Marion County Divorce Decree Lookup
Marion County divorce decree records are kept by the Circuit Clerk in Yellville, Arkansas, as part of the 14th Judicial Circuit. If you need to search for a specific divorce decree, get a certified copy, or file a new case in Marion County, the Circuit Clerk's office is your starting point. This page explains the process, access rules, and the resources available for Marion County divorce records.
Marion County Divorce Records Overview
Marion County Circuit Clerk Office
The Circuit Clerk in Yellville holds all divorce decree records for Marion County. Mail goes to PO Box 545, Yellville, AR 72687. The phone number is (870) 449-6226. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. If you are making a long drive to Yellville, it is worth calling ahead to confirm the file you need is accessible the day you plan to visit.
The Circuit Clerk maintains complete case files for every domestic relations action filed in Marion County Circuit Court. Those files include the original divorce petition, temporary court orders, any property or custody agreements, and the final divorce decree signed by the circuit judge. The office can search records by party name or by case number. Even if you do not know the exact case number, an approximate year or date range is usually enough to start a productive search.
Marion County is part of the 14th Judicial Circuit in north-central Arkansas. The Circuit Clerk is the office you want for divorce decrees. The County Clerk is a separate office handling marriage licenses, property records, and probate. Do not confuse the two when you call or visit.
Searching Marion County Divorce Decrees Online
The Arkansas Judiciary CourtConnect portal is the main online tool for searching court records statewide, including Marion County divorce cases. You can search by party name, case number, or citation. Results show filing dates, case types, status, and party names. Full document text is not available through CourtConnect, but the system gives you enough case-level information to confirm a filing and get the case number before contacting the clerk.
The Arkansas Judiciary CourtConnect system is free to use without registration and provides reliable case-level data for Marion County divorce filings. After confirming the case, call the Circuit Clerk at (870) 449-6226 to arrange access to the full decree or to request a certified copy.
Under Arkansas FOIA § 25-19-105, divorce records are primarily available to the named parties, their immediate family, and authorized representatives. If the file needs to be pulled from storage, the clerk has up to three working days to produce it. Technical support for CourtConnect is available at (866) 823-5778.
Decree vs. Certificate: Knowing the Difference
When people ask for a "divorce record," they often mean one of two very different documents. A divorce decree is the full court order. It contains the complete ruling: property division, debts, custody, child support, alimony, and the specific grounds the judge relied on. The Marion County Circuit Clerk is the only office that holds these records for cases filed in the county.
A divorce certificate is a one-page summary. It shows only the names of the parties, the divorce date, and the county where it was granted. The Arkansas Department of Health maintains statewide divorce certificates for all divorces granted since January 1923. The ADH is at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, and can be reached at (501) 661-2336. Certificates cost $10 each and can be ordered by phone, mail, or online.
For divorces before 1923, the county court's original records are the only source. The Arkansas State Archives can help with historical research requests and can advise on whether any Marion County court records from that era have been preserved in state collections. Staff respond to email inquiries sent to state.archives@arkansas.gov.
Note: A certified copy of the full divorce decree is typically needed for legal proceedings, while the short certificate from the ADH is often sufficient for name change or identity purposes.
Getting Certified Copies in Marion County
To get a certified copy of a Marion County divorce decree, go to the Circuit Clerk's office in Yellville or send a mail request. For in-person requests, bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Fees are typically $5 or more depending on the length of the document. Call (870) 449-6226 ahead of time to confirm the current fee and accepted payment forms.
Mail requests should include both parties' names as they appear on the case, the approximate year of the divorce, a return address, and a check or money order payable to the Circuit Clerk. The clerk will follow up if more information is needed to locate the file. Do not send cash in the mail. Processing time depends on the current workload at the clerk's office and whether the record needs to be retrieved from storage.
Access is restricted by state law. Only the named parties, their close relatives, and their authorized legal representatives may request certified copies. Records become fully public 100 years after the date of the divorce. A quick call to (870) 449-6226 will clarify what you need to bring or include in a mail request if you are unsure whether you qualify.
Divorce Filing Requirements in Marion County
To file for divorce in Marion County, at least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing. The county residency requirement is separate: the filing spouse must have been a resident of Marion County for at least 90 days before the court can issue the final decree. Cases are filed at the Circuit Clerk's office in Yellville.
Arkansas uses fault-based grounds for divorce under Arkansas Code § 9-12-301. The recognized grounds are adultery, cruelty, habitual drunkenness lasting at least one year, felony conviction, permanent insanity, inability to have sexual relations, indignities making the marital situation intolerable, and separation for 18 consecutive months without cohabitation. In uncontested cases where both parties agree, the defendant can waive proof of grounds in writing. Cases with minor children require both parents to finish a court-approved parenting education program before the decree is signed.
Free forms and guides for people who handle their own cases are at ARLawHelp.org. The site has interactive divorce forms, plain-language explanations of the process, and guidance on how to serve the other party. The Arkansas Court Kiosk program also provides help at public terminals at select courthouses.
Nearby Counties
Marion County is in north-central Arkansas. These neighboring counties each maintain their own Circuit Clerk offices for divorce decree records:
No cities in Marion County currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. Yellville is the county seat and the location of the Circuit Clerk for all Marion County divorce filings.