Niagara County Divorce Decree Search
Niagara County divorce decree records are filed at the County Clerk's Office in Lockport. The clerk serves as the clerk of the Supreme Court, and all divorce decrees granted in Niagara County end up in that office. You can get a copy of a divorce decree by visiting the courthouse, sending a written request by mail, or searching case details through WebCivil Supreme. Niagara County is part of the 8th Judicial District and has two main court locations, one in Lockport and one in Niagara Falls. Divorce decree records go back to 1847 for this county.
Niagara County Divorce Decree Overview
Niagara County Divorce Decree Office
The Niagara County Clerk's Office is the main place to get a divorce decree. The county courthouse sits at 175 Hawley Street in Lockport, NY 14094. The clerk keeps all Supreme Court records, including divorce judgments, land documents, and other court filings. To get a certified copy, bring valid photo ID. You must be a party to the case, an attorney of record, or have notarized authorization from a party. The fee for a certified copy is $5 for the first four pages and $1.25 for each page after that.
If you do not have the index number for your divorce case, the clerk can search for it. The search fee is $5 for every two-year period. A self-addressed stamped envelope should be included with any mail requests. Plain copies cost about $0.25 to $0.65 per page. The clerk's office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. Call ahead to confirm times if you plan to visit.
Under Section 235 of the Domestic Relations Law, divorce decree records in Niagara County are not open to the general public. Only the parties, their attorneys, or someone with a court order can see the full file. This restriction lasts 100 years from the date of the final decree. However, anyone can ask for a "certification of disposition," which confirms the outcome of a case without showing the details.
Search Niagara County Divorce Decrees
Niagara County has two Supreme Court locations. The Lockport courthouse at 175 Hawley Street is the main office. The Niagara Falls location is at the Angelo Delsignore Civic Building, 775 Third Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14301. You can reach the Niagara Falls office at 716-371-4000. Christine Kibler serves as Chief Clerk for both locations. The Lockport office phone is 716-280-6400. Three Supreme Court justices hear cases in the 8th Judicial District for Niagara County: Hon. Frank Caruso, Hon. Frank A. Sedita III, and Hon. Michael J. Norris.
WebCivil Supreme is a free online tool for looking up Niagara County divorce decree cases. Search by party name, index number, or attorney name. The system shows case status, party names, and filing dates. The full decree does not appear on screen because of privacy rules. But a search can confirm that a case exists. That index number will speed up any request to the clerk.
The NYSCEF electronic filing system may have some Niagara County divorce documents. You need an account to use it. Not all divorce cases show up on NYSCEF, so check with the clerk if you are not sure. The Niagara County Family Court at 775 Third Street in Niagara Falls handles related matters like custody and support, but it does not grant divorces.
Note: Niagara County has court locations in both Lockport and Niagara Falls, so confirm which location holds your file before visiting.
Niagara County Divorce Decree Access
If your divorce took place before January 1, 1963, the divorce decree filed with the Niagara County Clerk is the only record that exists. For divorces after that date, the NYS Department of Health also has a divorce certificate on file. That certificate is a short form. It shows the names and date the marriage ended but not the full terms. The mail-in fee from the Department of Health is $30 per copy.
The New York State Archives has details about older divorce records. For cases before July 1, 1847, upstate county records are held at the State Archives in Albany. Records from 1847 forward are at the Niagara County Clerk's office in Lockport. The archives can be a good resource if you are looking for very old divorce decree records from the region.
You can also use a state-level image to see what the NYS Department of Health divorce page looks like.
The Department of Health site has information on ordering divorce certificates for cases after 1963. For the full decree, contact the Niagara County Clerk.
Divorce Decree Laws in Niagara County
DRL Section 235 controls who can see divorce decree files in Niagara County. The clerk cannot let anyone view the pleadings, testimony, findings, or the decree itself unless you are a party or an attorney of record. One exception is the "certification of disposition" under subdivision 3. Any person can request this document. It confirms the outcome of a case without revealing details. The search fee is $5 per two-year period.
Section 255 of the Judiciary Law requires the clerk to search files and provide copies when an eligible person asks and pays the fees. The clerk has to look through the records and dockets and then provide what they find or say the records cannot be located. In Niagara County, you need valid ID before the clerk will release any divorce decree documents.
Niagara County Divorce Decree Help
The NYS Unified Court System offers free divorce forms and instruction booklets. The court system strongly suggests using a lawyer. The New York State Bar Association referral line is 1-800-342-3661. For those who cannot afford a lawyer, Ask a Law Librarian can help answer questions about divorce decree records and the filing process. The New York State Library has vital records information for genealogy research.
The Niagara County Family Court has two locations. The Niagara Falls office is at 775 Third Street (716-371-4050). The Lockport office is at 175 Hawley Street (716-280-6500). Krista Ventura is the Chief Clerk. While Family Court does not handle divorces, it deals with related matters like custody, support, and family offense proceedings. The Surrogate's Court at 175 Hawley Street (716-280-6460) handles estate and probate matters that sometimes connect to divorce cases.
Nearby Counties
These counties are near Niagara County and keep their own divorce decree records at their County Clerk offices.
Cities in Niagara County
There are no qualifying cities in Niagara County that meet the population threshold for an individual page. Contact the Niagara County Clerk's Office in Lockport for all divorce decree requests.