Little River County Divorce Decree Search
Little River County divorce decree records are filed and maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Ashdown, Arkansas, under the 9th Judicial Circuit. If you need to look up a divorce decree, request a certified copy, or understand what is involved in filing a case locally, this page explains how the system works and where to go for records in Little River County.
Little River County Divorce Records Overview
Little River County Circuit Clerk Office
The Circuit Clerk in Ashdown is the official custodian of divorce decree records for Little River County. The office is at 351 N. Second St., Ste. 5, Ashdown, AR 71822. The phone number is (870) 898-7211. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. It is always worth calling ahead to confirm availability, especially for records that may need to be pulled from storage.
The Circuit Clerk maintains complete case files for every divorce action heard by the Little River County Circuit Court. Each file contains the original petition, any agreements the parties reached, temporary orders, and the signed final divorce decree. The clerk's office can search records by party name or case number. If you only know an approximate year, that is usually enough to start a productive search.
Little River County is part of the 9th Judicial Circuit in southwestern Arkansas. The Circuit Clerk operates independently of the County Clerk, who handles marriage licenses, probate records, and property filings. For a divorce decree specifically, the Circuit Clerk is the correct office.
Online Search for Little River County Divorce Decrees
Arkansas offers free public access to court case information through the CourtConnect portal maintained by the Arkansas Judiciary. The system covers all circuit court filings statewide, including Little River County. You can search by party name, case number, or citation. Results show the filing date, case type, parties, and current status. Full documents are not available online, but CourtConnect gives you the case number needed when you contact the clerk for copies.
The Arkansas Judiciary CourtConnect system is a free starting point for any Little River County divorce record search. After finding the case information, call the Circuit Clerk at (870) 898-7211 to arrange access to the full decree or to request a certified copy.
Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, court records are generally public, but access to divorce decrees is restricted to the parties involved, their immediate family, and authorized representatives. If the record is in storage, the clerk has up to three working days to produce it. The CourtConnect support line is (866) 823-5778.
Decree vs. Certificate: What You Need
The term "divorce record" can mean two very different things. A divorce decree is the full court order. It includes every detail the judge ruled on: division of property, debts, custody arrangements, child support amounts, alimony, and the legal grounds cited. The Little River County Circuit Clerk holds copies of all decrees filed in the county.
A divorce certificate is a short summary. It contains only the names of the parties, the date of the divorce, and the county where it occurred. The Arkansas Department of Health at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, phone (501) 661-2336, maintains statewide certificates for all divorces granted since January 1923. Certificates cost $10 each and can be ordered by phone, mail, or online.
For divorces that happened before 1923, only the county clerk's historical records are available. The Arkansas State Archives can help locate older records and can direct you to the right collection for Little River County materials.
Note: The Arkansas Department of Health does not hold or issue copies of the full divorce decree, only the short certificate form.
Requesting Certified Copies from the Circuit Clerk
To get a certified copy of a Little River County divorce decree, visit the Circuit Clerk at 351 N. Second St., Ste. 5 in Ashdown. Bring a valid photo ID. The clerk will check your eligibility and process the request. Certified copy fees are $5 or more depending on document length, and you should call (870) 898-7211 ahead of time to confirm the current fee and accepted payment methods.
Mail requests are accepted. Your written request should include both parties' names as they appear on the case, the approximate year of the divorce, a daytime phone number or return email, and a check or money order payable to the Circuit Clerk. Do not send cash. The clerk will contact you if more information is needed before processing.
Eligibility for certified copies is limited to the named parties, their close relatives, and their authorized legal representatives under Arkansas law. Records become fully public 100 years after the divorce date. If you are unsure whether you qualify, a quick call to the clerk's office will clarify what documentation you need to bring or include with a mail request.
Filing Divorce Cases in Little River County
Divorce cases are filed at the Circuit Clerk's office in Ashdown. Before filing, one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for at least 60 days. The county residency requirement is different: the final decree cannot be issued until the filing spouse has been a resident of Little River County for at least 90 days. Both requirements must be met before a judge can grant the divorce.
Arkansas uses fault-based grounds for divorce as defined in Arkansas Code § 9-12-301. The recognized grounds are adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness for at least one year, felony conviction, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, living separately for 18 consecutive months, and indignities that make the marital situation intolerable. In an uncontested case, the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing. Cases involving minor children require both parents to complete a state-approved parenting education class before the decree is issued.
Free legal forms and guides for self-represented filers are available at ARLawHelp.org. The site provides interactive forms, plain-language explanations, and guidance on serving the other party. Public access kiosks through the Arkansas Court Kiosk program are available at select courthouses and provide hands-on help with forms.
State Archives and Research Help
The Arkansas State Archives accepts remote research requests by email at state.archives@arkansas.gov or by phone at 501-682-6900. Staff provide up to two hours of free research per request and typically respond within three to four business days. Research delivery takes one to three weeks depending on workload and how quickly source materials can be located.
If you are researching a historical Little River County divorce from before the clerk's current indexing period, the archives can help you identify whether any records have been transferred to their collections or can point you toward other research resources for southwestern Arkansas court history.
Nearby Counties
Little River County is in the southwestern corner of Arkansas. The Circuit Clerks in these neighboring counties maintain their own divorce decree records:
No cities in Little River County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Ashdown is the county seat and the location of the Circuit Clerk for all divorce filings in Little River County.