Oxnard Divorce Records

Oxnard is in Ventura County, so divorce records for Oxnard residents are kept at Ventura County Superior Court. The main Hall of Justice is at 800 South Victoria Avenue in Ventura. The Records Department is in Room 218. Call (805) 289-8668 for records help. Hours are 8:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon. Oxnard also has a Juvenile Courthouse at 4353 Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard. The Records Office there is in Room 122. Call (805) 289-8820. This location handles some family law cases and records for the Oxnard area. Ventura County has an online case portal at ventura.ecourt.com where you can search for divorce cases by name or case number. Searching is free. A certified divorce decree costs fifteen dollars and includes all pages at no extra charge. Other certified documents cost forty dollars plus fifty cents per page. The court can search up to fifteen names for the standard fifteen dollar search fee. Family law database records go back to September 1, 1991.

Ventura County Court System

Ventura County has two main locations for family law records. The Hall of Justice in Ventura is the main courthouse for the county. This building at 800 South Victoria Avenue has the Records Department in Room 218. Call (805) 289-8668 for help. Hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Most divorce cases for the county are filed and stored here.

The Juvenile Courthouse in Oxnard also has a Records Office. This courthouse is at 4353 Vineyard Avenue in Oxnard. The Records Office is in Room 122. Call (805) 289-8820. This location is convenient for Oxnard residents who need to get copies of records in person. The staff can help with requests for cases filed in Oxnard or elsewhere in the county.

When you file for divorce in Oxnard, the case goes into the Ventura County system. You get a case number. The court assigns the case to a judge and a courtroom. All documents you file become part of the permanent record. This includes the petition, response, financial forms, and the final judgment. The court keeps these files indefinitely.

Ventura County has family law database records going back to September 1, 1991. Cases before that date may be on microfiche or in paper files. If you need a very old divorce record, the clerk can help locate it. Processing times for older files can be longer because the clerk needs to pull the file from storage.

Search Cases Online

Ventura County has an online case portal at ventura.ecourt.com/public-portal. This portal lets you search for cases by name or case number. The system is free to use for basic searches. 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 cases from September 1, 1991 to the present. If you need a case from before 1991, you may need to call the court or visit in person. The clerk can search older records for you. There is a search fee of fifteen dollars if the search takes more than ten minutes. The court can search up to fifteen names for one search fee.

Some documents may be available to view or download online. Family law cases have privacy rules. Financial disclosures and custody evaluations are usually sealed. But the basic case info and the final judgment are public. You can see the outcome of the case and when it was finalized.

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 Records Department at the Hall of Justice in Ventura or the Juvenile Courthouse in Oxnard. 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. This price includes all pages of the decree at no extra charge. This is different from some counties that charge per page. 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.

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 Ventura County Superior Court. Mail to: Ventura County Superior Court, Records Department, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Room 218, Ventura, CA 93009. Do not send cash. The court will process your request and mail the copy to you. Allow a few weeks for processing.

Note: Ventura County does not charge per page for certified divorce decrees. The fifteen dollar fee covers the complete decree no matter how many pages it is. This makes it easier to budget for your request.

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 Oxnard, wait until you meet the time requirement before filing in Ventura County.

California uses no-fault divorce. You do not need to prove your spouse did anything wrong. You just state there are irreconcilable differences. This means the marriage is broken and cannot be saved. 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 Ventura 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 to start the case
• FL-110 Summons for the other party
• FL-120 Response form
• Financial disclosure documents
• FL-180 Judgment to finalize the divorce

Free Legal Help

Ventura 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 of Ventura County. They help low-income people with family law cases. Call to see if you qualify. The Ventura 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.