Find San Jose Divorce Decrees

San Jose divorce decree records are kept by Santa Clara County Superior Court. As California's third largest city with over 1 million residents, San Jose processes significant divorce case volume. The county courthouse is at 191 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. All divorce files stay with the Superior Court even after cases end. You can get certified copies from the courthouse. The fee for a certified divorce decree is $15. Plain copies cost 50 cents per page. Request methods include in-person visits, mail, and online portal access. The court offers case search through its public portal for cases opened from 1990 to date.

Santa Clara County Courthouse

San Jose is the county seat of Santa Clara County. The Superior Court main courthouse is at 191 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. This location handles family law cases for San Jose and surrounding areas. The building has courtrooms, clerk offices, and self-help services.

You file new divorce petitions at the family records window. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. You attend hearings in the courthouse courtrooms. When your divorce is final, the court issues your decree from this location. The courthouse serves the most populous area of Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara County Superior Court provides information at santaclara.courts.ca.gov. The website has forms, fee schedules, and instructions for family law cases. Online resources help people who represent themselves in divorce proceedings.

According to Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder, the Clerk-Recorder's office does not maintain divorce records. All divorce decrees must be obtained from the Superior Court.

The court offers online case search through the portal at portal.scscourt.org. Search by name or case number. View case information and registers of actions. The system covers cases from 1990 forward for family law matters.

Requesting Divorce Decree Copies

To obtain a copy of your San Jose divorce decree, request it from Santa Clara County Superior Court. Visit the courthouse at 191 North First Street. Go to the family records window. Bring photo ID. Provide your case number or both party names and approximate divorce date.

Fees follow state law. Research fee is $15 if no case number is provided. Certification fee for dissolution judgments is $15. Certification for other documents is $40. Copy fee is 50 cents per page. Two-sided pages cost $1. These fees are documented on court request forms.

For in-person requests, pay by cash, check, or credit card. If your file is on-site, processing may be completed same day or within days. 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 Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara, Family Records, 191 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. Include full names of both parties, case number if you have it, approximate divorce date, specific documents needed, and your return address. Enclose payment made out to Superior Court of California. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with adequate postage.

Processing time for mail requests varies based on court workload and file location. Plan for one to several weeks. For older cases, files may be in off-site storage which adds processing time. Always call ahead to confirm current procedures and fees.

Note: Copy fees are 50 cents per page per side according to court fee schedules.

Online Portal Access

Santa Clara County provides online case search at portal.scscourt.org. You can search for family law cases by party name or case number. The portal shows case information for cases opened from 1990 to present.

The system displays case summaries, party information, filing dates, and case status. You can view registers of actions that list all filed documents and court dates. This helps you track case progress and see what documents are in your file.

California law limits remote access to family law files. Under California Rules of Court Rule 2.503, courts cannot provide full public remote access to family law case documents including dissolution records. You see case information online, but actual divorce documents typically require courthouse visits or written requests.

If you cannot find your case online, call the family records window at the courthouse. Staff can help search using different name spellings, filing dates, or other information. There is a $15 research fee if you do not have a case number and staff must search for your case.

Legal Help in San Jose

Santa Clara County offers resources for people handling divorce cases. 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 about the divorce process.

Legal Aid Society of Santa Clara County serves low-income residents with free legal help. They handle family law matters including divorce. Call (408) 998-5200 to see if you qualify. Services may include advice, document preparation, and representation in some cases.

Santa Clara County Bar Association operates a lawyer referral service. Call (408) 971-6822 to connect with family law attorneys in San Jose. The service matches you with attorneys who practice family law. Consultation fees vary by attorney.

Family Law Facilitator services are available at the courthouse. Facilitators help with child support and some other family law issues. Ask at the courthouse about facilitator hours and services. These services help self-represented litigants.

San Jose City Hall does not handle court records. City offices cannot provide divorce decrees. All divorce records are with Santa Clara County Superior Court. Always contact the court, not city government, for divorce records.

California Divorce Requirements

California is a no-fault state. You do not need to prove fault or wrongdoing. The grounds are irreconcilable differences or permanent legal incapacity. Most people file based on irreconcilable differences. This applies to all California divorces.

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 on everything, you must wait six months. The court cannot finalize the divorce sooner.

Residency requirements must be met. One spouse must have lived in California for six months and in Santa Clara County for three months before filing. If you recently moved to San Jose, you may need to wait to establish residency. The court verifies residency at filing.

The court clerk maintains all divorce records per California Family Code Section 2338. The clerk sends notice when judgment is entered. The clerk keeps files for future copy requests. This ensures proper record keeping.

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

Nearby Cities

San Jose is near other large cities. Santa Clara is northwest with about 130,000 residents. Sunnyvale is north with 155,000 residents. All three cities use Santa Clara County Superior Court for divorce cases.

Fremont is north across the county line in Alameda County with 235,000 residents. Milpitas is northeast in Santa Clara County with about 81,000 residents. All Santa Clara County cities file divorce cases with the same Superior Court system.

For complete information about Santa Clara County divorce records, visit the Santa Clara County page. That page has comprehensive details about courthouse locations, online services, fees, and procedures for the entire county including San Jose.