Search Murrieta Divorce Records

When you need to find divorce records for someone who lived in Murrieta, start with Riverside County Superior Court. Murrieta is in southwestern Riverside County, so all family law cases from this city go through the county court system. The Riverside Family Law Courthouse at 4175 Main Street in Riverside is where divorce petitions get filed and where records are kept. You can search cases online using the public portal or visit the courthouse to request copies in person. The online system lets you look up a case by name or case number at no cost for basic info. If you need certified documents, there is a fee. The court has divorce records that date back decades. Older files may be stored off-site and can take longer to pull. Most recent cases appear in the electronic system within a day or two of filing.

Where Murrieta Files Are Stored

Riverside County keeps all divorce files at the Family Law Courthouse in Riverside. This is the central records location for family cases across the entire county. Even though Murrieta has a local courthouse at 41002 County Center Drive, family law filing and records stay in Riverside. The Murrieta courthouse may handle some hearings, but you cannot get copies of divorce records there. You must go to Riverside or use the online system.

Each divorce case gets a unique case number when it is filed. The case number helps you find the file later. It also helps the court track all the documents and hearings. If you know the case number, searching is easy. Type it into the online portal and the case pops up. If you do not have the case number, you can search by the names of the people who got divorced. The system shows all cases that match the name. You then look through the list to find the right one.

Files include many types of documents. The petition is the paper that starts the case. The response is the reply from the other spouse. Financial disclosures show income, debts, and assets. Settlement agreements spell out how the couple divides property and handles custody or support. The judgment is the final order that ends the marriage. All these papers get filed with the court and become part of the permanent record.

Use the Online Portal

Riverside County has an online case portal at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov. This portal is free to use for searching. You can type in a name and see if there are any divorce cases on file. The search results show the case number, filing date, and case type. Click on a case to see the Register of Actions. This is a log of every filing and event in the case.

The portal does not show every document. Family law cases have privacy rules. Some financial forms and reports stay confidential. But you can see the basic timeline of the case. You can see when the petition was filed, when the respondent was served, when hearings took place, and when the judgment was entered. For many people, this is enough info to confirm that a divorce happened and when it became final.

If you want to download actual documents, the portal may let you do that for a fee. Riverside County charges one dollar per name search if you are not a registered user. You can also buy search packages. Five searches cost $3.50. Ten cost five bucks. Seventy-five cost twenty-five dollars. Unlimited searches for thirty days cost $250. Documents have their own fees. The price depends on how many pages you download.

For official purposes like getting remarried or changing your name on ID, you need a certified copy. The online portal may let you order a certified copy and have it mailed to you. Or you can go to the courthouse and get it in person. A certified copy has the court seal and signature from the clerk. This proves the document is real and has not been altered.

Visit the Courthouse

The Riverside Family Law Courthouse is at 4175 Main Street in Riverside, CA 92501. Phone hours are 7:30 in the morning to 2:00 in the afternoon. Call (951) 777-3147 if you have questions before you go. The clerks can tell you if the file you need is on-site or stored elsewhere. They can also tell you the exact fee based on the number of pages in your decree.

When you get to the courthouse, go to the records window. Tell the clerk you need a copy of a divorce decree. Give them the case number if you have it. If not, give them the full names of both parties and the year the divorce was filed or finalized. The clerk will look up the case and tell you the cost. The standard fee for a certified divorce decree is fifteen dollars. Each page after the first few costs fifty cents. Most decrees are only a few pages.

If the file is on-site, the clerk can often print your copy the same day. You pay at the window and wait while they prepare the document. If the file is off-site at a storage facility, you may need to come back another day or have the copy mailed to you. Off-site retrieval can take a few days up to a few weeks depending on the backlog.

Bring a valid ID when you go to the courthouse. The clerk may ask for it. Also bring cash, a check, or a card to pay the fee. The court accepts all these payment types at the counter. Checks should be made out to Riverside Superior Court.

Request By Mail

You can send a written request to get a divorce decree by mail. Write a letter that includes the names of both parties, the case number if you have it, and the approximate date of the divorce. State that you want a certified copy of the divorce decree. Include a check or money order for fifteen dollars plus extra for any additional pages. Make the check out to Riverside Superior Court. Mail your request to: Riverside County Superior Court, Family Law Courthouse, 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501.

Do not send cash in the mail. If the court cannot find the case, they will return your check. If the cost is higher than what you sent, they may contact you for more money. Allow two to four weeks for mail requests. The court processes these in the order they arrive. During busy times, it may take longer.

Include your return address clearly on the letter and on the envelope. The clerk will mail the certified copy to that address. If you need the copy sent somewhere else, say so in your letter. Some people have the copy sent to a lawyer or another person who needs it for a legal matter.

Divorce Law in California

California has specific rules for divorce. To file, you must live in California for six months and in the county where you file for three months. This is the residency requirement in Family Code Section 2320. If you just moved to Murrieta, wait until you meet the time requirement before filing in Riverside County.

California uses no-fault divorce. You do not need to prove your spouse did something wrong. You just say there are irreconcilable differences. This means the marriage is broken and cannot be fixed. Family Code Section 2310 lists the two grounds for divorce in California. Irreconcilable differences is the most common. The other is incurable insanity, which almost no one uses.

Once the court enters a judgment, you wait six months for it to become final. The six months start from when the other spouse was served with the divorce papers. After six months pass and the judge signs the judgment, the divorce is done. Both people can remarry. Family Code Section 2339 explains the waiting period.

Divorce records are public in California. Anyone can ask for a copy of a divorce decree from the court. Some financial details and custody reports may be sealed. But the basic fact of the divorce and the final judgment are open to the public. This is why you can search online and order copies even if you were not part of the case.

How to File for Divorce

To start a divorce case in Riverside County, you file a petition with the court. The main form is FL-100, Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. You also file FL-110, Summons. Both forms are available at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-forms. The forms are the same statewide. You can download and print them for free.

The filing fee is around $435 to $450. If you cannot afford it, fill out form FW-001 to request a fee waiver. The court reviews your income and expenses. If you qualify, they waive the fee. You may also get a partial waiver if you can pay some but not all.

After filing, you must serve the other party. You cannot do this yourself. Someone over 18 who is not involved in the case must deliver the papers. You can hire a process server or use the sheriff. There is a fee for using the sheriff. Once served, the server fills out a Proof of Service and you file it with the court.

The other party has thirty days to respond. If they do not, you can ask for a default. If both parties agree, you can file a stipulated judgment and speed things up. If you disagree, you may go to a hearing or trial. Most cases settle through negotiation.

• FL-100 Petition to start the case
• FL-110 Summons to notify the other party
• FL-120 Response for the other spouse
• Financial disclosure forms
• FL-180 Judgment to finalize the divorce

Get Help With Your Case

Riverside County offers a Family Law Facilitator office. They provide free help with child support and some family law issues. They can explain forms and procedures. They do not represent you in court. Call to ask if they can help your case. The court also has a self-help center where staff can guide you through forms and steps. They cannot give legal advice but they can explain the process.

If you need a lawyer and cannot afford one, try Legal Aid. Inland Counties Legal Services helps low-income people with family law cases in Riverside County. Call to see if you qualify. The Riverside County Bar Association also has a lawyer referral service. You can get a consultation at a reduced rate.

Many people in California handle their own divorce without a lawyer. This is allowed. The court provides forms and instructions. You must follow all rules and deadlines. If you are not sure what to do, ask the self-help center or consult a lawyer for advice.