Family courts handle legal matters such as divorce, child custody, and paternity. Records can be accessed online, in person, or by mail for a fee. Certified copies may be required and cannot be printed from the internet.
In many jurisdictions there is a court specifically designated to handle family law matters. Common examples of legal matters handled in a family court include divorce, paternity, and child support. Copies of family court records may be needed for a variety of reasons. In most cases, family court records are considered public records and can easily be accessed online, in person, or by mail.
Family courts are specialized courts formed to handle all types of cases affecting the family, such as divorce, child custody and maintenance, as well as establishing paternity. Because many family law matters have a direct effect on children, many court systems have designated a special court to hear sensitive legal matters involving children. While family law court may be a special court, it is still part of the general legal system. As such, family court records can usually be accessed in the same way that other civil lawsuit records are obtained.
Many court systems have a fairly extensive Internet presence. The easiest way to access family court records is to locate them through the court’s website, if possible. Anyone looking for family court records should perform an Internet search for the court system in which the family court is located. Once you locate the website, look for the clerk of the court office and once there, look for an option to “search documents” or something similar. In many cases, this will provide the required records, although a fee may be required to search or print the records.
If the court system does not provide an option to search for records online, family court records should be available by mail or in person. Again, a fee may be required and the court may have specific procedures for requesting papers, making a phone call a good place to start. Generally, when documents are requested by post, the more information that can be provided, the more likely it is that the Registry will be able to locate the correct documents.
Sometimes certified copies of family court records are needed. A certified copy is a copy bearing the registrar’s stamp and signature attesting to the authenticity of the document. Divorce decrees, custody orders, and paternity orders are common examples of family court records that often need to be certified. It is not possible to print a certified copy from the Internet, although it may be possible to order one. There is generally a fee to obtain a certified copy.
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