Los Angeles County Divorce Records Search

Los Angeles County is the largest court system in California. The Superior Court handles all divorce cases through multiple courthouse locations. The main family law courthouse is the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. Other locations serve different areas of the county including Long Beach, Pasadena, Norwalk, Lancaster, Pomona, Van Nuys, Torrance, Santa Monica, Compton, and San Fernando. All divorce records are maintained by the court clerk's office. You can request certified divorce decrees for $15 at the courthouse or through the mail. Los Angeles County has several online portals where you can search for divorce cases and download documents for a fee. The online system covers family law cases from 1983 to present with document images available from May 2000 forward.

Stanley Mosk Courthouse

The Stanley Mosk Courthouse is the main location for family law in downtown Los Angeles. The courthouse is at 111 North Hill Street. The Family Law Clerk's Office is in Room 426 on the fourth floor. You can call them at (213) 633-6363 with questions about divorce records. The filing office is at (213) 830-0830. For information about case files, call (213) 830-0803. The offices are open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on business days.

If you need to get a divorce decree, you can visit the Family Law Files office in Room 112 on the first floor. This office handles requests for copies of divorce records. The Certification Unit is in Room 112C at the same location. Bring ID and be ready to pay fees. In-person copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certification costs $25 per document. This is higher than the standard state fee because Los Angeles County has different local rules.

You can also request records by mail. Send your request to Los Angeles County Superior Court, Family Law Division, 111 N. Hill Street, Room 112, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Include the case number or the full names of both parties, a description of what documents you need, and a check made payable to Los Angeles Superior Court. Mail requests can take several weeks to process depending on the workload.

The Archives and Records Center is at 222 North Hill Street in Room 212. This office maintains older case files that are not stored at the main courthouse. If your case is very old, you may need to contact the archives to get copies. The archives office can be reached at (213) 830-0803. Hours are 8:30am to 4:10pm.

Online Case Search and Documents

Los Angeles County has three main online portals for divorce records. The first is the Divorce Judgments portal at lacourt.org/ldosv2. This portal lets you search specifically for divorce judgments and dissolutions. You can search by party name or case number. The system shows basic case info and you can view or download judgment documents.

The second portal is Public Access Online Services at lacourt.org/paos. This is a more comprehensive system that covers all family law cases from 1983 to present. Document images are available for cases from May 1, 2000 forward. You can search for free but downloading documents costs money. A name search costs $4.75 per search for guest users or $1.00 per search for the first 10 searches if you register an account. After that, searches cost more.

Document downloads cost $1.00 per page for the first five pages of a document. After five pages, the cost drops to $0.40 per page. The maximum charge for any single document is $40. If you need many documents, the fees can add up. You can pay by credit card through the online system. The system will let you download the documents immediately after payment.

The third portal is LA Court Connect at lacc.lacourt.org. This is a newer system that provides access to court records and case information. It has similar search capabilities as the other portals. You can use whichever portal you find easiest to navigate. All three systems access the same court records database.

To use any of these portals, you need at least one party name or a case number. The more information you have, the better your search results will be. Common names can return many results. If you know the approximate year the divorce was filed, you can filter by date to narrow down the results. The system will show you a list of matching cases. Click on a case to see more details and available documents.

Other Courthouse Locations

Los Angeles County has multiple courthouse locations that handle family law cases. Each location serves a different area of the county. You can file for divorce at the location closest to where you live. All the records are kept in the same county system but different courthouses handle different geographic areas.

Major courthouse locations include Long Beach, Pasadena, Norwalk, Lancaster, Pomona, Van Nuys, Torrance, Santa Monica, Compton, and San Fernando. Each courthouse has a clerk office that can help you with records requests. If you filed your divorce at one of these locations, you can usually get copies from that courthouse. Some older files may be transferred to the downtown archives.

To find the courthouse that serves your area, visit the Los Angeles County Superior Court website. They have a directory of all courthouse locations with addresses and phone numbers. You can also call the main court information line to ask which courthouse handles cases for your city or neighborhood.

