Search Onondaga County Divorce Decree

Onondaga County divorce decree records are held at the County Clerk's office in Syracuse. The clerk serves as the public record holder for Supreme Court and Criminal Court records, and all divorce decrees in Onondaga County fall under that role. County Clerk Emily E. Bersani runs the office at the Onondaga County Court House, Room 200, 401 Montgomery Street. You can search for divorce decree records in person or look up case details online through the WebCivil Supreme database. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, and after-hours appointments are available every other Wednesday.

Onondaga County Clerk Divorce Decree Office

The Onondaga County Clerk's office is the place to go for divorce decree copies in Onondaga County. The main office is at 401 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY 13202. The phone number is (315) 435-2227, and the fax is (315) 435-3455. The office closes for a staff meeting on the first Tuesday of every month from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM, so plan your visit around that.

The clerk's office has a detailed contact directory for different departments. If you need help with divorce decree records specifically, the Civil Actions line is (315) 435-2234. For questions about judgments, call (315) 435-8200. The front desk at (315) 435-2227 can point you to the right person. The Photostat and Archival Records line at (315) 435-2237 handles older divorce decree copies and historical record requests.

The Onondaga County Clerk's office has a page on the county website that explains how divorce records work in the county. Here is a look at that page.

That page lists the office hours, location, and services the clerk provides for court record requests in Onondaga County.

How to Request an Onondaga County Divorce Decree

According to the Onondaga County Clerk FAQ page, divorce records are confidential. Only the parties involved in the case can request a copy. You can make your request in person at the courthouse or by mail using the divorce request form. Bring a valid photo ID if you go in person. You will need to know the names of both parties and the year the case was filed. The index number helps too, if you have it.

Certified copies of a divorce decree cost between $5 and $8 for the first four pages. Extra pages run $1.25 each. The clerk charges a search fee of $5 for every two-year period if you do not have the index number. Plain copies are cheaper. You can also check the NYSCEF electronic filing system for more recent cases that may have been filed electronically. Not every case is on NYSCEF, but it is worth a look before making the trip to the courthouse.

Here is the Onondaga County Clerk FAQ page that covers questions about divorce records and how to request them.

The FAQ explains who can access records and what steps are needed to get copies of a divorce decree in Onondaga County.

Divorce Decree Privacy Rules in Onondaga County

Section 235 of the Domestic Relations Law controls who can access divorce records in New York. The law makes matrimonial files confidential. Only parties to the case and their attorneys can see the full divorce decree. If you are not a party, you need a court order or a notarized authorization letter from one of the spouses. This rule applies in Onondaga County just as it does everywhere else in the state.

There is a partial workaround. Under subdivision 3 of Section 235, anyone can ask for a "certification of disposition." This is a short document that confirms the outcome of the case. It does not show the details of what was in the pleadings or testimony. The fee is $5 for each two-year period searched. So even if you cannot get the full divorce decree, you can still confirm that a divorce happened in Onondaga County.

Under Section 255 of the Judiciary Law, the County Clerk must search records and provide copies to eligible people who pay the right fees. The clerk checks your ID first.

Onondaga County Divorce Decree Contact Info

The Onondaga County Clerk maintains a detailed contact directory. Here is the contact page for the clerk's office, which lists direct phone lines for different departments.

Call the Civil Actions line at (315) 435-2234 for direct help with divorce decree requests.

The 5th Judicial District Help Center at 315-671-1144 can also help if you are filing for divorce or need guidance on getting records. The center is at the Onondaga County Courthouse, 5th Floor. The NYS Unified Court System provides free divorce forms. The Ask a Law Librarian service answers questions about divorce decree records and the court system. For a divorce certificate rather than a decree, the NYS Department of Health handles those for cases after 1963.

Cities in Onondaga County

Syracuse is the largest city in Onondaga County. The town of Clay is also in this county. All divorce decree records for cities and towns in Onondaga County are handled by the Onondaga County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Onondaga County. Each County Clerk maintains its own divorce decree records.