El Monte Divorce Records

El Monte divorce decree records are maintained at Los Angeles County Superior Court. El Monte is in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County. All divorce filings for El Monte residents are processed through the county court system. The court has four main family law courthouses plus a central archives. Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $15. Plain copies are 50 cents per page. You can search for your case online through the court portal. Some divorce judgments from recent years can be ordered online. Older files are stored at the county's archives facility and must be requested separately.

Los Angeles County Court System

El Monte residents file divorce cases at Los Angeles County Superior Court. The county has four main family law courthouses. The Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles is the largest. This building processes thousands of family law cases each year. The other three courthouses serve different parts of the county based on where you live or where your case was assigned.

Los Angeles County is the most populous county in California. The court system handles more divorce cases than any other California county. Family law cases filed in the central region typically move to long-term storage after two or three years. The County Record Center at 222 North Hill Street stores these older files. If your divorce is several years old, your case file is likely at the archives now.

For general court information, call the main number at (213) 830-0803. The Family Law Call Center can answer questions at (213) 633-6363. The Self-Help Center provides free assistance with forms and procedures at (213) 830-0845. For questions about online services or document ordering, email OnlineServices@lacourt.org. Court staff can tell you which courthouse or archive location has your specific case file.

Online Access and Search

Los Angeles County offers online case lookup at lacourt.org. You can search by name or case number. The system includes family law cases from 1983 to the present. Some document images are available for cases filed after May 2000. Full case documents are not viewable online due to privacy rules for family law records under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503.

Name searches cost $4.75 per search. This fee applies whether or not you find a match. The charge is for performing the search, not for the results. If you find your case, you can then order copies of available documents. The first five pages of each document cost $1 per page. Extra pages are 40 cents each. The maximum cost per document is $40.

Only divorce judgments entered after January 2000 are available for online ordering. Older decrees must be requested by mail or in person at the courthouse. The online portal does not have historical files from before 2000 available for electronic delivery. You must create an account and pay by credit card to use the online document ordering system.

Requesting Certified Copies

Visit the courthouse in person for the fastest results. Go to the records office at the courthouse where your case was filed. Bring photo ID and payment. Staff can search for your case and make copies. Some requests are completed the same day. Others take a few days if the file is off-site or in storage.

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

Include payment with mail requests. Make checks payable to Los Angeles Superior Court. A certified divorce decree is $15 plus 50 cents for each additional page. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the court to return your copies. Processing time depends on the court's workload and whether your file is in storage. Retrieval from off-site storage adds a $10 fee.

All copy requests must be claimed within 30 days of being prepared according to court rules.

Fees and Payment

Los Angeles County uses California's statewide fee schedule. Certified divorce decrees cost $15 under California Government Code Section 70674. This includes certification and the first page. Additional pages are 50 cents each. Plain copies without certification are 50 cents per page with no minimum charge.

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

File retrieval from off-site storage costs $10. Rush service may be available for an additional fee. Always verify current fees before submitting payment as costs can change.

Privacy and Public Access

California law limits public access to family law records. Courts cannot provide remote electronic access to divorce case documents under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503. You can view case summaries and calendars online, but you must visit the courthouse to see actual documents. This protects sensitive personal and financial information in family law cases.

Divorce decrees are public records after the divorce is finalized. Anyone with case information can request a copy. However, some documents in the case file may be sealed or confidential. Financial declarations, custody evaluations, and certain settlement documents may have restricted access. The court clerk can explain which records are publicly available and which require special permission.

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

Legal Help and Resources

The Superior Court Self-Help Center offers free assistance to people representing themselves in divorce cases. The center is at 111 North Hill Street in Los Angeles. Call (213) 830-0845 for hours and services. Staff help with form completion, court procedures, and understanding court rules. They cannot provide legal advice but can offer procedural guidance.

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

The Los Angeles County Bar Association operates a lawyer referral service at (213) 243-1525. The first consultation is $35 for 30 minutes with a family law attorney. The bar can connect you with an experienced divorce lawyer in the El Monte area. Many attorneys offer payment plans for clients who need help affording legal fees.

Archives and Historical Files

Older divorce cases from El Monte are stored at the Los Angeles County Archives and Records Center. The address is 222 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Phone is (213) 830-0198. This facility houses millions of case files from all court divisions including family law cases dating back many decades.

Cases from the central Los Angeles area typically transfer to the archives within two to three years after filing. Once your file moves to the archives, the original courthouse no longer has it. You must request access through the archives. There is a $10 fee to retrieve files from storage. Staff need advance notice to locate and pull files. Once retrieved, you can view the file at the archives or order copies at standard rates.

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

Nearby Cities

Other cities in Los Angeles County also process divorce cases through the county Superior Court system.