Inglewood Divorce Decree Records

Inglewood divorce decree records are maintained by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. The city has about 107,000 residents and sits in southwestern Los Angeles County. All dissolution cases for Inglewood go through the county court system. You can get copies of your divorce decree from the courthouse where it was filed or from the county archives. The court keeps all divorce files for this area. Plain copies cost 50 cents per page. A certified divorce decree costs $15. You can request records in person, by mail, or online for cases filed after January 2000.

Which Court Handles Inglewood Divorces

Inglewood residents file for divorce at Los Angeles County Superior Court. The county has four main family law courthouses. Most Inglewood cases go to the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 North Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. This is the central family law location for many Los Angeles County cities including Inglewood.

The Stanley Mosk Courthouse handles dissolution filings, hearings, and records for the central region. Inglewood is about 10 miles from downtown. You can reach the courthouse by car or public transit. Metro Bus and Rail serve the area near the court. Street parking is limited, but there are paid lots nearby.

Call the Los Angeles Superior Court at (213) 830-0803 for general info. The Family Law Call Center is at (213) 633-6363. Staff can tell you which courthouse location serves your specific Inglewood address. Some areas of the county use different courthouses, so it helps to check before you file. The main court website is lacourt.org.

How to Get Divorce Records in Inglewood

You have three ways to get divorce records for Inglewood cases. You can go to the courthouse in person. You can send a request by mail. Or you can use the online portal for some newer cases. Each method works for different situations.

In-person requests let you get copies the same day if your file is available. Go to the courthouse where your case was filed. Bring a photo ID. Tell the clerk staff which documents you need. They will pull the file and make copies while you wait. This works well if you need records fast or if your case is very old. Some files are stored off-site, so call ahead if your divorce was more than a few years ago.

Mail requests work when you cannot visit the court. Send a letter to the business office at the courthouse. Include both parties' full names, the case number if you know it, and the date of divorce or filing. Say which documents you want and whether you need certified copies. Include a check or money order for fees. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage for the court to mail your copies back. Processing takes a few weeks depending on court workload.

Online ordering is available for some Inglewood divorce cases at lacourt.org. The system has family law cases from 1983 to present. Document images are only for cases filed after May 1, 2000. You pay $4.75 per name search. If you find your case, you can order copies. The first five pages of each document cost $1 per page. More pages are 40 cents each. The max is $40 per document.

Divorce Filing Process for Inglewood Residents

Inglewood residents follow California state law when filing for divorce. You must meet the residency rule. At least one spouse must live in California for six months before filing. You also must live in Los Angeles County for three months before you file. If you just moved to Inglewood from another county, you may need to wait. Once you meet these rules, you can file at Los Angeles County Superior Court.

California is a no-fault divorce state. You do not need to prove your spouse did something wrong. The most common ground is irreconcilable differences under California Family Code Section 2310. This means the marriage cannot be fixed. You state this in your petition for dissolution.

You file the petition at the courthouse. The filing fee is about $435 in Los Angeles County. After filing, you must serve your spouse with the papers. You cannot serve them yourself. You can use a process server, sheriff, or any adult who is not part of your case. The server fills out a proof of service form. This goes back to the court.

Under California Family Code Section 2339, there is a six-month waiting period. The court cannot finalize your divorce until six months pass from the date your spouse was served. This wait applies to all Inglewood cases. During this time, you can work out issues like property, support, and custody. If both parties agree, you file a settlement agreement. If not, the case may go to mediation or trial.

Note: The six-month wait starts from service date, not from filing date.

Fees for Divorce Records

Los Angeles County follows state fee laws. A certified divorce decree costs $15 under California Government Code Section 70674. This is the fee for dissolution judgments only. Other documents like settlement agreements or court orders cost $40 to certify.

Plain copies are 50 cents per page. If your decree has five pages, that is $2.50 for plain copies. Add the $15 certification fee if you need a certified copy. The total would be $17.50. Some agencies require certified copies, so ask which type you need before you order.

Name searches on the online portal cost $4.75 each. This fee applies even if the search finds no match. In-person searches at the courthouse are free if you use public terminals. If court staff must search for you and it takes over 10 minutes, they may charge a $15 search fee. File retrieval from off-site storage costs $10. This is separate from copy fees. Always check current fees before you send payment.

Legal Resources for Inglewood Residents

Several groups offer help with family law cases in the Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles Superior Court Self-Help Center is at 111 North Hill Street. Call (213) 830-0845 for hours and services. Staff can help you fill out forms and understand court rules. They do not give legal advice, but they can show you how to file papers and what to expect in court.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles provides free legal services to people with low income. They handle divorce cases for people who qualify. Call (800) 399-4529 to see if you can get their help. They have offices throughout the county including locations near Inglewood. Their website is lafla.org.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service at (213) 243-1525. The first consultation is $35 for 30 minutes. They can match you with a family law attorney who practices in the Los Angeles area. Bet Tzedek Legal Services at (323) 939-0506 helps seniors and people with disabilities. They may assist with divorce cases that involve these populations in Inglewood.

The Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law offers free legal help for low-income people with family law issues. They serve the greater Los Angeles area including Inglewood. Call (213) 388-7515 or visit hbcfl.org for more info. Public Counsel is another option at (213) 385-2977. They provide pro bono legal services including family law help for Los Angeles County residents.

Archives and Older Records

Older Inglewood divorce cases are stored at the Los Angeles County Archives and Records Center. The facility is at 222 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Call (213) 830-0198. Cases from the central Los Angeles area, which includes Inglewood, are transferred to the archives within two or three years of filing.

If your divorce was finalized several years ago, the file is probably at the archives. The original courthouse will not have the physical file anymore. You must request it from the archives. There is a $10 retrieval fee to pull files from storage. Once retrieved, you can view it or order copies. Standard copy fees apply.

Very old divorce records may have limited information. Some older files are stored on microfilm or in formats that are harder to access. Archives staff can tell you what is available for your specific case. Processing requests for old files can take longer than requests for recent cases. Plan extra time if you need records from a divorce that happened decades ago in Inglewood.

Nearby Cities in Los Angeles County

Other cities near Inglewood also use Los Angeles County Superior Court for divorce records. Los Angeles is the county seat and largest city. Long Beach is the second largest city in the county. Santa Monica sits on the coast west of Inglewood.

Torrance is south of Inglewood in the South Bay area. Pasadena is northeast in the San Gabriel Valley. Pomona is in the eastern part of the county. All these cities file divorce cases with the same county court system. Each city may use a different courthouse location based on where they are in the county. Check with the court to find out which location serves your area.