Divorce papers?
A friend is looking to find the divorce papers of her father from his first wife.
I have no clue about this, does anyone else? Are they public documents? |
About 20 years ago I looked for a divorce and had to write to High Holborn who did a search for a fee. 5 years or 10 years iirc.
Can't remember the details though. Don't know if it gives the details of the divorce though - as in the case I was looking for they hadn't divorced. lol |
You can only get a copy of the decree nisi. The actual nitty gritty stuff is private and thrashed out between the respective solicitors. The decree nisi will give the legal reason for granting a divorce (adultery etc) but not the details.
I am assuming it is a "modern" divorce. Pre 1970ish, divorces were reported in local or national papers, with any available scurrilous detail. OC |
My OH made an enquiry about his mother's divorce from her first husband which happened in the early 1950s. His enquiry was made in 2004, so I don't know if any of this is out of date, but here's a note he made about it at the time. They send you a copy of the decree absolute if they can find it. I'm assuming he probably had to send death cert copies. - I've just removed the names etc below (my alterations are the bits in brackets):
THE COURT SERVICE PRINCIPAL REGISTRY OF THE FAMILY DIVISION Decree Absolute Searches Room 2.03 First Avenue House 42-49 High Holborn London WC1V 6NP Telephone 020 7947 7016/7017 Switchboard 020 7947 6000 Fax 020 7947 6995 Minicom 020 7947 7602 DX 396 London Ch'ry Lane Internet www.courtservice.gov.uk D A Search/2004012340/07280 27 October 2004 Dear Sir/Madam, between (OH's mother's first husband) and (OH's mother) A search of the Central Index of Decrees Absolute has been made accordingly and a record of a Decree made Absolute on (date of decree) has been traced. The records for this divorce are kept in (City) COUNTY COURT and I have asked that Court to provide you with a copy of the certificate of Decree Absolute. Any further enquiry relating to this case should be addressed to: (City court address and phone number) quoting their reference (ref) Yours faithfully, Rory Cook for D A Search Family Administration Branch Manager |
Thanks - I'll pass that on. :)
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Older ones may be available on TNA's website. I found one on there from the 1930's.
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I think there are some on FMP, old ones like 1900s that give all the papers.
We can get similar aged ones in NSW if we go to the archives. |
Yes, I got some NSW divorce papers from the 1940s and you got the entire case file with all the gory details. It was fascinating :)
In the case in question, the wife had left home for months, saying that she had to look after her dying mother. I checked it out, and her mother died 20 years later :) I don't blame her though; her husband wasn't a very nice person. |
Divorce files at the National Archives only go up to 1937. For later ones you have to apply for them at Holborn, I believe, but I don't think you get much detail
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