Access Free Lake County Ohio Divorce Records on Anybody

Seаrсh free Lake County Ohio divorce records to finԁ ԁetаils аbout the inԁiviԁuаls involveԁ in the dissolution рroсess.

These records provide a lot of information, such as when and where the divorce took place, why the couple split up, and facts about each person involved.

They also provide data on child custody or support and how the assets were divided between the individuals. This article explains all you need to know, including how to find these divorce records in Lake County for free or at a minimal cost through county and state offices or search tools.

How To Conduct a Free Lake County Ohio Divorce Records Lookup

In 1954, Ohio legislatures passed a law called the Open Records Act.¹ This act gives all citizens the right to access public records anytime they need them.

The divorce or dissolution records for Lake County are maintained by the Clerk of Courts Office. These records can be accessed freely on their public case search website.² You can look into cases dating back to 1990 and inspect document images.

However, one thing worth noting is that images are currently not available for divorce and dissolution cases. Once here, you will then be able to view case records through multiple options, including case number, name, case type, action code and advanced attorney.

To search by name, you will need to enter the first and last names of either of the parties involved in the process. To narrow down the search, you can select ‘[DR] Divorce’ from the ‘Case Types’ section and hit the search button.

After this, you will see all of the details pertaining to the case, such as the parties involved, the sequence of events, the case number, the name of the judge who adjudicated the case and all of the details.

However, sometimes, you need a document that is not viewable on the public site. In that case, you will need to send an email request to [email protected] or contact the Clerk of Courts Office at the following:

Lake County Clerk of Courts
25 N. Park Place
Painesville, Ohio, 44077-3416

Phone: 440-350-2657
Office Hours: Weekdays (8:00 am – 4:30 pm)

The Clerk of Courts Office sends non-certified records via email for free. However, if you need a certified or hard copy, they charge $0.10 per page and $1 for the certification stamp – excluding the postal charges.

After your order is ready, you will get an invoice from the clerk’s office detailing the charges.

Once paid up, expect your mail delivery soon after. For expedited service by email, attach details like the case number and documents needed in your request with the names of the married parties and the relevant year.

Search Divorce Records at the State Level via the Ohio Department of Health

In Ohio, if you need certified copies of a marriage license or a divorce certificate, then it’s important to note that the state doesn’t have a centralized system that maintains these records. Courts in every county are responsible for maintaining this documentation; this also applies to finding divorce records in Lake County.

However, there is no statewide index that keeps records of divorces held before 1954. To get a divorce record predating 1954, you have to know where the dissolution took place. If you are unsure about it, try looking at the U.S. Census Records to find out where the couple lived before or after their separation.⁴

Although the Ohio Department of Health holds a vast collection of data relating to marriages and divorces and maintains this in huge collection indexes, this only includes details from 1990 up until 2020.⁵ These divorce indexes can be reviewed to track family history, genealogy research and lineage info.⁶

The details give information on how many times a person got married or was divorced, highlighting cases with children involved. They also provide marriage and divorce rates per 100,000 citizens for each year, which may prove beneficial for policy makers and scholars in understanding the causes and consequences of such.

However, it must also be noted that the information contained in these indexes pertains to formal marriages and doesn’t cover common law divorces. This is because common law marriages were abolished in 1991 in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3105.12.⁸

The Archives & Library of Ohio History Connection also keeps divorce records from certain parts of Ohio but not all places.⁹ Remember though, these collections don’t cover every year and vary by region. You can use their Online Collections Catalog to check what kinds of court documents or officially recorded files are available there; just search using county name, court name or type of document.

Another way to get hold of these records is through their Index Vital Records Request Form. You will be required to provide details like your name, what type of records you’re searching for and the specific archive number, along with $18 per person/record fee payable in cheque or money order made under the name of Ohio History Connection.

The record request form then has to be mailed to the following address:

Archives & Library
Ohio History of Connection
800 E. 17th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43211

Phone: 614-297-2510
Email: [email protected]

Apart from the above, you can also contact your county’s Clerk of Court’s Office and inquire about the availability of the records.

Can Anyone in Lake County Ohio View Public Divorce Records?

Ohio’s laws let anyone search public divorce records. This rule is part of the Ohio open records law, found in section 149.43 of their legal code.¹ You don’t need a reason to look at these records and you can ask for them without giving your name.

The law says there are no rules on how people use these records and some counties let you submit your request through mail or online portals directly. If you want a copy of a divorce record from Lake County or any other part of Ohio, you will need to get in touch with the Clerk of Courts Office of that particular county.

However, remember some records are not open to everyone because the court has marked them as private.

Additionally, people can also get confused between the terms like divorce papers and decrees. The former refers to all the documents needed for the divorce process. This includes official forms like the petition for dissolution of marriage or summons.

On the other hand, a divorce decree is simply a court order that ends your marriage. It contains information about child support, custody, visitation and property division, among other details. To obtain certified copies of these documents, you can get in touch with the Clerk of Courts Office of your county.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to find these records publicly; however, apart from the official resources, you can also use third-party websites to look for divorce records. These are not government sponsored but can offer varying levels of detail that might prove useful in the research.

In conclusion, searching for Lake County Ohio divorce records is best done through the official government websites and methods that have been highlighted in the article.