Perry County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Perry County divorce decree records are held by the Circuit Court Clerk in Pinckneyville, the county seat of this southern Illinois county in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. This page covers how to search cases online, get certified copies from the clerk, and use the state-level IDPH verification service when a full court copy is not required.

Perry County Circuit Clerk Office

Tricia Kelly Chandler is the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk. Her office holds all civil and domestic court records for the county, including dissolution of marriage decrees. Any request for a certified copy of a Perry County divorce decree must go to this office.

The clerk's office mailing address is a post office box. The physical courthouse is in downtown Pinckneyville. If you plan to visit in person, call (618) 357-6726 first to get the exact street address and confirm office hours, since hours can vary around holidays.

Searching Perry County Divorce Case Records

Perry County is part of the Judici free online case lookup system. You can search at no cost without creating an account.

Visit judici.com and select Perry County from the list. Enter either party's name. Results show case numbers, filing dates, and disposition status. Judici does not give you the text of the decree itself, but it confirms a case is on file and provides the case number you need for a formal copy request.

For older records or cases not found on Judici, call the clerk at (618) 357-6726. Staff can check paper indexes for filings that predate the electronic system. Having an approximate year and at least one party's name makes the search faster.

Re:SearchIL at researchil.tylerhost.net may offer document-level access for some Perry County filings. It is worth checking as a secondary option after searching Judici, particularly for more recent cases where documents may be available electronically.

Getting a Certified Copy of a Divorce Decree

Only the Perry County Circuit Court Clerk can issue a certified copy of a divorce decree. State agencies, including IDPH, cannot provide certified court documents. You must go through the clerk's office.

In-person requests are the most straightforward. Bring valid photo ID. Staff search the records and can usually process a copy the same day. For a mail request, write a letter with the full names of both parties, the year of the divorce, the case number if you have it, your return address, and payment. Call the clerk at (618) 357-6726 to confirm the current fee per page and certification charge before you mail anything.

Make checks or money orders payable to the Perry County Circuit Clerk. Fax requests to (618) 357-8336 if you want to send written instructions and arrange payment by phone. Do not mail cash.

Under 735 ILCS 5/, most court records in Illinois are public. If any portion of the case file is sealed by court order, staff will let you know. Standard dissolution decrees are accessible to any person who can identify the case.

IDPH Divorce Record Verification

The Illinois Department of Public Health maintains a statewide divorce verification index. The service costs $5 per search and covers records from 1962 to the present. Processing takes four to six weeks.

IDPH verifications are not certified copies. They confirm a dissolution of marriage occurred and list the names of both parties and the date the decree was entered. This level of documentation is enough for many purposes, such as updating a name on a driver's license or confirming marital status for a benefits form.

To request a verification, contact IDPH at 925 E. Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702-2737, by phone at (217) 782-6554, or online at dph.illinois.gov. When you need the actual court document with the judge's order and terms of the dissolution, go to the Perry County clerk instead.

Illinois Divorce Law and the 2nd Circuit

Perry County is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit, which covers several southern Illinois counties. All divorce cases in the circuit follow the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, 750 ILCS 5/.

To file for divorce in Perry County, at least one spouse must have lived in Illinois for 90 days before filing. Illinois uses a single no-fault ground: irreconcilable differences. If the spouses have been separated for six continuous months, the law treats that as conclusive proof of irreconcilable differences, meaning neither party needs to prove fault or wrongdoing.

Venue rules allow either spouse to file in the county where they live. If one party lives in Perry County, the case can be filed here. The circuit court in Pinckneyville enters the final decree, which becomes the permanent court record of the dissolution.

The Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535/, requires the clerk to send dissolution data to IDPH after each case is finalized. This is the legal basis for IDPH's statewide verification database.

E-Filing and Legal Help in Perry County

Illinois made electronic filing mandatory for most civil cases as of July 1, 2018. Divorce petitions in Perry County must be filed through eFileIL unless the filer qualifies for an exemption. Attorneys and eligible self-represented parties use this system for all new filings.

Free standardized divorce forms are available at illinoiscourts.gov. Illinois Legal Aid Online at illinoislegalaid.org provides free plain-language guidance on the divorce process, from filing the petition through the final hearing.

Land of Lincoln Legal Aid serves southern Illinois counties including Perry and provides free legal help to income-eligible residents. Contact information for legal aid offices in the area can be found through the Illinois Legal Aid Online website or by calling the clerk's office for a referral.

Nearby Counties

Perry County borders four other southern Illinois counties. Each has its own Circuit Court Clerk for divorce record requests.