Pomona Divorce Records

Pomona divorce decree records are kept by Los Angeles County Superior Court. All divorce cases for this city of 154,000 residents go through the county court system. The Pomona Courthouse South serves this area at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766. This courthouse handles family law cases for Pomona and surrounding eastern Los Angeles County communities. You can get certified divorce decree copies from the courthouse or from the county archives for older cases. The fee is $15 for a certified decree. Plain copies cost 50 cents per page. Request methods include in-person visits, mail, and online ordering for select cases filed after 2000.

Courthouse Location

Pomona is in Los Angeles County. All divorce cases are handled by Los Angeles County Superior Court. The Pomona Courthouse South at 400 Civic Center Plaza processes many local divorce filings. This is one of several family law courthouses in the county.

The Pomona courthouse serves the eastern region of Los Angeles County. Many Pomona residents file their divorce cases here. The building has courtrooms, clerk offices, and self-help services. You file new petitions at the clerk's office. You attend hearings in courtrooms. When your divorce is final, your decree comes from this courthouse.

Call (909) 620-3023 for Pomona courthouse information. For family law questions that apply countywide, call the Family Law Call Center at (213) 633-6363. The Self-Help Center can be reached at (213) 830-0845. These services help people who represent themselves in divorce cases.

After your case closes, the file stays at the courthouse for a few years. Then Los Angeles County transfers it to the Archives and Records Center at 222 North Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. Call the archives at (213) 830-0198 if your case is old. There is a $10 retrieval fee for archived files.

Los Angeles County offers case search online at lacourt.org. Search by name or case number. Family law cases from 1983 forward are in the system. Name searches cost $4.75 each. The portal shows case summaries and filed documents. Some cases filed after 2000 allow online document ordering.

Getting Your Divorce Decree

To get a copy of your Pomona divorce decree, request it from Los Angeles County Superior Court. If your case is recent, go to the Pomona Courthouse South where it was filed. Bring photo ID. Tell the clerk your case number or provide both party names and the divorce date.

Certified copies cost $15 per decree under California Government Code Section 70674. This fee includes certification and the decree document. Multi-page decrees cost an additional 50 cents per page. Plain copies without certification are 50 cents per page.

For in-person requests, pay with cash, check, or credit card. If your file is on-site, you may get copies same day. If the file is stored off-site, it takes longer. The clerk tells you when copies will be ready or can mail them to you.

For mail requests, write to Pomona Courthouse South, 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766. Include full names of both parties, case number if you have it, approximate divorce date, type of copy you need, and your return address. Enclose payment made out to Los Angeles Superior Court. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope with enough postage. Processing takes one to several weeks depending on workload.

If your divorce is more than three years old, your file may be at the archives. Write to Archives and Records Center, 222 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Include the same information. Pay the $10 retrieval fee plus copy fees. Archived cases take longer because staff must pull files from storage.

Search Online Records

Los Angeles County has an online portal for case search. Go to lacourt.org to access it. You can search for family law cases by party name or case number. The system covers cases from 1983 to present.

Each name search costs $4.75. You pay this fee even if no case is found. The fee is for searching, not for results. Once you locate your case, you can view the register of actions at no extra charge. This lists all documents filed and court dates.

For cases filed after May 2000, some documents are available online. Create an account to order them. Cost is $1 per page for the first five pages of each document. Additional pages are 40 cents each. Maximum is $40 per document. The court sends documents by email or mail within days.

California law restricts remote access to family law files. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, courts cannot provide full public remote access. You see case summaries and registers online, but many documents require in-person access at the courthouse or a written request.

If you cannot find your case online, call the courthouse. Staff can help search using different name spellings or dates. If the search takes over 10 minutes, there may be a $15 search fee under state law.

Resources for Pomona Residents

Several organizations help Pomona residents with divorce matters. The Superior Court Self-Help Center provides free assistance. Staff help you understand court procedures and fill out forms. They do not give legal advice but offer general information. Call (213) 830-0845 for services and hours.

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles serves low-income residents with free legal help. They handle divorce and family law cases. Services include advice, document preparation, and representation in some cases. Call (800) 399-4529 to see if you qualify. They have offices serving the eastern Los Angeles County area.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service. Call (213) 243-1525 to connect with a family law attorney near Pomona. First consultation is $35 for 30 minutes. They match you with attorneys who practice in your area.

Pomona City Hall at 505 South Garey Avenue does not handle court records. City offices cannot help with divorce matters. All divorce records are maintained by the county court system. For any court record, contact Los Angeles County Superior Court, not city government.

Note: Processing times vary based on court workload and whether your file is stored on-site or at the archives.

California Divorce Requirements

California is a no-fault divorce state. You do not need to prove fault. The grounds are irreconcilable differences or permanent legal incapacity. Most people cite irreconcilable differences. This applies to all California divorces including those in Pomona.

California has a mandatory six-month waiting period. Under California Family Code Section 2339, no divorce is final until six months after the respondent is served. Even if you both agree, you must wait. The court cannot finalize it sooner.

Residency requirements must be met. One spouse must have lived in California for six months and in Los Angeles County for three months before filing. If you recently moved to Pomona, you may need to wait to establish residency. The court verifies residency when you file your petition.

The court clerk maintains all divorce records per California Family Code Section 2338. When your judgment is entered, the clerk notifies both parties or their attorneys. The clerk also keeps files for future copy requests. This ensures proper record keeping.

Court clerks report all divorce judgments to the State Registrar monthly under California Health and Safety Code Section 103200. The state tracks vital statistics including divorces. However, actual divorce decrees are only available from the Superior Court, not from state vital records offices.

Nearby Cities

Pomona is near other large California cities. Ontario is east of Pomona across the county line in San Bernardino County with about 180,000 residents. Rancho Cucamonga is also in San Bernardino County with 180,000 residents.

Pasadena is west with 142,000 residents. West Covina is northwest with about 105,000 residents. All Los Angeles County cities use the same Superior Court system for divorce cases. Cities in other counties use their own county courts.

For more about Los Angeles County divorce records, visit the Los Angeles County page. That page has complete details about all courthouse locations, online services, fees, and procedures for the entire county including Pomona.