Visalia Divorce Records

Visalia residents looking for divorce records need to contact Tulare County Superior Court. The city does not keep these files on its own. All family law cases filed in Visalia are processed through the county court system. The main courthouse is located at 221 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93291. You can call (559) 730-5000 during business hours from 8am to 4pm on weekdays. Tulare County has an online case portal at online.tulare.courts.ca.gov where you can search for divorce cases by name or case number. The court charges $15 for a certified divorce decree, plus $0.50 per page for copies. Processing times for mail requests are about 15 business days, though in-person requests may be filled faster if you visit the courthouse during regular hours.

Tulare County Superior Court

The courthouse in Visalia handles family law cases for the city and surrounding areas. The clerk's office can help you find case files and request copies of documents. Staff are available at the counter during business hours. If you visit in person, bring ID and be ready to provide the case number or names of both parties in the divorce.

Tulare County also has a courthouse in Porterville at 300 E. Olive Avenue, Porterville, CA 93257. Some cases may be filed there instead of Visalia. If you are not sure which courthouse has your case, call the main number in Visalia and they can check the system. Most Visalia residents will find their cases at the Mooney Boulevard location.

The clerk's office processes requests for certified copies of divorce decrees and other court documents. They charge $15 for a certified divorce decree. This covers the certification itself. Copies are $0.50 per page. A typical divorce decree is three to five pages, so the total cost is usually $16.50 to $17.50. If the case involves a longer decree due to complex property or custody issues, the cost will be higher.

Searching Online for Visalia Cases

Tulare County offers an online portal at online.tulare.courts.ca.gov. This tool lets you search for cases from home. Type in a party name or case number. The system returns all matching cases. You can filter by case type to narrow the results to family law or dissolution cases only.

Each case has a register of actions. This is a list of all documents filed in the case. The register shows the filing date, document type, and party who filed it. Look for the judgment entry to see when the divorce was finalized. The case number is listed at the top. Write it down if you plan to request copies from the clerk.

Some documents may be viewable online, but many family law records are restricted due to privacy rules. You may see a list of documents without being able to view the contents. To get copies, you need to contact the clerk. They will prepare the documents and mail them to you or let you pick them up at the courthouse.

The online search is free. You do not need to register or pay to look up case information. If you cannot find the case online, call the clerk at (559) 730-5000. They can search by name and year. Older cases may not be in the online system but still exist in the archives.

How to Request Divorce Records

To get a certified copy of a divorce decree, start by finding the case number. Use the online portal or call the court. Once you have the case number, submit a written request. Include the case number and the names of both parties. State that you want a certified copy of the divorce judgment. Mail your request to the Tulare County Superior Court at 221 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93291.

Include payment with your request. The fee is $15 for the certified divorce decree plus $0.50 per page. If you do not know how many pages it has, send a check for $20 and ask the clerk to refund any overpayment. Make checks payable to Tulare County Superior Court. Do not send cash by mail.

In-person requests can be made at the courthouse during business hours. Go to the clerk's office and ask for a certified copy of the divorce decree. Provide the case number or party names. The clerk will search for the case and prepare copies. If the file is on-site, you may be able to get your copies the same day. Files stored off-site take longer to retrieve.

Costs and Wait Times

Mail requests to Tulare County typically take 15 business days to process. This is about three weeks. If the file is stored off-site or if the court is busy, it may take longer. The clerk will contact you if there are delays or if they cannot find the case with the information you provided.

Copy orders for multiple documents take seven to 10 working days according to the court. If you need copies of the petition, settlement agreement, and judgment, that counts as a copy order. The clerk will prepare all the documents and mail them to you at once. Fees depend on the total number of pages. Copies are $0.50 per page across the board.

Public agency requests get a discount. If you are a government agency requesting records, the certified divorce decree fee is $10 instead of $15. This applies to state, county, and federal agencies. You must provide documentation of your agency status. Individual requesters pay the full $15 fee.

If the court cannot locate a case matching your request, they will charge a search fee of $15. This covers the time spent looking through records. The search fee applies if the clerk has to go through many files or check multiple years. If you provide a case number, there is no search fee.

Resources in Visalia

Legal Services of Northern California serves Tulare County with free legal help for low-income individuals. They assist with family law matters including divorce, custody, and support. If you qualify based on income, they can represent you in court or help you with forms. Call their Visalia office to see if you are eligible. You can also visit lsnc.net for more info about services and how to apply.

The court self-help center has staff who can explain procedures and help with forms. They do not give legal advice or represent you in court, but they can guide you through the process. The center has computers and printers for filling out forms. Forms and instructions are available for free. Contact the courthouse at (559) 730-5000 for self-help services.

The Tulare County Law Library is another resource for legal research. The library has books, online databases, and sample forms. Librarians can help you find materials but cannot give legal advice. The library is open to the public. Check with the courthouse for the law library location and hours.

What You Need to Search

To find a divorce case, you need basic information about the parties. Here is what helps:

• Full name of one or both spouses
• Year the case was filed or approximate time frame
• Case number if available
• City or county where the divorce was filed

Common names can return many search results. Adding the year or a middle initial helps narrow it down. If you have the case number, the search is instant. Look for the case number on old legal papers, tax returns, or bank statements. It may be printed on correspondence from the court or your attorney.

If you do not have the case number, start with the full names of both parties. Try different spellings if the first search does not work. Some people use nicknames or maiden names. The court records show the legal names used when the case was filed.

Public Access to Divorce Files

California law makes divorce records public. Anyone can request copies from the court. You do not need to be a party to the case or have a reason. The court must provide copies to anyone who pays the fees. This is true for all court records unless a judge orders them sealed.

Certain details are protected from public view. Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and the addresses of minor children are redacted. Parties file a confidential information form that keeps these details private. The rest of the case file is open to anyone who asks.

Judges can seal records in special situations. Domestic violence cases may have parts of the file sealed to protect victims. Cases involving child abuse allegations may also be sealed. If you need access to a sealed file, you must petition the court and show good cause. Most divorce files are not sealed and remain fully public.

Historical Divorce Records in Visalia

Tulare County Superior Court keeps divorce judgments permanently. Even very old cases from the 1970s or 1980s should be in the archives. If you need records from decades ago, contact the clerk. Older files are often stored off-site, which means retrieval takes longer. Expect to wait three to four weeks for archived files.

The online portal may not have cases from before a certain date. The court started entering cases into the computer system at some point in the 1990s or early 2000s. Earlier cases may not be searchable online but still exist on paper or microfiche. Call the clerk to check availability for very old cases.

For divorces finalized between 1962 and June 1984, you can also get a Certificate of Record from the California Department of Public Health. This certificate shows the names of the parties, the date, the county, and the case number. It does not include the actual divorce decree. The fee is $18 per certificate, and processing can take six months or more. Mail requests to P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento, CA 95899-7410. For the full divorce decree, contact Tulare County Superior Court directly.

Other Tulare County Cities

Porterville is another large city in Tulare County. Divorce cases for Porterville residents are also handled by Tulare County Superior Court. The court has a location in Porterville at 300 E. Olive Avenue. You can use the same online portal to search for cases filed in any Tulare County city. The fees and procedures are the same regardless of which courthouse handled your case.