Madison County Divorce Decree

Madison County divorce decree records are maintained at the Circuit Clerk's office in Fredericktown, Missouri. Court and divorce records in this county go all the way back to 1821, making it one of the oldest record-keeping jurisdictions in the state. The Circuit Clerk handles all family law filings and stores the complete case file for every dissolution granted here. You can search for basic case information on Missouri Case.net for free, or contact the clerk directly to get a certified copy. This page covers what you need to know about Madison County divorce decree records.

Madison County Divorce Decree Office

The Madison County Circuit Clerk is located at PO Box 403, Fredericktown, MO 63645. The phone number is 573-783-2172. The office sits in the Madison County Courthouse in Fredericktown. According to the Missouri Association of Counties, this is the primary office for all court filings in the county.

The Circuit Court Clerk and Probate Court Clerk has kept probate records from 1826 and court and divorce records from 1821. That is over 200 years of records. The Recorder of Deeds also maintains marriage records and land records from 1819. If you are looking for older divorce decrees, the Madison County clerk's office is likely to have them on file.

Staff at the clerk's office will help you find materials, though the office does not do research on your behalf. Bring as much information as you can, including names and dates. A valid photo ID is needed for certified copies.

The Missouri Association of Counties directory, shown above, has up-to-date contact info for the Madison County Circuit Clerk and other county officials.

Search Madison County Divorce Records Online

Missouri Case.net covers Madison County court cases. The search is free. You can look up cases by litigant name, case number, or filing date. Results show the case type, docket entries, status, and hearing dates.

Case.net does not show the full divorce decree. It gives you basic case data. Use the case number from your search when you call the Madison County clerk at 573-783-2172 to request the actual document. For very old cases that predate digital records, you will need to contact the office directly.

The Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness page for Madison County is another useful resource. It has details about the types of records held by the clerk and the time periods they cover.

The genealogy resource page shown above has information about Madison County court records and where to find them.

Divorce Laws Affecting Madison County

Madison County follows Missouri's dissolution statutes under Chapter 452 of the Revised Statutes. RSMo 452.305 requires a finding that the marriage is irretrievably broken. The petitioner must have been a Missouri resident for at least 90 days.

After the petition is filed, there is a 30-day waiting period under RSMo 452.320. RSMo 452.330 governs how the court divides marital property. RSMo 452.340 sets child support rules. All of these terms end up in the final divorce decree issued by the Madison County court.

Missouri divorce records from Madison County are generally accessible through the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. Each county may charge different fees for copies depending on the number of pages requested. Contact the clerk to ask about current rates.

Note: Offline access to divorce records requires a personal visit to the courthouse in Fredericktown where the case was filed and finalized.

State Resources for Divorce Records

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records keeps certified divorce statements since July 1948. A statement costs $15 and has the names, date, and county only. It is not the full decree. You can order by mail, in person at Jefferson City, or through VitalChek. The ordering page explains everything you need to do.

The Missouri state government portal confirms that divorce decrees come from the Circuit Clerk in the county where the case was filed. For genealogy research into older Madison County divorces, the Missouri State Archives at (573) 751-3280 may have additional files.

Nearby Counties

Madison County is bordered by several other counties in the eastern Ozarks. Each has its own clerk and court records.