Find Divorce Decree in Orange County
Orange County divorce decree records are filed with the County Clerk in Goshen. County Clerk Kelly Eskew runs the office at the Government Center, 255 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924. The county is part of the 9th Judicial District, and the Supreme Court at 285 Main Street handles all divorce proceedings. Orange County has a specific form you can use to request a certified copy of a divorce judgment. If you need to find a divorce decree from Orange County, the clerk's office is your best starting point. Phone them at 845-291-2690 for general questions.
Orange County Divorce Decree Overview
Orange County Clerk Divorce Decree Services
The Orange County Clerk's office provides several services related to divorce decree records. The main office at 255 Main Street in Goshen has multiple phone lines for different needs. For certified copies, call 845-291-3287. For court papers, dial 845-291-3286. The Record Room is at 845-291-3287, and the Recording Documents line is 845-291-3292. The fax number is 845-378-2368. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Orange County stands out because it has a specific form for requesting a certified copy of a divorce judgment. The form is a PDF you can download from the county website. You fill it out with the plaintiff's name and case details, then mail it with a check made out to "Orange County Clerk." The check should say "not to exceed $50.00" on it. This is different from most counties where you just show up and pay a flat fee. The form makes the mail-in process easier for people who cannot visit Goshen in person.
Here is the Orange County Clerk page where you can find the divorce judgment request form and other services.
The clerk's website also offers free notary services and a fraud alert system for property owners in Orange County.
Note: Orange County requires you to write "not to exceed $50.00" on your check when requesting a divorce decree copy by mail.
How Orange County Divorce Decree Requests Work
Getting a divorce decree from Orange County follows the same basic rules as the rest of New York. Under DRL Section 235, divorce records are confidential. Only the parties to the case and their attorneys can get copies of the full divorce decree. You need a valid photo ID. If someone else needs a copy, they must get a court order or a notarized authorization letter from one of the parties.
The Orange County Supreme Court is at 285 Main Street, Goshen, NY 10924. The phone number is 845-476-3500. All divorce cases in Orange County go through this court. When the judge signs the divorce decree, it gets filed with the County Clerk. That is where the permanent record stays. The Orange County Family Court at 845-476-3520 handles custody and support matters but does not grant divorces. Rohan Cumberbatch serves as Chief Clerk, and Denise Memmelaar is Deputy Chief Clerk for Family Court.
You can search for Orange County divorce cases online through the WebCivil Supreme system. The search is free. It will show you basic case info like party names and case status. You will not see the full divorce decree online because of privacy laws. But the search can give you the index number, which makes it faster to request the actual records from the clerk.
Divorce Decree Fees in Orange County
Orange County uses a form-based system for divorce decree requests. The fee can be up to $50 for a certified copy. Most counties in New York charge $5 to $8 for the first four pages of a certified divorce decree, plus $1.25 per page after that. Orange County's approach is a bit different with the form and the check amount cap. Plain copies are cheaper, typically $0.25 to $0.65 per page.
If you want a divorce certificate instead of the full decree, the NYS Department of Health handles those. The mail fee is $30 per copy. Online or phone orders run $45 plus a processing fee. The Department of Health only has certificates for divorces after January 1, 1963. For older cases, the Orange County Clerk is the only source for the divorce decree.
Under Judiciary Law Section 255, the clerk must search records when asked by an eligible person. If you do not have the index number, there is a $5 search fee per two-year period. The NYSCEF electronic filing system may have some recent Orange County cases filed electronically.
Orange County Divorce Decree Resources
The NYS Unified Court System offers free divorce forms and instruction booklets. The Ask a Law Librarian service can answer questions about divorce records and how to get them. The New York State Archives has information about very old divorce records from before 1847.
After 100 years from the final decree, divorce records in Orange County open to the public. The New York State Library has details on accessing older records for genealogy research. For cases between 1847 and 1962, the divorce decree at the County Clerk's office is the only record that exists.
Note: The Orange County Clerk offers free notary services, which can be helpful if you need documents notarized for a divorce decree request.
Cities in Orange County
Orange County does not have cities that meet the population threshold for dedicated pages. All divorce decree records for communities in Orange County go through the County Clerk in Goshen.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Orange County. Each one has its own County Clerk who keeps divorce decree records.