Simi Valley Divorce Records

Simi Valley is in Ventura County and all divorce records for the city are kept by the Ventura County Superior Court. The main courthouse is the Hall of Justice at 800 South Victoria Avenue in Ventura. There is also a juvenile courthouse in Oxnard that handles some family law matters. When you file for divorce in Simi Valley, your case goes through the county court system. Ventura County has online case search tools where you can look up divorce cases by name or case number. The online portal is free to use and shows basic case information. You cannot view full documents online but you can see a list of filings and court dates. To get copies of divorce decrees or other court papers, you need to contact the court clerk. Certified copies of divorce judgments cost $15 and include all pages of the judgment at no extra charge. Regular copies are $0.50 per page.

Ventura County Superior Court

Ventura County Superior Court maintains all divorce records for Simi Valley residents. The Hall of Justice at 800 South Victoria Avenue, Room 218, in Ventura is the main location for family law records. You can call (805) 289-8668 with questions. Court hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays. The juvenile courthouse is at 4353 Vineyard Avenue, Room 122, in Oxnard. You can reach that location at (805) 289-8820.

Ventura County keeps a family law database going back to September 1, 1991. Cases filed before that date may still be available but they are not in the online system. You would need to contact the court clerk to search for older records. For cases from 1991 forward, you can use the online portal at ventura.ecourt.com/public-portal to search by party name or case number.

The online portal shows case information like the filing date, case type, and parties involved. You can see a register of actions that lists every document filed in the case and every court appearance. This helps you understand the case timeline and what happened at each step. The portal does not show full documents. To get copies of actual court papers, you must request them from the clerk.

Ventura County has a unique fee structure for divorce records. A certified copy of a divorce decree costs $15 and includes the entire judgment. There is no per-page fee for the divorce decree. This is different from some other counties that charge per page. For other documents, certification is $40 plus $0.50 per page for copies. Search fees are $15 if you ask the clerk to search for a case and they have to look through more than 15 names.

How to Request Records

You can request divorce records from Ventura County in three ways. You can search online and then contact the court to order copies. You can mail a written request to the Hall of Justice. Or you can visit the courthouse in person during business hours.

For mail requests, send your letter to Ventura County Superior Court, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Room 218, Ventura, CA 93009. Include the case number if you have it, or the names of both parties and the approximate year of the divorce. Tell them what documents you need. Include your contact information and a way to pay. The court accepts checks and money orders. Make them payable to Ventura County Superior Court.

In-person requests are faster. Go to the Hall of Justice during court hours. Tell the clerk you need a certified copy of a divorce decree. Give them the case number or the party names. If the file is on site, they can process your request fairly quickly. If the file is stored off-site, it will take longer. The clerk will tell you how long to expect.

Using the Online Portal

The Ventura County case portal at ventura.ecourt.com/public-portal is free to use. You do not need to create an account. Just go to the website and select how you want to search. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Party name search is most common. Enter the last name of one spouse. You can add a first name to narrow results.

The search will return all matching cases. Look for cases with a family law case type. Click on a case to see the details. The case details page shows the parties, the filing date, the case status, and the register of actions. The register of actions lists every document filed in the case. You can see when the petition was filed, when the response came in, when hearings were held, and when the judgment was entered.

If you know the case number, use the case number search. This is the fastest way to find a specific case. Type in the full case number and hit search. The system will pull up that case right away. Case numbers in Ventura County follow a standard format with letters and numbers.

Divorce Process in Simi Valley

To file for divorce in Simi Valley, you must meet California residency requirements. You or your spouse must have lived in California for at least six months. You must also have lived in Ventura County for at least three months. If you meet these requirements, you can file a petition for dissolution of marriage.

California uses no-fault divorce. You do not have to prove that your spouse did anything wrong. The legal grounds are irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity. Most people file on the grounds of irreconcilable differences. You file the petition and summons, serve your spouse with the papers, and wait for a response. Your spouse has 30 days to file a response. After that, you exchange financial information and try to reach a settlement.

California law requires a six-month waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. This period starts the day your spouse is served with the petition. Even if you and your spouse agree on everything, the court cannot enter the final judgment until six months have passed. Once the waiting period is over and all issues are resolved, the judge signs the judgment. The divorce is then final. You can request a certified copy of the divorce decree from the court clerk.

What Records Are Public

The divorce decree is a public record. Anyone can request a copy. Other documents in a divorce file may have restrictions. Child custody evaluations, mediation reports, and certain financial disclosures can be confidential. Domestic violence restraining orders have special access rules. When you request records, the court provides what is available under California law.

If you are a party to the divorce case, you have access to most of the file. You can get copies of all the documents you filed and most of what the other party filed. Some things may still be sealed even for parties. If you are not a party, you can get the divorce decree and some other public documents, but you cannot get sealed or confidential filings.

Information Needed for Search

To find a divorce record from Simi Valley, you need at least one party's name. The case number is even better if you have it. Here is what helps:

• Full first and last name of one spouse
• Case number if available
• Year the divorce was filed
• Date of marriage if known

Common names can return many results. If you search for a name like John Smith, you might get dozens of cases. Adding the year narrows it down. If you know the divorce was filed in 2018, filter your search to that year. The system will show only cases filed in 2018 with that name. If you have the case number, you do not need anything else. The case number will pull up the exact case.

Fees and Costs

Ventura County charges the following fees for divorce records:

• Certified divorce decree: $15 (includes all pages)
• Certified other documents: $40 plus $0.50 per page
• Regular copies: $0.50 per page
• Search fee: $15 (if search involves more than 15 names)

The $15 fee for a certified divorce decree is a flat rate. You get the complete judgment with certification for that one fee. There is no extra charge for the number of pages. This is a good deal if your divorce decree is long. For other documents like settlement agreements or financial disclosures, the court charges $40 for certification plus $0.50 per page for copies.

The court accepts checks, money orders, and credit cards. Make checks payable to Ventura County Superior Court. If you mail a request, include payment. If the court cannot find the record, they will return your payment. Do not send cash through the mail.

Processing Times

Processing times depend on several factors. In-person requests can be done quickly if the file is on site. Mail requests take longer because they go into a queue. The court processes requests in the order they are received. If the file is stored off-site, add extra time for retrieval. Older cases are more likely to be off-site.

Most requests are completed within a few weeks. If you need records urgently, call the court first. Explain your situation and ask how long it will take. The clerk can check if the file is on site and give you an estimate. For routine requests that are not urgent, just submit your request and wait for the court to contact you.

Contact Information

To contact Ventura County Superior Court about divorce records, call (805) 289-8668. This is the number for the Hall of Justice in Ventura. Court hours are 8am to 4pm on weekdays. The address is 800 South Victoria Avenue, Room 218, Ventura, CA 93009. For the juvenile courthouse in Oxnard, call (805) 289-8820. The Oxnard address is 4353 Vineyard Avenue, Room 122, Oxnard, CA 93036.

The court website is ventura.courts.ca.gov. The website has information about court locations, hours, and fees. You can find the records department page at ventura.courts.ca.gov/records.html. The online case portal is at ventura.ecourt.com/public-portal. Court staff can answer questions about how to get records but they cannot give legal advice.