Cortland County Divorce Decree Records

Cortland County divorce decree records are held at the County Clerk's Office in the city of Cortland. The clerk serves as clerk of the Supreme Court for the 6th Judicial District and maintains all divorce filings for this county. You can request a copy of your divorce decree by going in person, sending a mail request, or checking basic case information online through WebCivil Supreme. Cortland County is in central New York, and the clerk's office has court records going back to the county's formation. Bring both names and a photo ID for your request.

Cortland County Divorce Decree Office

The Cortland County Clerk's Office is at 46 Greenbush Street, Cortland, NY 13045. Call (607) 753-5021. This office keeps Supreme Court and County Court records. That includes every divorce decree filed in Cortland County since the county was formed in 1808. The clerk also maintains land records, military discharge papers, and other public documents.

To get a copy of a Cortland County divorce decree, you need to show a valid photo ID. Give the clerk the full names of both spouses and the approximate date of the divorce. If you have the index number, the process moves faster. Without it, the clerk searches through the records at $5 for each two-year period. A certified copy costs $5 for the first four pages and $1.25 for each additional page.

Divorce decree records in Cortland County are not open to the public. Under DRL Section 235, only the parties, their lawyers, or someone with a court order can view the complete file. The restriction runs for 100 years from the date of the final decree. Cortland County divorce records from over a century ago are now accessible to anyone.

Search Cortland County Divorce Decrees

The Cortland County Supreme Court is at 46 Greenbush Street, Cortland, NY 13045. Phone is (607) 753-5025. This court handles all divorce cases in the county. It is part of the 6th Judicial District. Family Court has no jurisdiction over divorces in New York. Once the Supreme Court judge signs the judgment, the decree is filed with the County Clerk.

WebCivil Supreme is a free statewide tool for looking up divorce cases. You can search by party name, index number, or attorney. The results show case status and filing dates. The full text of the divorce decree is not available online because of privacy rules under DRL Section 235. But the search can give you the index number you need for an in-person request at the Cortland County Clerk's office.

Here is the NYS Archives page with information about where to get copies of divorce decree records across the state.

The Archives page explains how records are split between county clerks and the state based on the date of the divorce.

Divorce Decree Laws for Cortland County

Section 255 of the Judiciary Law sets out the rules for the clerk. The clerk must search files and provide copies when an eligible person pays the right fees. For Cortland County divorce cases, this means bringing your ID, paying the search fee, and waiting for the clerk to go through the records.

For divorces on or after January 1, 1963, the NYS Department of Health has a divorce certificate on file. The certificate is a short form with the names and the date the marriage ended. It does not show the full terms of the decree. The mail-in fee is $30. For divorces before 1963, the Cortland County Clerk's office holds the only record.

A "certification of disposition" is available to anyone from the Cortland County Clerk. This confirms what happened in a case without revealing details. The cost is $5 per two-year search. It is handy when you just need proof that a divorce was granted here.

Cortland County Divorce Decree Help

The NYS Unified Court System offers free divorce forms and step-by-step instructions. They have booklets for both contested and uncontested cases. The court system strongly recommends hiring a lawyer. The New York State Bar Association referral line is 1-800-342-3661.

The Ask a Law Librarian service is a free option for questions about divorce decree records. They can explain what a divorce decree contains versus a divorce certificate. The New York State Archives can help with very old Cortland County cases from before 1847. The 6th Judicial District court staff can answer procedural questions but cannot provide legal advice.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Cortland County and keep their own divorce decree records at their clerk offices.

Cities in Cortland County

No cities in Cortland County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page. For divorce decree copies, contact the Cortland County Clerk at 46 Greenbush Street.