Pike County Divorce Decree Records

Pike County divorce decree records are kept at the Circuit Clerk's office in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, the county seat. This page covers how to search for and obtain divorce decree records in Pike County, including clerk contact details, free online case search through CourtConnect, certified copy fees, Arkansas residency requirements, and state resources for anyone searching 9th Judicial Circuit divorce filings.

Pike County Circuit Clerk Contact

The Pike County Circuit Clerk's office is the primary custodian of divorce decree records for the county. The mailing address is PO Box 218, Murfreesboro, AR 71958. The office phone is (870) 285-2231. Like all Arkansas circuit clerks, this office handles filings across civil, domestic relations, criminal, and juvenile court divisions. Divorce cases are filed in the domestic relations division. The clerk maintains the complete case file from initial filing through every stage of the proceeding, including any post-decree modifications.

Certified copies of divorce decrees cost $5.00 for the first page and $0.50 for each additional page under Arkansas's standard court fee schedule. You can request copies in person at the courthouse in Murfreesboro or by mail. Mail requests should include the full names of both parties, the approximate filing year, and a check or money order for the applicable fee. If the fee amount is unclear at the time of your request, the clerk will confirm the total before processing.

Pike County is a rural county in southwestern Arkansas. It has no cities that meet the qualifying population threshold for individual city pages on this site.

Searching Pike County Divorce Decree Cases Online

Arkansas makes public case records available at no cost through CourtConnect. You can search Pike County cases by party name or case number. The portal returns filing dates, docket entries, party names, and case status. It does not show document images. For the actual text of a divorce decree, you need to request a copy from the Circuit Clerk.

A useful feature of CourtConnect is its statewide search. You can enter a party's name without specifying a county and get results from all 75 Arkansas counties. This is helpful when a person lived in multiple areas of the state before or during the marriage, and you are not sure where the divorce was filed. Once you find the right case, you will see the county and case number, which you can then give the clerk when requesting copies.

CourtConnect is maintained by the Arkansas judiciary and provides free public search of Pike County divorce cases. Search by name or case number to locate filings in the 9th Judicial Circuit.

What a Divorce Decree Contains

The divorce decree is the complete, signed court order that finalizes a marriage dissolution. It is not a summary or certificate; it is the actual legal document. Pike County divorce decrees are held by the Circuit Clerk and include all of the following: property division, division of debts, real estate transfer directives, custody arrangements, parenting time schedules, child support orders, alimony (if any), and any name restoration granted to either party.

This is the document you need for most legal and financial purposes after a divorce: refinancing a home that was jointly owned, splitting a retirement or pension account through a QDRO, updating beneficiary designations, or proving the divorce terms in a future court proceeding. Banks, title companies, and retirement plan administrators will ask for a certified copy of the decree, not the short-form certificate from the Arkansas Department of Health.

The divorce certificate is a separate record held by the Arkansas Department of Health. It shows names, date, and county only. It costs $10 per copy. Phone: (501) 661-2336. Mail: 4815 W. Markham St., Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. The certificate is restricted to parties and those with a documented legal interest; the decree at the courthouse is a public record under § 25-19-105.

Divorce Filing Requirements for Pike County

Arkansas requires that at least one spouse live in the state for a minimum of 60 days before a divorce petition can be filed. On top of that, the court cannot enter a final decree until one party has been a resident of Pike County for at least 90 days. These are two distinct clocks, and both must be satisfied before the court can finalize the case.

Arkansas divorce law under § 9-12-301 requires the filing party to state a specific legal ground for the divorce. Accepted grounds include general indignities making life intolerable, cruelty (physical or mental), adultery, habitual drunkenness for one year or more, felony conviction, permanent insanity with prior institutionalization, and 18 consecutive months of separation. When both spouses agree on every issue and the defendant files a written waiver of service, proof of grounds is not required at a formal hearing.

Filing a new circuit court case costs $165.00. Reopening an existing case costs $50.00. Free forms for self-represented filers are available through Arkansas Legal Help. The site provides approved form packets for divorce, custody, and child support with step-by-step filing instructions.

Note: Pike County residents near the county line may want to confirm which county a prior case was filed in using CourtConnect before making a formal copy request.

State Archives and Older Records

For older Pike County divorce decree records not readily available at the courthouse, the Arkansas State Archives may hold transferred records or can assist in locating them. The Archives provides up to two hours of free remote research. Contact them at state.archives@arkansas.gov or (501) 682-6900. Address: One Capitol Mall, Room 2B-215, Little Rock, AR 72201.

FamilySearch also indexes some historical Arkansas court records. For genealogical research involving a Pike County divorce from earlier in the 20th century or before, FamilySearch is a useful first check before making a formal archives request. The Arkansas State Archives can confirm what collections are available for Pike County specifically.

The Arkansas State Archives research services page describes available collections and how to submit a remote research request for older Pike County divorce decree records held at the state level.

Arkansas FOIA and Decree Access

Divorce decrees filed in Pike County circuit court are open public records under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. § 25-19-105 requires the clerk to respond to a written inspection or copy request within three business days. Copy fees are $5.00 for the first certified page and $0.50 per additional page.

Restricted information within the file includes social security numbers, financial account numbers, and any content sealed by court order. Standard Pike County divorce decrees carry none of these restrictions. The full case file is accessible to any member of the public who makes a proper written request.

To make a mail request, write to the Circuit Clerk at PO Box 218, Murfreesboro, AR 71958. Include both parties' names, the approximate filing year, your mailing address, and payment for the copies.

Nearby Counties

Pike County is in southwestern Arkansas and is part of the 9th Judicial Circuit. Several surrounding counties have Circuit Clerk offices with their own independent divorce records. CourtConnect is the best first step if you are unsure which county holds the case.

• Howard County - Nashville
• Sevier County - De Queen
• Polk County - Mena
• Montgomery County - Mount Ida
• Clark County - Arkadelphia
• Nevada County - Prescott

Each county maintains independent records. Divorce cases filed in Clark County will not appear at the Pike County courthouse. Use CourtConnect to search statewide before contacting any individual clerk.