Lonoke County Divorce Decree Records
Lonoke County divorce decree records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Lonoke, Arkansas, where the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court handles domestic relations cases for the county. If you need to search for a divorce decree, obtain a certified copy, or understand the local filing process, this page covers the key offices, access rules, and what Arkansas law requires for divorces filed in Lonoke County.
Lonoke County Divorce Records Overview
Lonoke County Circuit Clerk Office
The Circuit Clerk in Lonoke is the official keeper of divorce decree records for Lonoke County. The office is located at 301 North Center Street, Lonoke, AR 72086. You can reach the office by phone at (501) 676-2316. Standard hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Calling ahead is a good habit, particularly if the record you need may be stored off-site.
The Circuit Clerk holds the complete file for every domestic relations case filed in Lonoke County. That includes the original divorce petition, any temporary orders the court entered, property agreements, parenting plans, and the final divorce decree signed by the circuit judge. The clerk's office can search for records by party name or case number. Even if you only know an approximate year, the index is detailed enough to locate most cases.
The Circuit Clerk is not the same as the County Clerk. The County Clerk handles marriage licenses, probate records, and property filings. For a divorce decree, you want the Circuit Clerk at 301 North Center Street. Lonoke County sits in the 23rd Judicial Circuit, which covers several counties in central Arkansas.
Searching Lonoke County Divorce Decrees Online
The Arkansas CourtConnect public access portal is the state's free tool for searching court case records, including Lonoke County. Search by party name, case number, or citation. The results show the filing date, case type, status, and parties. Full document text is not available online, but the case-level information is enough to confirm a filing exists and to get the case number you need when contacting the clerk for a certified copy.
The Arkansas Judiciary's CourtConnect system lets you check Lonoke County divorce filings before driving to the courthouse. Once you confirm the case exists and have the number, call the Circuit Clerk at (501) 676-2316 to discuss copy options and fees.
Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, divorce records are accessible to the named parties, their immediate family, and authorized representatives. If the file must be retrieved from off-site storage, the clerk has up to three working days to produce it. CourtConnect support is available at (866) 823-5778.
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate
A divorce decree is the full court order. It details every ruling the judge made: property division, debt responsibility, custody, child support amounts, alimony, and the legal grounds cited. The Lonoke County Circuit Clerk is the sole custodian of these documents for cases filed in the county.
A divorce certificate is a short summary. It lists the parties' names, the date, and the county of the divorce. 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. Each certificate costs $10 and can be ordered by phone, mail, or online. The ADH does not hold the full decree.
Divorces that took place before 1923 exist only in the county court's original records. The Arkansas State Archives can assist with historical research and can help identify whether older Lonoke County divorce records have been preserved in state collections.
Note: If you need proof of a divorce for a legal matter, a certified copy of the decree from the Circuit Clerk carries more authority than the short certificate from the ADH.
Requesting Certified Copies in Lonoke County
Certified copies of Lonoke County divorce decrees are available from the Circuit Clerk at 301 North Center Street in Lonoke. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID when you visit. Fees are typically $5 or more depending on document length. Call (501) 676-2316 ahead of time to confirm the current fee and the payment methods accepted.
Mail requests are accepted. Include both parties' names as they appear in the case records, the approximate year of the divorce, a return address and daytime phone, and a check or money order made out to the Circuit Clerk. The clerk will follow up if more information is needed to locate the file. Processing time depends on current caseload and whether the record needs to be pulled from storage.
Access is limited by state law to the named parties, their close relatives, and authorized legal representatives. Records become fully public 100 years after the date of the divorce. If you are uncertain whether you qualify, call the clerk's office before you visit or send a mail request.
Filing for Divorce in Lonoke County
Divorce cases in Lonoke County are filed at the Circuit Clerk's office at 301 North Center Street in Lonoke. One spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing. The county residency requirement is separate: the filing spouse must have lived in Lonoke County for 90 days before the court can issue the final decree.
Arkansas recognizes fault-based grounds for divorce under Arkansas Code § 9-12-301. The grounds include adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness for at least one year, felony conviction, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, indignities making the marital situation intolerable, and living separately without cohabitation for 18 consecutive months. An uncontested divorce is simpler: the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing, which typically speeds the case along. If minor children are involved, both parents must complete a court-approved parenting education class before the decree is signed.
Free forms and plain-language guides for people handling their own divorce cases are at ARLawHelp.org. The site includes interactive worksheets, instructions for serving the other party, and information on legal aid. The Arkansas Court Kiosk program also provides hands-on help at select courthouses.
Cabot and Other Cities in Lonoke County
Lonoke County includes the city of Cabot, which has its own city page on this site with divorce-related resource information specific to that area. All divorce cases in Cabot, regardless of which part of the city, are filed with the Lonoke County Circuit Clerk in Lonoke at 301 North Center Street. The city itself does not maintain a separate court or clerk office for divorce proceedings.
If you live in Cabot and need to file for divorce or access a decree, the process is the same as for all Lonoke County residents. The Circuit Clerk in Lonoke handles all domestic relations filings for the entire county, including those involving Cabot residents.
Nearby Counties
Lonoke County is in central Arkansas, east of Little Rock. The Circuit Clerks in these neighboring counties maintain divorce decree records for their areas: