Looking up divorce records in New York is more restricted than looking up records in many other places. Domestic Relations Law section 235 keeps the underlying court file confidential for 100 years from the filing date, which means most divorce records cannot be searched freely by members of the public. What can be looked up is more limited, and the process depends on what the requester actually needs and who they are. Clients calling Roven Law Group often need to confirm whether a divorce occurred, locate a copy of their own judgment, or research a divorce as part of an estate or property matter.
Here is how to look up New York divorce records and where to direct each type of request.
Identify What You Actually Need
Three different documents commonly get lumped together under the phrase “divorce records.” The Judgment of Divorce is the court order signed by the judge and entered by the county clerk that ends the marriage. It contains the substantive terms of the divorce and is held in the case file at the county clerk’s office. Access is restricted under section 235 to the parties, their attorneys, and authorized representatives.
The Certificate of Divorce is an administrative record issued by the New York State Department of Health. It confirms that a divorce occurred and identifies the parties, the date, and the county of filing, but does not include the substantive terms. The certificate is the document most often needed for remarriage, name changes, and benefits applications.
The case docket is the publicly visible record of the case’s existence. It shows the parties’ names, the index number, the filing date, and the entry date of the judgment. The docket can be searched online through the Unified Court System’s case lookup tool, even when the underlying file is not accessible.
Searching the Court Docket Through eCourts
The New York State Unified Court System operates a free online case lookup tool called eCourts at iapps.courts.state.ny.us. The tool allows users to search Supreme Court cases by party name or index number. Matrimonial cases appear in the search results because the existence of a case is part of the public docket, even though the contents of the file are sealed. A search by party name typically returns the index number, the county where the case was filed, the filing date, and the current status. Searches work best when the user knows the full legal name of one of the parties at the time of filing and the approximate year of the divorce.
Requesting a Certificate of Divorce
For administrative purposes that require simple proof a divorce occurred, the Certificate of Divorce from the New York State Department of Health is usually the right document. Certificates for divorces granted on or after January 1, 1963 are available through the Department’s vital records portal, by mail, or in person at the office in Albany. The current fee is $30 per certified copy. For divorces granted before January 1, 1963, the request goes to the county clerk’s office where the case was filed.
The Department of Health limits who can order the certificate. Either party to the divorce can order it. Direct descendants, estate representatives, and authorized agents acting on behalf of one of the parties can also order it with proper documentation. Other third parties generally cannot.
Requesting the Judgment of Divorce
When the substantive terms of the divorce matter, the request goes to the county clerk’s office where the case was filed. Each county maintains its own records. The party to the divorce, or an attorney of record, can request a certified copy by providing the index number, the names of the parties, and the year of filing, along with a fee that varies by county but typically runs from $5 to $25.
A non-party requesting the Judgment of Divorce faces a higher bar. Section 235 limits access to the parties and their attorneys, with limited exceptions. A non-party requester needs a court order authorizing access before the clerk will release a copy. New York courts grant these orders when the requester has a legitimate legal interest, such as a beneficiary or estate representative.
Looking Up Divorces in the Five Boroughs
For divorces filed in any of the five boroughs of New York City, the same Department of Health process applies for certificates. The Judgment of Divorce, however, is held at the county clerk’s office of the borough where the case was filed: New York County for Manhattan, Kings County for Brooklyn, Bronx County, Queens County, or Richmond County for Staten Island. Each borough has its own request procedures, fee schedules, and processing times. Sending a request to the wrong borough is one of the most common reasons people experience delays.
Older, Sealed, and Out-of-State Records
Older cases sometimes produce missing or misfiled records. The first step is confirming the index number through the county clerk’s records office or through eCourts. Files that predate electronic filing may have been moved to long-term storage, and retrieval can take several weeks. Some divorces have additional sealing orders beyond the standard section 235 protection, particularly cases involving domestic violence or minor children. A request for records in a fully sealed case requires a motion to unseal, filed in the original matrimonial part. If the divorce was granted in another jurisdiction, the records remain with the original court.
How Roven Law Group Helps With Records Requests
Looking up a New York divorce record is straightforward when the case is recent and the requester is a party, but the process can stall when older filings, sealed records, or non-party requests are involved. Roven Law Group helps clients identify which document they need, request it from the correct office, and handle the court motions when access is restricted. The firm represents clients in matrimonial proceedings across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Schedule a consultation if you are having trouble locating or obtaining the documentation from a New York divorce.