Search Brookhaven Divorce Decree Records

Brookhaven divorce decree records are kept by the Suffolk County Clerk in Riverhead. The Town of Brookhaven is the largest town in Suffolk County by area, but it does not maintain divorce records on its own. All divorce decree files for Brookhaven residents go through the Suffolk County Supreme Court. If you need a copy of a divorce decree from a case involving someone in Brookhaven, the Suffolk County Clerk is the office to contact. The process is straightforward once you know which county handles the filing.

Suffolk County Keeps Brookhaven Divorce Decrees

The Suffolk County Clerk's Office holds all divorce decree records for the Brookhaven area. The office is at 310 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901. Call (631) 852-2000 for questions. Suffolk County is part of the 10th Judicial District along with Nassau County. The Supreme Court in Suffolk County handles every divorce case filed by residents of Brookhaven, and the decree gets filed with the County Clerk once the judge signs it.

Brookhaven covers a large area of eastern Long Island. It includes hamlets like Patchogue, Port Jefferson, Coram, and many others. No matter which part of Brookhaven you live in, the divorce decree goes to the same place. The Suffolk County Clerk in Riverhead is the single repository for all of these records. The town itself has a Town Clerk for marriage licenses and other local records, but divorce decrees are not part of what the town handles.

How to Get a Brookhaven Divorce Decree

Visit the Suffolk County Clerk in Riverhead with your photo ID. Tell the staff you need a divorce decree. Give them the names of both parties and the year of the case. If you have the index number, that speeds things up. The clerk searches the files and pulls the record. A certified copy costs about $5 to $8 for the first four pages. Extra pages cost $1.25 each. Plain copies run around $0.25 to $0.65 per page. If you do not have an index number, the search fee is $5 per two-year period.

You can also mail a request. Write to the Suffolk County Clerk at 310 Center Drive South, Riverhead, NY 11901. Include a check for the fees, the full names of both spouses, the approximate year of the divorce, and a photocopy of your ID. Mail requests can take a few weeks to process. The Suffolk County Clerk's website has more details on how to submit a request.

Under DRL Section 235, only the parties to the divorce or their attorneys can view the full file. Anyone else needs a court order. But any person can request a certification of disposition for $5 per two-year search. This document confirms a divorce happened without revealing the details of the case.

Brookhaven Divorce Decree Fees

Suffolk County follows the state fee schedule for court records. Certified copies of a divorce decree cost $5 to $8 for the first four pages. Each additional page is $1.25. Uncertified copies cost less. The search fee is $5 for each two-year block the clerk has to check. If you know the index number, you can skip the search fee.

For a divorce certificate from the NYS Department of Health, the mail order fee is $30. The Department of Health only has certificates for divorces from 1963 and later. Before that date, the divorce decree from the County Clerk is the only record. This matters for older Brookhaven cases. If the divorce was granted in the 1950s, for instance, you must go to the Suffolk County Clerk because no certificate exists.

Suffolk County Family Court and Brookhaven

Family Court in Suffolk County does not handle divorce cases. It deals with custody, support, and family offense matters that may come up after a divorce. The Suffolk County Family Court is a separate court from the Supreme Court. If you need records from Family Court, those are handled differently from divorce decrees. Divorce decree records are only at the County Clerk's office because the Supreme Court is the only court that grants divorces in New York.

The screenshot below shows the Suffolk County Family Court page, which covers matters separate from divorce decree filings.

Family Court records and divorce decree records are kept in different places. Make sure you go to the right office for what you need.

Brookhaven Divorce Decree Legal Resources

The NYS Unified Court System has free divorce forms and instruction booklets. The court strongly suggests hiring a lawyer for divorce, even in an uncontested case. The New York State Bar Association referral line is 1-800-342-3661. For Brookhaven residents who cannot afford a lawyer, legal aid options are available through the court system and local bar associations.

Under Judiciary Law Section 255, the County Clerk must search the files and provide copies when someone eligible asks and pays the fees. This law applies to all court records in Suffolk County, including divorce decrees from the Brookhaven area. The clerk has a duty to look through the records and either provide copies or certify that no record was found.

Nearby Cities

These nearby towns and cities also have divorce decree records handled at the county level.