Orange Divorce Records Database

Orange is the county seat of Orange County, so many people come here to access divorce records. The Lamoreaux Justice Center at 341 The City Drive South in Orange is the main family law courthouse for the county. The Family Law Division is on the seventh floor. Call (657) 622-8457 for help with family law matters. Hours are 8:00 in the morning to noon, then 1:00 in the afternoon to 4:00. The court also has the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana where some older records are stored. Records Management for cases before 1968 is on the first floor at 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana. Call (657) 622-6878 for records questions. Orange County has an online family law portal at fampub.occourts.org where you can search for divorce cases. The system is free to search. To get a certified copy of a divorce decree, the fee is fifteen dollars. Other certified documents cost forty dollars plus fifty cents per page. Mail requests can take thirty to forty-five days to process.

Orange County Family Court

The Lamoreaux Justice Center in Orange is the main courthouse for family law in Orange County. This building at 341 The City Drive South handles all new divorce filings. The Family Law Division is on the seventh floor. Family Court Services is on the fifth floor. These offices can help with filing, mediation, and case management. Call (657) 622-8457 for general family law questions. Hours are 8:00 AM to noon and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00.

Orange County also has the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. This courthouse at 700 Civic Center Drive West has a Records Management office on the first floor. This office handles cases filed before 1968. If you need a very old divorce record, you may need to contact this location. Call (657) 622-6878 for help with historical records.

When you file for divorce in Orange, the case gets a case number and goes into the county system. The case is assigned to the Lamoreaux Justice Center. All documents you file become part of the court record. This includes the petition, response, financial forms, and the final judgment. The court keeps these files permanently. Recent cases from 1990 onward are available on computer terminals at the courthouse. Dissolution cases from 1997 onward are in the online system.

Search Online Portal

Orange County has a dedicated family law portal at fampub.occourts.org. This portal is for searching family law cases including divorce. You can search by party name or case number. The system is free to use. You do not need to create an account. Just go to the site and enter your search info.

To search by name, enter the last name and first name of one party. If you have the case number, enter that instead. The portal shows a list of matching cases. Click on a case to see the Register of Actions. This is a log of all filings and events in the case. You can see when the petition was filed, when the response came in, when hearings happened, and when the judgment was entered.

The portal covers dissolution cases from 1997 to the present. If you need a case from before 1997, you may need to call the court or visit in person. Cases from 1990 to 1997 are on computer terminals at the courthouse but not in the online portal. Cases before 1990 may be on microfiche or stored in archive boxes.

Orange County has historical records going back to 1889. If you need a very old divorce record, contact the Records Management office. They can help locate archived files. Processing times for old files can be longer because the clerk needs to pull the file from storage.

Request Certified Copies

A certified copy of a divorce decree has the court seal and clerk signature. You need this for official uses like remarriage or name changes. To get a certified copy in person, go to the Family Law Division at the Lamoreaux Justice Center. The division is on the seventh floor at 341 The City Drive South in Orange. Bring the case number if you have it. If not, bring the names of both parties and the year the divorce was filed or finalized.

Tell the clerk you need a certified copy of the divorce decree. The clerk will look up the case and tell you the fee. A certified divorce decree is fifteen dollars. Other certified documents cost forty dollars plus fifty cents per page. Pay at the counter with cash, check, or card. If the file is on-site, the clerk may be able to provide your copy the same day. If the file is in storage, it may take longer.

Orange County also has a copy request form available on their website. Form L-0696 is the Copy Request form. Form L-0006 is the Record Search form if you do not have the case number. You can fill out these forms and submit them in person or by mail. The court processes requests in the order they arrive.

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 made out to Orange County Superior Court. Mail to: Orange County Superior Court, Lamoreaux Justice Center, Family Law Division, 341 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868. Do not send cash. The court will process your request and mail the copy to you. Mail orders can take thirty to forty-five days depending on the workload and whether the file is on-site or in storage.

California Divorce Laws

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

California uses no-fault divorce. You do not need to prove fault or wrongdoing. You just state there are irreconcilable differences. This means the marriage is broken and cannot be repaired. Family Code Section 2310 lists the two grounds for divorce. Irreconcilable differences is what most people use. The other is incurable insanity, which is rarely used.

Once the court enters a judgment, you must wait six months before the divorce is final. The six months start from when the respondent was served with the divorce papers. After six months pass and the judge signs the judgment, the divorce is complete. Both parties are single and can remarry. Family Code Section 2339 explains the waiting period.

Divorce records are public in California. Anyone can request a copy of a divorce decree. Some documents may be sealed like financial disclosures or custody evaluations. But the basic fact of the divorce and the final judgment are open records.

How to File for Divorce

To start a divorce in Orange County, file form FL-100, Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, and form FL-110, Summons. You can get these forms at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/divorce-forms. All California courts use the same forms. 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 looks at your income and expenses and may waive all or part of the fee.

After you file, you must serve the other party. 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 person who serves the papers fills out a Proof of Service form. You file this with the court to show that service happened. The other party has thirty days to respond. If they do not respond, you can ask for a default. If both parties agree, you can file a stipulated judgment. If you disagree, you may need mediation or a trial.

• FL-100 Petition form
• FL-110 Summons form
• FL-120 Response form
• Financial disclosure documents
• FL-180 Judgment form

Legal Help Resources

Orange County has 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. The court also has a self-help center where staff can answer questions about the process. They cannot give legal advice but they can guide you through forms and steps.

If you need a lawyer and cannot afford one, contact Legal Aid Society of Orange County. They help low-income people with family law cases. Call to see if you qualify. The Orange County Bar Association also offers a lawyer referral service. You can get connected with an attorney for a reduced-rate consultation.

Many people in California represent themselves in divorce cases. This is allowed by law. The court provides forms and instructions. You must follow all rules and deadlines. If you get stuck or have questions, ask the self-help center or consult a lawyer. Some lawyers offer limited scope services where they help with part of your case while you handle the rest yourself.