Oakland Divorce Records Search

Oakland residents file for divorce at Alameda County Superior Court. The main courthouse in Oakland is the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse at 661 Washington Street. This building handles many types of cases including family law. For divorce filings and records, the Hayward Hall of Justice at 24405 Amador Street in Hayward is the primary family law location. You can call (510) 690-2702 for family law questions. The county also has a central records office at 2233 Shoreline Drive in Alameda. Call (510) 891-6005 for records requests. Hours are 8:30 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. Alameda County offers online case portals where you can search for divorce cases by name or number. The system shows basic case info for free. Getting copies costs extra. A certified divorce decree runs fifteen dollars plus fifty cents per page after the first page. If a file is stored off-site, there is a ten dollar retrieval fee and it can take extra time to get your documents.

Alameda County Court Locations

Alameda County has multiple courthouse locations. Oakland has the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse right in the city at 661 Washington Street. This is a big courthouse that handles criminal, civil, and some family cases. For most family law matters including divorce, cases get assigned to the Hayward Hall of Justice. This courthouse at 24405 Amador Street in Hayward has a dedicated Family Law Division. Phone support for family law is (510) 690-2702.

The county stores divorce records at different places depending on the case. Current files may be at the courthouse where the case is assigned. Older files often go to off-site storage. The central records office is in Alameda at 2233 Shoreline Drive. This office can help with requests for older cases or files that are not at the courthouse. Call (510) 891-6005 to ask where a specific file is located. Staff can tell you if it is on-site or if they need to retrieve it from storage.

When you file for divorce in Oakland, the case goes into the Alameda County system. You get a case number that starts with the letters that indicate the case type. Dissolution cases are family law cases. The case number helps you track the file and find it later when you need copies. Keep your case number in a safe place. You will need it any time you search for the case or request documents.

Search Cases Online

Alameda County has two online portals for case searches. The older system is the eCourt Portal. The newer system is the Odyssey Public Portal. Both let you search by name or case number. You can use either one depending on which works better for you. The portals are free to search. You do not need to create an account to look up basic case info.

To search, go to the portal and enter a party name. Type the last name first, then the first name. If you have the case number, you can enter that instead. The system shows a list of matching cases. Click on a case to see the Register of Actions. This is a timeline of everything that happened in the case. You see when the petition was filed, when hearings took place, and when the judgment was entered. Some documents may be available to view or download. Family law cases have restrictions on what the public can see. Financial forms and custody evaluations are usually sealed.

The Odyssey Portal is at publicportal.alameda.courts.ca.gov. The older eCourt Portal is at a different URL. Both systems pull from the same database so you should find the same cases in either portal. If one is down or not working, try the other.

Searching is free but downloading documents may cost money. The court sets fees for document access. A certified copy of a divorce decree is fifteen dollars. Each extra page costs fifty cents. If you need the court to pull a file from off-site storage, add ten dollars for retrieval. You can order copies online through the portal or go to the courthouse in person.

Request Certified Copies

A certified copy has the court seal and clerk signature. You need this for official uses like remarriage, name changes, or government forms. The online portal may let you order a certified copy and have it mailed. Or you can go to the records office in person. The in-person option is faster if you need the document right away.

To get a copy in person, go to the central records office at 2233 Shoreline Drive in Alameda. Hours are 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Bring the case number if you have it. If not, bring 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 fee. Pay at the counter and the clerk will prepare your copy. If the file is on-site, you may get it the same day. If it is off-site, you may need to come back or have it mailed.

For mail requests, write a letter with the case number or party names and approximate date. Say you want a certified copy of the divorce decree. Include a check or money order for fifteen dollars plus extra for pages and retrieval if needed. Make the check out to Alameda Superior Court. Mail to: Alameda County Superior Court, Records Office, 2233 Shoreline Drive, Alameda, CA 94501. Do not send cash. The court will mail your copy to the return address on your letter. Allow a few weeks for processing.

Note: The ten dollar off-site retrieval fee applies if the file is not at the main office. The clerk can tell you ahead of time if this fee will apply. Budget extra time for off-site files. It can take several days or even weeks to get the file back to the office for copying.

California Divorce Requirements

To file for divorce in California, one spouse must live in the state for at least six months. The same person must live in the county where they file for at least three months. Family Code Section 2320 sets these residency rules. If you just moved to Oakland, wait until you meet the time requirement before filing in Alameda County.

California is a no-fault state. You do not have to prove your spouse did anything wrong. You just state there are irreconcilable differences. This means the marriage cannot be saved. Family Code Section 2310 lists the two grounds for divorce. Irreconcilable differences is what most people use. The other option is incurable insanity, which is rare.

After the court enters a judgment, there is a six month wait before the divorce is final. The six months start when the respondent was served with the divorce papers. Once six months pass and the judge signs the judgment, both parties are legally single. They can remarry if they want. Family Code Section 2339 explains this waiting period.

Divorce records are public. Anyone can request a copy of a divorce decree. Some parts of the file may be confidential like financial disclosures or custody reports. But the fact that a divorce happened and the final judgment are open records. This allows people to verify marital status or get copies for legal reasons.

How to Start a Divorce Case

To file for divorce in Alameda County, fill out the petition form FL-100 and summons form FL-110. Both forms are available at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-forms. California courts use the same statewide forms. Download and print them for free. You file these forms with the court clerk and pay a filing fee of around $435 to $450.

If you cannot afford the fee, request a fee waiver using form FW-001. The court looks at your income and expenses. If you qualify, they waive most or all fees. You may get a partial waiver if you can pay some of the fee but not all.

After filing, you must serve the other party. You cannot do this yourself. Someone over 18 who is not part of the case must deliver the papers. You can hire a process server or use the sheriff. The server fills out a Proof of Service form after delivery. You file this form with the court to show that service happened.

The other spouse has thirty days to respond. If they do not respond, you can ask for a default judgment. If both parties agree on everything, you can file a stipulated judgment. This speeds things up. If you disagree on issues, you may need mediation or a trial. Most cases settle before trial.

• FL-100 to file the petition
• FL-110 summons for the other party
• FL-120 response form
• Financial disclosure documents
• FL-180 judgment form
• FL-700 joint petition for simple cases (new in 2026)

Free Legal Assistance

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

If you need a lawyer but cannot afford one, contact Bay Area Legal Aid. This organization helps low-income residents in Alameda County with family law cases. Call to see if you qualify for free legal help. The Alameda County Bar Association also runs a lawyer referral service. You can get connected with an attorney who offers a reduced-rate consultation.

Many people represent themselves in divorce cases. California law allows this. The court provides forms and instructions. You are responsible for following all rules and deadlines. If you get stuck, ask the self-help center or talk to a lawyer for guidance. Some people hire a lawyer just for advice while handling most of the case themselves. This is called limited scope representation or unbundled services.