Monday, February 24, 2014

Illinois Free Divorce Records

By Ben Kingsley


Public records such as birth, death, criminal, marriage and divorce records are considered as public records and as such open to the public. There are however, some instances when the state would make the information accessible to only the people involved due to the nature of the files. In Illinois divorce records are generally made accessible to the parties included in the divorce or to the nearest family member.

Unlike other departments that can offer information pertaining to the request needed, The Illinois Department of Public Health Vital Records Division does not issue certified copies of the dissolution. What the division does is to verify the information requested by the person applying for the information. To verify the facts, one has to pay a $5 fee for the service. Verification is done in person, mailing the application form or faxing the form to the Vital Records office.

For mail requests, download the application for verification of dissolution of marriage record form. The file is in PDF format so one has to make sure that they have a PDF viewer to view the form. All the fields should be completed, as the Division will not process incomplete forms. Once the form is completed, mail the form together with a cheque or a money order amounting to $5. Make sure that the check is made payable to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Processing would take about a month's time.

For fax requests, complete the same form as that of the mail request. You can also send in your request by indicating on the cover sheet your request the names of the parties and the date when the dissolution was granted. Attach a copy of your credit card number and expiration date and any ID issued by the government; all documents should be valid. Make sure to include your written signature also. Fees to pay include the $5 for the marriage record, UPS shipping charge of $19.50 and additional $10 for credit card handling fee. UPS will not deliver the package to PO Box address, as the package requires an adult signature to verify the receipt of the package. Processing through fax requests take about a week.

For in-person requests, forms may be dropped at the Illinois Public Health Vital Records Division. The office is open weekdays from 10am to 3pm and processing can take up to three days. To claim the records, please show a valid ID with photo.

For certified true copy reports, one can call the County Clerk where the dissolution of marriage was approved. For guidelines on how to request the records, you can call the County's Public information Office or visit in-person during office hours. Processing time varies as the Office also accepts other requests.

For people who require the records of divorce for information purpose only, they can check out several sites that offer online access to such information. This is the fastest and most convenient way for one to find the information that they need without having to wait for a long time for it.




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