Conway County Divorce Decree Records

Conway County divorce decree records are maintained by Circuit Clerk Darlene Massingill at the courthouse in Morrilton, Arkansas. This page covers everything you need to find, request, and understand divorce decree records in Conway County, including office contact details, online case search access, certified copy fees, and the state-level resources that support local records.

Conway County Circuit Clerk

Circuit Clerk Darlene Massingill runs the Conway County Circuit Clerk's office at 115 S. Moose St, Morrilton, AR 72110. Phone: (501) 354-9617. Fax: (501) 354-9612. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The courthouse address listed by FamilySearch is slightly different at 117 South Moose Street, Morrilton. Both references point to the same courthouse building on Moose Street in downtown Morrilton.

The Circuit Clerk is clerk of the civil, domestic relations, criminal, and juvenile courts. For divorce records, the domestic relations division is the relevant court. The Clerk maintains every part of the case file including the petition, summons, response, financial affidavits, property settlement, custody and support orders, and the final divorce decree. The Clerk also acts as ex-officio recorder for Conway County, handling deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property instruments.

One responsibility of the Circuit Clerk is swearing in all notaries public for the county. The office also records surety bonds. For questions about what the Circuit Clerk handles versus what the County Clerk handles, the two offices operate at different addresses. The County Clerk manages marriage licenses, voter registration, and probate records.

The official Conway County Circuit Clerk page provides Darlene Massingill's contact information and a full description of the office's responsibilities under Arkansas law.

The official Conway County Circuit Clerk website details the office's duties for divorce and domestic relations records, recording functions, and court administration.

County Clerk and Supporting Records

The Conway County Clerk's office is separate from the Circuit Clerk. The County Clerk handles marriage licenses (cost: $60.00, cash or check, both parties must be present with photo ID and social security card), voter registration, and probate records. Marriage records in Conway County go back to 1858. For genealogical research that involves both a marriage and a divorce, you will need to contact both the Circuit Clerk and the County Clerk separately.

The County Clerk maintains a records archive for public viewing, including marriage and other historical records. Adoptions and sealed wills are not available for public review. For current records, both offices are accessible during regular business hours at their Morrilton locations.

Conway County circuit court records go back to 1842, with land records from 1825 and probate from 1837. This is one of the older continuous record sets in central Arkansas.

The Conway County Clerk's page covers marriage records, probate, voter registration, and the public records archive available for in-person review at the Morrilton courthouse.

Online Case Search

Arkansas offers free case search through CourtConnect. You can search Conway County divorce cases by party name or case number. The portal returns basic case information: filing date, docket entries, party names, and case status. It does not provide document images.

Under Arkansas Administrative Order No. 19, Conway County court records are generally public with limited exceptions. Social security numbers, account numbers, sealed cases, and petitioner home addresses in domestic protection orders are kept from public view. Everything else in a standard divorce case file is accessible.

The Conway County court records guide at ArkansasCourtRecords.us outlines what is available online versus what requires a direct clerk request and explains the fees set by A.C.A. § 25-19-105.

This resource covers the types of court records available in Conway County, access restrictions, district court locations in Menifee, Morrilton, Oppelo, and Plumerville, and how to make copy requests.

Divorce Decree and Certificate: Understanding the Difference

Two separate records document a divorce in Arkansas. They serve different purposes and come from different offices.

The divorce decree is the full court order. It contains all terms: property division, debt split, custody schedule, support amounts, alimony, and the judge's ruling. The Conway County Circuit Clerk holds this record. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. You can get copies in person at 115 S. Moose St in Morrilton or by mail.

The divorce certificate is a brief summary from the Arkansas Department of Health. It shows names, date, and county only. Available for divorces since January 1923 at $10 per copy. Phone orders at (866) 209-9482. Mail requests to Vital Records Slot 44, 4815 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205. Walk-in service Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM at that Little Rock address.

Under § 25-19-105, court case files are generally open for public inspection. Divorce certificates, however, are restricted under § 20-18-305 to parties, family, legal representatives, and those with a documented legal interest. Records become fully public 100 years after the divorce date.

Filing Requirements Under Arkansas Law

Arkansas divorce law under § 9-12-301 requires fault-based grounds. You must state a legal reason for the divorce. Accepted grounds: adultery, cruelty (physical or mental rendering life intolerable), habitual drunkenness of one year or more, felony conviction, permanent insanity, and 18-month separation. If both parties agree on all terms and the defendant files a written waiver, proof of grounds is not required.

Residency matters. One spouse must have lived in Arkansas for at least 60 days before filing. Three months of Conway County residency is required before the court can sign the final decree. So if a divorce was finalized in Conway County, at least one party lived there for three months before the decree date.

New circuit court filings cost $165.00 under Arkansas Code § 21-6-403. Reopening a case runs $50.00. Self-represented parties can get free divorce forms from Arkansas Legal Help. The site is the same resource the Circuit Clerk's office will direct you to if you ask about forms.

Genealogy and Historical Records

Conway County has substantial historical records. FamilySearch lists court records from 1842, land records from 1825, marriage records from 1858, and probate from 1837. For divorce records specifically, the Circuit Court Clerk has records going back to the county's early years.

For older or hard-to-find records, the Arkansas State Archives provides up to two hours of free remote research. Email state.archives@arkansas.gov or call 501-682-6900. The Archives is at One Capitol Mall, Room 2B-215, Little Rock, AR 72201. The FamilySearch Conway County genealogy page provides a good overview of available records and their dates.

Nearby Counties

Conway County borders Perry, Pope, Yell, Scott, Logan, Johnson, Van Buren County, and Faulkner counties. Each has its own Circuit Clerk and independent records. If you are not sure which county a divorce was filed in, use CourtConnect with party names to run a statewide search first.

• Perry County - Perryville
• Pope County - Russellville
• Yell County - Danville / Dardanelle
• Johnson County - Clarksville
• Van Buren County - Clinton
• Faulkner County - Conway

Note that Faulkner County's county seat is the city of Conway, not to be confused with Conway County, which is centered in Morrilton. If you need Faulkner County records, the Circuit Clerk for that county is in the city of Conway.