Ford County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Ford County divorce decree records are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk in Paxton, where all dissolution of marriage cases filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit's Ford County division are permanently stored and available to the public. This page explains how to search for Ford County divorce records online, request a certified copy of a decree from the clerk's office, use the Illinois Department of Public Health for statewide verification, and find legal resources if you are navigating a divorce case in Ford County.

Ford County Circuit Clerk Office

Kasi Schwarz serves as the Circuit Court Clerk for Ford County. The clerk's office in Paxton is the official custodian of all civil and domestic court records in the county. This includes every divorce decree and dissolution of marriage judgment filed in Ford County through the 11th Judicial Circuit. Only this office can issue certified copies of Ford County divorce decrees.

The office is open Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Call before visiting to confirm current hours. Mail requests are accepted. Include the full names of both parties, the approximate year of the divorce, a photocopy of your photo ID, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Payment by check or money order made out to the Ford County Circuit Clerk is required for mail requests.

How to Search Divorce Records

Ford County is included in the Judici.com free public case search system. You can search by party name or case number and find basic case details including filing dates, case status, and hearing records. The full text of a decree is not shown through Judici, but the case number you find there is what you will need when requesting a certified copy from the clerk.

re:SearchIL also covers Ford County and offers statewide case search access. In some counties, scanned documents are available through this system. Availability varies. If neither online tool turns up your case, a direct phone call to the Circuit Clerk at (217) 379-9420 is the best next step.

For divorces filed before digital indexing became common, around the mid-1980s or earlier, online searches may return nothing. In those situations, the clerk's office can perform a manual search using party names and approximate filing years.

Getting a Certified Copy of a Divorce Decree

A certified copy of a divorce decree is an official, court-stamped document. It is required for many purposes, including changing your name with the Social Security Administration, updating beneficiary designations, remarrying in certain states, and legal proceedings that require proof of dissolution. Only the Ford County Circuit Clerk issues certified copies for cases filed in this county.

Call (217) 379-9420 to confirm the current fee before submitting a request. Fees in Illinois are typically charged per page plus a certification charge. Bring valid photo ID when visiting in person. For mail requests, include your ID information, the names of both parties, the approximate year, and payment by check or money order.

In-person requests are generally handled the same day for cases in the active system. Older records may require additional retrieval time. If you have the case number ready, retrieval is much faster.

Note: If you are requesting records on behalf of someone else, be prepared to explain your purpose. Ford County Court records are public, but staff may ask for clarification in some situations.

State Verification Through IDPH

The Illinois Department of Public Health keeps a statewide index of Illinois dissolutions of marriage filed from 1962 to the present. IDPH can send a verification letter confirming that a dissolution occurred in Illinois. This is not a certified copy and will not include the terms of the decree, any property division details, or custody orders.

To request a verification, write to: Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 925 E. Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702-2737. The fee is $5 per verification. Mail processing takes four to six weeks. Details are on the IDPH dissolution of marriage records page.

Use IDPH when you just need to confirm a divorce took place. For the actual decree with specific terms, you need to go to the Ford County Circuit Clerk in Paxton.

Illinois Divorce Law Essentials

The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5/) controls all dissolution of marriage cases in the state. To file in Illinois, at least one spouse must have lived in the state for 90 days. Irreconcilable differences is the only grounds for divorce. Six months of continuous separation creates an irrebuttable presumption that the marriage has broken down.

Where you file matters. Section 104 of the Act says to file in the county where either spouse lives. If one party lived in Ford County at the time of filing, Ford County is where those records will be, permanently. They don't move even if both parties relocate later.

Most divorce records are public under 735 ILCS 5/, the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure. The Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535/) governs the statewide IDPH index.

Legal Help and Court Resources

Illinois Legal Aid Online provides free guidance on divorce in Illinois. It covers the full process from filing to final judgment and helps you understand what documents are required. You can also use the site to search for legal aid organizations that serve Ford County and the 11th Circuit area.

Standardized divorce forms for all Illinois courts are available at no cost from the Illinois Courts website. These forms cover everything from the initial petition to financial disclosure and the final judgment. They are approved for use in Ford County and all other Illinois counties.

Electronic filing through eFileIL has been mandatory for attorneys since July 2018 and is available for self-represented parties as well. The Ford County Circuit Clerk can advise you on what is required for self-represented filers in the 11th Circuit.

Nearby Counties

Divorce records are stored in the county where the case was filed. If you think the filing may have been in a nearby county, check these clerk offices.