The Wisconsin Office of Vital Records issues various types of records and documents ranging from birth to death. Through the Office of Vital Records, individuals are able to obtain copies of these records, amend the records, and perform research on these records.
Vital records are considered public records, for the most part, however, certain information found on these records is not available for the public to access.
How do I find Wisconsin Divorces Records?
The quickest way to obtain divorce records and documents is by visiting the website for the Wisconsin Office of Vital Records. You can also visit a location in person by making an appointment through the office of vital records. If you choose to visit an office in person, you should verify the documents are available by visiting the Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association website.
Online order requests for vital records are processed through a third-party agency. VitalChek is the organization that processes orders for online requests and orders for birth records, marriage records, divorce records, and other documents maintained by the office of vital statistics and vital records.
What are the different types of Wisconsin divorces records?
In the state of Wisconsin, there are divorce certificates and divorce decrees. There is also the termination of domestic relationship documents that can be filed. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services maintains these records and accepts requests made online, by mail, or in person.
A divorce certificate is a simplified document indicating the divorce of two individuals. It has basic information such as the parties’ names, the location of the divorce, and the date of the divorce. This document is not issued by the courts, but by the office of vital statistics.
A divorce decree is issued by the courts and contains detailed information regarding the terms of the divorce. This includes but is not limited to the following information:
- Custody agreement
- Division of property
- Division of marital debt
- Agreement for spousal and/or child support
There is other information that could be tailored to fit your divorce included in the divorce decree, however, the information above is generally what you would find in a divorce decree.
Are Wisconsin divorces records public?
Not all divorce records are accessible by the public. Divorce certificates can be accessed by the public since it does not contain personal details about the parties involved in the divorce or information on minor children. Divorce decree’s on the other hand, contain information that is not considered public records, therefore only the individuals and their attorneys can access this document.
Contacting Wisconsin courts
It is possible that the county clerk’s office where the divorce took place maintains the divorce decree. If that is the case, you would need to contact the county clerk in the county where the event took place.
For divorce certificates, you will need to go to the office of vital statistics or the Department of Health Services. For records maintained by the office of vital records, you can go to any location in Wisconsin.