Search Crawford County Divorce Decree Records

Crawford County divorce decree records are maintained by Circuit Clerk Sharon L. Blount-Baker at the courthouse in Van Buren, Arkansas. The Crawford County Circuit Clerk's office holds all domestic relations court files including final divorce decrees, custody orders, and property settlements. This page covers the office's contact information, how to request certified copies, how to search online, and what Arkansas law requires for divorce filings in Crawford County.

Crawford County Circuit Clerk Office

Circuit Clerk Sharon L. Blount-Baker operates the Crawford County Circuit Clerk's office at 300 Main Street, Van Buren, AR 72956. Phone: (479) 474-1821. Fax: (479) 471-0622. Room 22 within the courthouse building is the specific office location. The mission of the office is to secure, preserve, and make available recording and court records while maintaining the highest standards of integrity.

The Circuit Clerk is clerk of both the Circuit Court and Juvenile Court and acts as ex-officio recorder for the county. The office handles all court divisions: criminal, civil, domestic relations, child support, juvenile, and probate. Divorce records fall under the domestic relations division, which covers divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, custody, visitation, child support, paternity, domestic abuse, and contempt cases.

For domestic relations cases specifically, the Crawford County Circuit Clerk requires a Domestic Relations Cover Sheet and a Confidential Cover Sheet for all decrees involving children. The confidential form is not open for public inspection. That means custody details involving children are protected from public access even though the rest of the divorce file is generally public.

The official Crawford County Circuit Clerk page provides Sharon Blount-Baker's contact details, a breakdown of all court divisions, fee schedules, and recording standards under Arkansas law.

The official Circuit Clerk page details the full scope of the office's responsibilities, including the domestic relations division that handles all divorce decree filings in Crawford County.

Crawford County Divorce Filing Fees

Crawford County has published its fee schedule on the Circuit Clerk's official website. For initiating a new cause of action in Circuit Court, the fee is $165.00 under Arkansas Code § 21-6-403. Reopening an existing court case runs $50.00.

For copies, the fee is $0.50 per page for copies made in the office. Copies mailed or faxed (paid in advance) cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies follow the standard Arkansas fee structure: $5.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page. Writs of garnishment or execution run $20.00, with $2.50 for each additional writ.

Recording fees for land records are $15.00 for the first page and $5.00 for each additional page. UCC filings cost $12.00. UCC search per name is $6.00. These fees are specific to Crawford County and are published by the Circuit Clerk under the authority of Arkansas statute. Confirm current fees before submitting a mail request since fee schedules can change when the legislature acts.

Online Case Search

Arkansas offers free public case search at CourtConnect. Crawford County civil, criminal, and domestic relations records are searchable at that portal. The office also lists the civil records link directly: https://caseinfo.arcourts.gov. Search by party name or case number. Results include filing dates, docket entries, party names, and case status.

Document images are not available online. CourtConnect shows case-level data only. To get the actual divorce decree or any other court document, you need to contact the Circuit Clerk in Van Buren. In-person visits, mail requests, and fax requests are all accepted with advance payment required for copies sent out of the office.

The ArkansasCourtRecords.us Crawford County page covers divorce record availability, how the Department of Health and Circuit Clerk share responsibility for documenting divorces, and what identification is required for requests.

This resource explains that Crawford County divorce records are maintained by both the Arkansas Department of Health (certificates) and the Circuit Court Clerk (full decrees) at 300 Main Street, Room 22, Van Buren.

Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate

Arkansas maintains two separate records for each divorce, held by two different agencies.

The divorce decree is the court document. Full terms. Property split, debt assignment, custody schedule, child support amounts, alimony, name change, and the judge's final order — all of it is in the decree. The Crawford County Circuit Clerk holds this record. In-person or mail requests go to 300 Main Street, Room 22, Van Buren, AR 72956. Copies in the office are $0.50 per page; mailed copies are $1.00 per page.

The divorce certificate is the short version. Names, date, county. Issued by the Arkansas Department of Health for divorces since January 1923. Cost: $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 address. An online order service is available with a $1.85 identity verification fee.

Under § 25-19-105, court case files are generally open to the public. Certificates are restricted under § 20-18-305 to parties, family, legal representatives, and those with a legal interest. The 100-year rule makes all records fully public 100 years after the divorce date.

Arkansas Divorce Law and Crawford County Filings

Arkansas requires stated legal grounds for divorce under § 9-12-301. The law does not allow a simple no-fault filing. Grounds include adultery, cruelty (physical or mental), habitual drunkenness of one year or more, felony conviction, permanent insanity, and 18-month separation without sexual relations. If both parties agree on all terms, the defendant can waive the grounds requirement in writing.

One spouse must be an Arkansas resident for 60 days before filing. Three months of Crawford County residency is required before the judge can issue a final decree. Divorces finalized in Crawford County mean at least one party was a county resident for three months before the decree was signed.

Crawford County's domestic relations division handles divorce, annulment, separate maintenance, custody, visitation, child support, paternity, domestic abuse, and contempt filings. Cases are started by filing a complaint or petition with the Circuit Clerk. The Clerk processes the filing, issues a case number, and the case proceeds through the court. Final decrees become part of the permanent court record.

For child support enforcement, the local Crawford County office can be reached at 479-471-8855. The Arkansas Child Support Clearinghouse handles wage withholding payments at 1-866-428-8382. These are separate from the Circuit Clerk's child support registry, which tracks payments ordered to flow through the court.

Legal Help and Self-Help Resources

Crawford County residents have access to the same statewide self-help tools available across Arkansas. Arkansas Legal Help provides free interactive divorce forms for self-represented parties. Forms cover divorce, custody, child support, domestic abuse, guardianship, and expungement. The Circuit Clerk's office will direct you to this site if you ask about paperwork.

The Arkansas Court Kiosk program installs self-help kiosks in courthouses statewide. Check whether the Crawford County Courthouse in Van Buren has a kiosk. These kiosks allow you to search records, print forms, apply for legal aid, and access video guides on how Arkansas courts handle divorce and family law cases.

The Arkansas Court Records divorce guide provides a useful overview of how the state system works, who keeps what records, and how to approach requests from both state and county sources.

Van Buren and Nearby Counties

Van Buren is the county seat of Crawford County and has its own city page for divorce records resources. For Van Buren-specific information, see Van Buren Divorce Decree Records.

Crawford County borders Sebastian, Franklin, Johnson, Pope, Washington County, and Logan counties. If you think a case was filed across county lines, use CourtConnect with party names to search statewide before contacting individual clerks.

• Sebastian County - Fort Smith
• Franklin County - Ozark / Charleston
• Johnson County - Clarksville
• Pope County - Russellville
• Washington County - Fayetteville
• Logan County - Paris / Booneville

For quick certificate verification before pulling a county file, the Arkansas Department of Health at (866) 209-9482 can confirm whether a divorce certificate exists under a given name. The DivorceArkansas.org records guide explains the full certificate and decree system in plain language.