Corona Divorce Decree Access

Divorce decree records for Corona are maintained by Riverside County Superior Court. All family law cases filed in Corona go through the county court system. The Family Law Courthouse is at 4175 Main Street in Riverside. Your divorce file contains the petition, response, financial forms, settlement agreements, and the final judgment. The court keeps these records permanently. You can request copies in person or by mail. Certified divorce decrees cost $15. Plain copies are 50 cents per page. Off-site file retrieval costs $30 if your case is in storage.

Riverside County Court System

The Riverside Family Law Courthouse is at 4175 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501. The phone number is 951-777-3147. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This courthouse handles family law cases for the county, including those filed by Corona residents.

The court website is riverside.courts.ca.gov. They provide information about court records and how to access them. The county also has an online public access portal.

Riverside County offers an online portal at epublic-access.riverside.courts.ca.gov for case searches. You can look up cases by name or case number. The system shows case information and registers of action. California law prevents viewing actual divorce documents online.

Requesting Certified Copies

To request a certified copy of your divorce decree, use the court's Request for Records Search form. The form is available at riverside.courts.ca.gov. Fill it out completely and submit it with payment.

Copy fees are $0.50 per page. Certification fee is $40 per document. Certified divorce decrees are $15 per decree. Off-site file or record retrieval costs $30. Exemplification fee is $50 if you need that higher level of certification.

For in-person requests, visit the Family Law Courthouse in Riverside. Bring photo ID and your case number if you have it. If not, provide both parties' full names and approximate divorce date. Staff will locate your case.

For mail requests, send the completed form to the courthouse with payment. Make checks payable to Riverside Superior Court. Include return postage. Processing times vary but typically take two to three weeks.

Fees and Costs

Riverside County uses the standard California fee schedule. Certified divorce decrees cost $15 under Government Code Section 70674. This is the special reduced fee for dissolution judgments.

Other certified documents cost $40 per document under Government Code Section 70626. This applies to orders, stipulations, and other documents that are not the final judgment.

All copies are 50 cents per page. The court charges this for each one-sided page. Two-sided pages count as two pages.

Off-site retrieval costs $30 in Riverside County. This applies to older cases stored in archives. The fee covers the cost of retrieving the physical file from storage.

Exemplification costs $50. This is a higher level of certification sometimes required for international use or other special purposes. Most people do not need exemplification. A standard certified copy works for most uses.

Online Case Search

Riverside County provides online case search tools. You can search by name, case number, or other criteria. The system shows case summaries and lists of filed documents. This helps you verify your case number and see what is in the file.

California law prohibits viewing the actual divorce documents online. You can see a register of actions showing what has been filed. To view or get copies of full documents, you must visit the courthouse or submit a mail request.

The online search is free. You only pay fees when you request physical copies or certified documents. Use the online tools to gather information before making your records request.

Legal Assistance

Riverside County Superior Court offers free self-help services. The Family Law Facilitator office can answer questions about divorce procedures and help with forms. They cannot give legal advice but can provide general information about court processes.

Legal Aid Society of Riverside provides free legal help to low-income residents. They assist with divorce, custody, support, and domestic violence cases. Eligibility is based on income and case type. Contact their office for an intake screening.

The Riverside County Bar Association operates a lawyer referral service. You can find family law attorneys who practice in the area. Many offer free or reduced-fee initial consultations through the referral program.

Using Your Divorce Decree

A certified divorce decree proves your marriage legally ended. You need it to remarry in California or any other state. County clerks will not issue a marriage license without proof your prior marriage ended.

If you changed your name through the divorce, the decree serves as legal proof. Use it to update your driver license, Social Security card, and passport. The decree must specifically state the name change for this purpose.

Financial institutions may request a copy. Banks use it to update account ownership and marital status. Insurance companies need it to change beneficiaries or remove a former spouse. Retirement accounts use it to verify eligibility.

Order several certified copies at once. Get three to five copies when you make your initial request. Each costs $15. Having extras is convenient when you need to submit copies to multiple agencies simultaneously.

Privacy and Access

California restricts public access to family law records. California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 prohibits remote electronic access to divorce documents. Courts can show case summaries online. The actual documents must be viewed at the courthouse.

Some information in divorce files is confidential. Financial declarations may be sealed. Child custody evaluations are not public. Domestic violence cases may have additional privacy protections. Only the parties and their attorneys can access sealed portions.

If you have safety concerns, you can request address confidentiality. The court can keep your address out of public records. Ask about the Safe at Home program if you need this protection.

Historical Records

Riverside County maintains divorce records from many decades past. Older files may be in off-site storage. The court can retrieve them for a $30 fee. If your divorce was before 1980, expect to pay the retrieval fee and allow extra processing time.

The California Department of Public Health kept certificates of record for divorces from 1962 to June 1984. These are not full decrees. They show only names, date, county, and case number. The actual decree comes from the county court.

For divorces before 1962, the county court is the only source. Contact Riverside Superior Court with as much information as possible. Full names, approximate date, and any other details help staff search historical records.

Nearby Cities

Other Riverside County cities include Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Murrieta. All use the same Riverside County Superior Court system. The same fees and procedures apply throughout the county.

Corona is near the San Bernardino County line. If you live near cities like Ontario or Fontana, make sure you filed in Riverside County. San Bernardino County has a separate court system.