are below.