Access East Los Angeles Divorce Decrees

East Los Angeles divorce decree records are handled by Los Angeles County Superior Court. This unincorporated community is part of Los Angeles County. All divorce filings for East Los Angeles residents are processed through the county court system. The court maintains records from every family law case. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $15 each. Plain copies cost 50 cents per page. You can search for your case online or go to a courthouse to get copies in person. Some judgments from recent years are available through the court's online document ordering system. Older files are stored at the county archives facility.

County Court System

All divorce cases for East Los Angeles go through Los Angeles County Superior Court. The county operates four main family law courthouses plus a central archives facility. The Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street downtown is the largest location. This building handles thousands of family law cases each year. Other courthouses serve different regions across the county.

Your case may have been filed at any of the four family law courthouses depending on where you lived when you filed. Los Angeles County is huge. It serves more than ten million residents. The court system processes more divorce cases than any other California county. Most family law cases filed in the central area eventually get transferred to the County Record Center for long-term storage. This usually happens two to three years after the case is filed.

The archives are at 222 North Hill Street in Los Angeles. If your divorce is several years old, your file is probably there now. Call (213) 830-0198 to reach the archives. For general court information, call the main number at (213) 830-0803. The Family Law Call Center answers questions at (213) 633-6363. For help with forms and procedures, contact the Self-Help Center at (213) 830-0845.

Online Record Search

The county provides online case search at lacourt.org. You can look up divorce cases by name or case number. The system covers family law cases from 1983 forward. Some document images are available for cases filed after May 2000. Full case files are not viewable online due to privacy rules that protect family law records.

Each name search costs $4.75 whether or not you find a match. You pay for the search itself, not the results. If you locate your case, you can order copies of available documents. Pages cost $1 each for the first five pages of each document. Additional pages are 40 cents each. No document order exceeds $40.

Only divorce judgments entered after January 2000 can be ordered online. Older decrees must be requested by mail or obtained in person at the courthouse. The online portal does not have access to historical case files from before 2000. You must create an account and pay by credit card to use online document ordering.

Requesting Copies

Visit the courthouse in person for the fastest service. Go to the records office at the location where your case was filed. Bring photo ID and payment. Court staff can search for your case and make copies. Some requests are filled the same day. Others take a few days depending on whether the file is on-site or in storage.

You can also request copies by mail. Send your request to the business office where the case was originally filed. If you don't know which courthouse handled it, send to Archives and Records Center, 222 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Include both parties' full names, the approximate divorce date, the case number if known, and your contact details. Specify if you need certified or plain copies.

Include payment with mail requests. Make checks payable to Los Angeles Superior Court. Certified divorce decrees cost $15 plus 50 cents for each page after the first page. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the court to mail your copies back. Processing time varies from a few days to several weeks.

If your file is in off-site storage, there is a $10 retrieval fee. Files more than a few years old are usually at the archives. Call ahead to check the status of your case. This can save time. Note that all copy requests must be claimed within 30 days of being filled.

Fees and Costs

Los Angeles County uses the California statewide fee schedule. A certified divorce decree costs $15 under California Government Code Section 70674. This includes certification and the first page. Extra pages are 50 cents each. Plain copies without certification are 50 cents per page.

Other certified documents from your case file, such as settlement agreements or support orders, cost $40 per document plus 50 cents per page. Online name searches are $4.75 each. In-person searches using public terminals are free if you do them yourself. If court staff must search and it takes over 10 minutes, the court may charge a $15 search fee under state law.

Retrieving files from off-site storage costs $10. Rush service may cost more. Always confirm current fees before sending payment. Fees can change.

Record Access Rules

California Rules of Court Rule 2.503 limits online access to family law records. Courts cannot provide remote electronic access to divorce case documents. You can see case summaries and hearing calendars online, but actual documents must be viewed at the courthouse. This protects private information in family law cases.

Divorce decrees are public records once the divorce is final. Anyone with the case information can request a copy. However, some documents in the file may be sealed or confidential. Financial declarations, custody reports, and some settlement documents may have restricted access. The court clerk can tell you which records are public and which need special permission.

If you were a party to the divorce, you can access all non-sealed documents in your case. Third parties may have limited access to certain records.

Help and Legal Aid

The Superior Court Self-Help Center offers free help to people handling their own cases. The center is at 111 North Hill Street in Los Angeles. Call (213) 830-0845 for hours. Staff help with forms, procedures, and court rules. They cannot give legal advice but can provide procedural information.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles provides free legal services to low-income residents. They handle divorce, custody, and other family law matters. Call (800) 399-4529 to see if you qualify. The organization has offices throughout the county. Services include full representation in court, help with paperwork, and legal advice.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association offers lawyer referrals at (213) 243-1525. The first consultation is $35 for 30 minutes with a family law attorney. The bar can match you with an experienced divorce lawyer near East Los Angeles. Many lawyers offer flexible payment options for people who need help affording legal fees.

Older Case Files

The Los Angeles County Archives and Records Center stores older divorce cases. The address is 222 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Call (213) 830-0198. This warehouse holds millions of files from all court divisions. Family law cases from the central area typically move to the archives two to three years after filing.

Once your file is at the archives, the original courthouse no longer has it. You must request access through the archives. Staff need time to locate and retrieve files from storage. There is a $10 retrieval fee. Once pulled, you can view the file at the archives or order copies at standard rates.

Very old cases from many decades ago may be stored differently. Some historical records have limited information available. Contact the archives if you need records from an old divorce.

Nearby Cities

Other large cities in Los Angeles County use the same Superior Court system for divorce cases.