Temecula Divorce Records Search

Temecula is in Riverside County and all divorce records for the city are maintained by Riverside County Superior Court. The Family Law Courthouse is at 4175 Main Street in Riverside. This court handles family law matters for the entire county including Temecula. Riverside County has an online case portal where you can search for divorce cases by name or case number. The portal is free to use and shows basic case information. You cannot view full documents online but you can see a list of filings in the case. To get copies of divorce decrees or other court papers, you need to contact the court clerk. Certified copies of divorce judgments cost $15. Regular copies are $0.50 per page. You can also pay for online name searches if you need to look up multiple cases. Fees range from $1.00 for a single search to $250 for unlimited searches within 30 days.

Riverside County Superior Court

Riverside County Superior Court keeps all divorce records for Temecula residents. The main Family Law Courthouse is at 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. You can call (951) 777-3147 with questions about family law records. Phone hours are 7:30am to 2:00pm on weekdays. Riverside County also has courthouses in other cities including Banning, Blythe, Corona, Indio, Menifee, and Moreno Valley.

When you file for divorce in Temecula, your case goes into the county court system. All the forms you submit become part of the court file. This includes the petition, response, financial disclosures, settlement agreements, and the final judgment. The clerk keeps these files and makes them available to the public according to California law. Some documents may be sealed or confidential, but the basic divorce decree is a public record.

Riverside County has an online public access portal at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/public-portal. This portal lets you search for cases by party name, case number, or other criteria. The system shows case information like the filing date, case type, parties involved, and upcoming court dates. You can view a register of actions that lists every document filed in the case and when it was filed.

The portal does not show full document images for most family law cases. You can see that a petition was filed and when, but you cannot view the petition itself online. California court rules limit public access to family law documents to protect privacy. To get copies of actual documents, you must contact the court clerk and request them.

Online Name Search Fees

Riverside County charges fees for name searches in the online portal. These fees are different from other counties. You can do a limited number of free searches, but if you need to search many names, you have to pay. The fee structure is:

• $1.00 for 1 search
• $3.50 for 5 searches
• $5.00 for 10 searches
• $25.00 for 75 searches
• $250.00 for unlimited searches within 30 days

These fees apply to name searches in the online portal. Searching by case number is free if you already have the case number. If you only need to look up one or two cases, the cost is minimal. If you are doing research or need to search many names, the unlimited plan might make sense. Once you pay, you can search as many names as you want for 30 days.

How to Get Certified Copies

A certified copy of a divorce decree costs $15 in Riverside County. This is the standard fee set by California law. The fee includes the certificate and the pages of the judgment. If you need other documents from the case file, those cost $40 for certification plus $0.50 per page for copies.

You can request copies by mail, phone, or in person. For mail requests, write to the Family Law Courthouse at 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. Include the case number or the names of both parties, your contact information, and what documents you need. Send a check or money order for the estimated fees. Make it payable to Riverside County Superior Court.

For phone requests, call (951) 777-3147 during phone hours, which are 7:30am to 2:00pm. Tell the clerk you need a certified copy of a divorce decree. Give them the case number or the party names. They will tell you the fees and how to pay. For in-person requests, go to the Family Law Courthouse during business hours. The clerk can process your request if the file is on site. If the file is in storage, it will take longer.

Divorce Filing Process

To file for divorce in Temecula, you must meet California residency requirements. You or your spouse must have lived in California for at least six months and in Riverside County for at least three months. If you meet these requirements, you can file a petition for dissolution of marriage at any Riverside County courthouse.

California is a no-fault divorce state. You do not have to prove that your spouse did anything wrong. The legal grounds for divorce are irreconcilable differences or incurable insanity. Almost all divorces are filed 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 respond.

California law requires a six-month waiting period before a divorce can be finalized. This period starts when 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 six months are up 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.

Using the Online Portal

The Riverside County public access portal is at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/public-portal. You can search by party name, case number, attorney name, or other criteria. To search by party name, enter the last name of one spouse. You can add a first name to narrow results. The system will return all matching cases.

Each case result shows the case number, filing date, case type, and parties. Click on a case to see more details. The case details page shows the register of actions, which is a chronological list of everything 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. This timeline helps you understand the case history.

If you know the case number, use the case number search. This is free and pulls up the exact case. Case numbers in Riverside County follow a standard format. Type in the full case number and hit search. The system will display that specific case right away.

What Information You Need

To find a divorce record from Temecula, gather as much information as you can. The case number is the best thing to have. If you do not have it, you need at least one party's full name. Here is what helps:

• Full first and last name of one spouse
• Case number if available
• Approximate year of divorce
• Date of marriage if known

Common names can return many results. If you search for a name like Michael Brown, you might get dozens of cases. Adding the year narrows it down. If you know the divorce happened around 2014, filter your search to that year. The system will show only cases filed in 2014 with that name. If you have the exact case number, the search becomes very simple.

Privacy and Confidentiality

California law protects certain information in divorce files. The divorce decree is a public record. Anyone can request a copy. Other documents may have restrictions. Child custody evaluations are often confidential. Financial disclosures may be sealed in some cases. Domestic violence restraining orders have special access rules. When you request records, the court provides what is available under the law.

If you are a party to the divorce case, you have access to most of the file. You can get copies of 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 to the case, you can get the divorce decree and some other public documents, but you cannot get sealed or confidential filings without a court order.

Court Locations

Riverside County has courthouses in several cities. The Family Law Courthouse in Riverside is the main location for family law matters. Other courthouses in Banning, Blythe, Corona, Indio, Menifee, and Moreno Valley may also handle some family law cases. Once a case is filed, the records are stored centrally and can be accessed from any courthouse in the county.

If you need to visit a courthouse in person, check the hours first. Most courthouses are open during business hours on weekdays. Some may close for lunch. Call ahead to make sure the office you need is open. The Family Law Courthouse in Riverside is at 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. Phone hours are 7:30am to 2:00pm. Call (951) 777-3147 with questions.

Fees and Payment

Riverside County charges the following fees for divorce records:

• Certified divorce decree: $15
• Other certified documents: $40 plus $0.50 per page
• Regular copies: $0.50 per page
• Name search fees: $1.00 to $250.00 depending on volume

The court accepts checks, money orders, and credit cards. Make checks payable to Riverside County Superior Court. If you mail a request, include payment with your letter. The court will let you know if you owe more or if they need to refund you. If the court cannot find the record you requested, they will return your payment. Do not send cash through the mail.

Processing Times

Processing times depend on how you request records and whether the file is on site. In-person requests can be done quickly if the file is readily available. 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 in storage.

Most requests are completed within a few weeks. If you need records urgently, call the court first and explain your situation. 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 Riverside County Superior Court about divorce records, call (951) 777-3147. Phone hours are 7:30am to 2:00pm on weekdays. The Family Law Courthouse address is 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. The court website is riverside.courts.ca.gov. You can find the Family Law Courthouse location page at riverside.courts.ca.gov/location/riverside-family-law-courthouse. The online case portal is at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov/public-portal.

Court staff can answer questions about how to get copies, what fees apply, and how long processing will take. They cannot give legal advice. If you need help with a legal matter, contact a lawyer or a legal aid organization. The court can provide information about the records process but they cannot help you with your case.