“I need to research a divorce that took place back in 1974. I don’t have any records of the divorce. Do I need to include this in my petition? If so, how do I find this paperwork?”
Yes, you will need to provide evidence of the end of previous marriages by using either a divorce certificate or, if your marriage ended because of the death of your spouse, a death certificate.
For divorces, if the marriage was dissolved in the United States, contact the courthouse for the area that you lived in at the time. Courthouses also allow you to search online and pay for records to be sent to you by mail or provide digital copies. You will need copies of these divorce documents for your application.
If you divorced outside the United States, the record availability and request process will vary from country to country. A good solution would be to follow the U.S. State Department’s reciprocity and civil documents by country. By choosing the country that applies to your case, you will see exactly what documents you will need to provide. Remember that if the document is not in English, you will need to provide a translation.
