Search Russellville Divorce Decree Records

Divorce decree records for Russellville residents are held by the Pope County Circuit Clerk, located in Russellville at 100 West Main Street. Russellville is the county seat of Pope County, so all divorce filings and certified copies for the county are processed right here in the city. This page explains how to find and request divorce decree records, what the filing process looks like, the fees you can expect, and how to search cases online before visiting the courthouse.

Pope County Circuit Clerk in Russellville

The Pope County Circuit Clerk is at 100 West Main Street, Russellville, AR 72801. The phone number is (479) 968-7499. Russellville is the county seat of Pope County, which means all county court records, including divorce decrees, are kept and filed at this office. You do not need to travel to another city. The courthouse is right in downtown Russellville.

Office hours are Monday through Friday during standard courthouse hours. If you plan to request a certified copy in person, calling ahead is a good step. It confirms staff availability and prevents a wasted trip. Bring a photo ID when you go. If you have a case number from a prior search, bring that too. Having the number ready speeds up the search and reduces the time you spend waiting at the counter.

Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $5.00 per document. Plain, uncertified copies cost less. Mail requests go to the Pope County Circuit Clerk at 100 West Main Street, Russellville, AR 72801. Include the full names of both parties, the approximate year the divorce was granted, and payment by check or money order payable to the Pope County Circuit Clerk. Include a return mailing address.

Note: The clerk's office does not offer legal advice. For help understanding your case or completing forms, contact a licensed Arkansas attorney or use ARLawHelp.org.

Online Search for Russellville Divorce Decrees

Arkansas courts are searchable through CourtConnect, the free case search tool run by the Arkansas Judiciary. You can look up Pope County divorce cases by party name, case number, or date range. The tool returns case-level data: filing date, party names, and current case status. Full document text is not available online, but the case summary tells you whether a divorce was filed in Pope County and gives you the case number you need to order certified copies from the clerk.

CourtConnect covers all Arkansas circuit courts and is available at any time. It is most reliable for cases filed after 2009. For older records, contact the Pope County Circuit Clerk directly. Staff can search older indexes and advise on what is available and how to request it.

Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate

Two documents are often confused when someone looks for divorce records. A divorce decree is the complete court order from the Pope County Circuit Court. It includes the petition, all court rulings, the final judgment, and any orders on property division, child support, or custody. This is what you need for most legal transactions: changing a name on a deed, refinancing a home, or enforcing a support order.

A divorce certificate is a brief vital record from the Arkansas Department of Health. It contains only the names, county, and date of the divorce. It does not include court orders or case details. Certificates are available for Arkansas divorces since 1923 and cost $10 each. Order by mail from ADH Vital Records, 4815 West Markham Street Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, or call (501) 661-2336. The Department of Health does not have the full decree. For the complete court record, contact the Pope County Circuit Clerk in Russellville.

Filing for Divorce in Russellville

Russellville residents file for divorce at the Pope County Circuit Clerk at 100 West Main Street. Arkansas requires at least one spouse to have been a state resident for 60 days before filing. The final decree cannot be entered until one party has resided in the county for 90 days. These are firm legal requirements under Arkansas law, and the court checks them before granting a final order.

Arkansas is a fault-based divorce state. You must state a recognized ground in your petition. The most common ground is general indignities. Other recognized grounds include separation for 18 continuous months, adultery, cruel treatment, and felony conviction. Most Arkansas divorce petitions use one of the first two grounds. Filing fees run approximately $165, with possible variation based on case type. Cases involving minor children require extra steps, including a mandatory parenting education class before a final decree can be entered.

Free help with forms and the process is available through ARLawHelp.org. The site has interactive forms, plain-language guides, and step-by-step instructions built for Arkansas self-represented filers.

Public Access and Historical Records

Pope County divorce records are public court records governed by Arkansas law. Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, court records are generally open to the public. The parties to a case always have full access. Third parties can view basic case data through CourtConnect. Some personal information in the case file, like Social Security numbers and detailed financial account data, may be redacted before release to third parties.

Records older than 100 years are fully public. For more recent cases, standard access rules apply. For older divorce records with genealogical interest, the Arkansas State Archives in Little Rock can assist with remote research. They offer up to two free hours of research assistance and can be reached at 501-682-6900 or state.archives@arkansas.gov.

The Archives are most helpful for records predating the modern court database. For current case files and certified copies, the Pope County Circuit Clerk in Russellville is the correct contact.

Nearby Cities and County Page

Russellville is the county seat of Pope County in the Arkansas River Valley. The nearest qualifying city with a divorce decree page on this site is Conway in Faulkner County to the east. Conway's divorces are handled by the Faulkner County Circuit Clerk, a separate office from Pope County. Other major cities in the region, such as Fort Smith, are also in separate counties with their own clerk offices.

For the full county-level breakdown of Pope County divorce records, court contacts, and procedures, see the Pope County divorce decree records page.