Costs and Fees

In-person copy fees at Los Angeles County Superior Court are $0.50 per page. Certification of a document costs $25 per document. This certification fee is higher than the standard $15 fee used in most California counties. Los Angeles County has special local rules that allow the higher fee.

Online fees are different. If you use the online portal to search and download documents, you pay $4.75 per name search as a guest user. Registered users pay $1.00 per search for the first 10 searches. Document downloads cost $1.00 per page for the first five pages, then $0.40 per page after that. The maximum charge per document is $40. These fees apply when you download documents through the online system.

If you request records by mail, include a check for the estimated fees. The clerk will process your request and send the documents along with an invoice showing the exact fees. If you underpay, the clerk will contact you for the balance. If you overpay, you may receive a refund or the clerk may keep the overpayment on file for future requests.

Divorce Law in Los Angeles County

California law allows no-fault divorce. You can file based on irreconcilable differences under Family Code Section 2310. You do not need to prove wrongdoing. Most divorces in Los Angeles County use this ground.

To file in Los Angeles County, one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in Los Angeles County for three months before filing. This residency requirement is set out in Family Code Section 2320. If you do not meet the requirement, you cannot file in Los Angeles County yet. You would need to wait or file in a county where you do meet the residency requirement.

After the judgment is entered, there is a six-month waiting period before the divorce becomes final. This is required by Family Code Section 2339. The six months start from the date the respondent was served or filed a response, whichever is earlier. Once six months pass and all issues are resolved, the judge signs the final judgment and both parties are legally divorced.

Permanent Records

Divorce records in California are kept forever under Government Code Section 68152. Los Angeles County Superior Court maintains all divorce records permanently. Older records may be stored at the Archives and Records Center rather than at the courthouse where the case was filed. The archives can retrieve any case file no matter how old it is.

If you need a divorce decree from many years ago, contact the Family Law Files office or the Archives and Records Center. The staff can search for the case and locate the file. Retrieval of very old files may take extra time. The clerk will tell you how long it will take and what the fees are. Even cases from decades ago are still on file and available.

Who Can Request Records

Divorce records are public in California. Anyone can request a copy of a divorce decree. You do not need to be a party to the case and you do not need to explain why you want the record. The clerk will provide copies to anyone who pays the fee.

Some documents may be sealed or confidential. If a case involves sensitive issues like domestic violence or child abuse, the court may seal certain records. Sealed records are not available to the public. If you request a sealed document, the clerk or the online system will tell you it is not available. Most basic divorce decrees and judgments are public and not sealed.

Self-Help Services

Los Angeles County Superior Court has self-help centers at many courthouse locations. These centers provide free assistance with divorce paperwork. The staff can help you fill out forms and answer questions about court procedures. They cannot give legal advice or represent you in court. The service is free.

The California Courts website at selfhelp.courts.ca.gov has all the standard divorce forms and instructions. Legal aid is available for people with low income through organizations like Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. You can also call the State Bar of California lawyer referral service at 1-866-442-2529 to find a family law attorney in Los Angeles County.

Major Cities in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County includes many large cities. The city of Los Angeles is the county seat and largest city. Other major cities include Long Beach, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Pomona, Torrance, Inglewood, Downey, and many more. All divorce cases for these cities are handled by the Los Angeles County Superior Court system. The courthouse location depends on which area of the county you live in.

Residents of different cities may file at different courthouse locations, but all the records are part of the same county system. You can search for any Los Angeles County divorce case through the online portals regardless of which courthouse location handled the case. The court website has information about which courthouse serves each city.

Surrounding Counties

Los Angeles County borders several other counties. To the north is Kern County and Ventura County. To the east is San Bernardino County and Orange County. To the south is Orange County. To the west is Ventura County and the Pacific Ocean. If your divorce was filed in one of these neighboring counties, you need to contact that county's Superior Court to get records. Each county maintains its own separate record system.