Greene County Divorce Decree Lookup
Divorce decree records in Greene County are held by the Circuit Clerk in Paragould. This guide covers how to find those records, what it costs to get certified copies, which online tools cover Greene County, and where to turn for legal help with a divorce case.
Greene County Divorce Records Overview
Greene County Circuit Clerk for Divorce Records
The Greene County Circuit Clerk maintains all family court records, including divorce decrees. The office is at 320 West Court Street, Room 124, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone is (870) 239-6330, fax (870) 239-3550. Standard hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours.
The Greene County court records portal confirms the clerk's address and notes that the county has one Circuit Court and two District Courts. The District Court in Paragould is at 320 West Court Street, Suite 227, and can be reached at (870) 239-7507. Divorce cases are heard in the Circuit Court, not the District Courts.
Court records go back to 1833 in Greene County. Marriage records start from 1878. Divorce decrees are kept as part of the Circuit Court's equity records. Requests can be made in person or by mail. Mail requests should include the full names of both parties, the approximate year of divorce, any case number you have, a copy of your photo ID, and payment for the search and copy fees.
Online Access to Greene County Divorce Cases
Greene County cases are included in the statewide Arkansas CourtConnect system. You can search by name, case ID, or case type. Domestic relations cases, which include divorces, are searchable through the public portal. CourtConnect shows case status, docket entries, and party names but does not provide full document access. For the actual decree, you need to contact the Circuit Clerk.
The County Service Network page for Greene County lists online property records and assessment information. The Circuit Clerk for Greene County is Jan Griffith. The County Service Network is useful for verifying contact details and finding what services are available online before making a trip to the courthouse.
Note: Public CourtConnect searches return case details only. A certified copy of the divorce decree requires a written or in-person request to the Greene County Circuit Clerk.
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate
Two different offices hold two different types of divorce records in Arkansas. Getting the right one the first time saves time and fees.
The divorce decree is the full court order. It has every term of the divorce: custody schedule, support amounts, how property was divided, any debt assignments, and the legal grounds. Only the Circuit Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted holds this document. For Greene County divorces, that is the clerk in Paragould. Records go back to at least 1833 for the court generally, with divorce records part of the equity case files.
The divorce certificate is a short summary record. It states the names, the date, and the county. The Arkansas Department of Health holds these certificates for divorces since January 1923. The fee is $10 per certified copy. You can order by phone at (866) 209-9482, online through the ADH website, or by mail to 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. The ADH does not have the full decree.
Getting Copies and Fees
In-person requests at the Greene County Circuit Clerk are the fastest way to get a copy of a divorce decree. Bring valid photo ID. Staff will look up the record by name or case number and make copies for you. Copy fees and a certification fee apply. Call (870) 239-6330 ahead of your visit to confirm the current fee schedule.
Mail requests take longer but are a good option if you cannot travel to Paragould. Send a written request to Greene County Circuit Clerk, 320 West Court Street, Room 124, Paragould, AR 72450. Include both parties' names, approximate divorce year, case number if known, a photocopy of your ID, and payment by check or money order. Arkansas law under § 25-19-105 caps copy fees at actual reproduction cost, not including staff search time.
For genealogy research on older records, the Family Tree Magazine Arkansas records guide notes that some counties lost records to floods or fires. Greene County court records go back to 1833 with no known catastrophic losses reported. For very old records, the Arkansas State Archives may have microfilmed copies available.
Filing for Divorce in Arkansas
Arkansas is one of the few states that still requires fault-based grounds for divorce. Under Arkansas Code § 9-12-301, valid grounds include adultery, physical or mental cruelty, habitual drunkenness for at least one year, a felony conviction, permanent insanity, and 18 months of continuous separation. If both spouses agree to the divorce, the defendant can waive the grounds requirement in writing to allow the case to proceed without contested fault evidence.
Filing takes place at the Circuit Clerk's office in the county where one spouse lives. At least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing. The final decree cannot be entered until at least three months after one spouse has been a county resident. Greene County Circuit Court in Paragould handles these filings for the county.
Filing fees run around $165 for a standard uncontested case. Contested divorces involve more hearings and higher total costs. The DivorceArkansas.org records guide has more detail on the two-record system and how each type of record is requested.
Legal Help and Resources
ARLawHelp.org provides free divorce forms and self-help legal materials for Arkansas residents. The forms are interactive and designed for people handling their own cases without an attorney. No legal advice is given, but the forms and instructions cover most standard divorce situations in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Court Kiosk program installs self-service stations at courthouses across the state. These kiosks let you access records, print forms, apply for legal aid, and watch video guides. Check the Greene County courthouse in Paragould to see if a kiosk is available for public use.
Nearby Counties and Cities
Greene County borders several other counties in northeast Arkansas. If you are not sure which county handled the divorce, check the neighboring counties below.
The city of Paragould is in Greene County. Paragould residents file for divorce and request records at the same Circuit Clerk office at 320 West Court Street. The CDC Arkansas vital records page is a useful starting point if you need the certificate version of the record from the state level.