A divorce filed in Monroe County moves through State Supreme Court, and the paperwork lands with the county clerk. The Hall of Justice at 99 Exchange Boulevard holds the courtroom and the file. Filings name both spouses, list property, and settle custody when children are involved. Court staff at 585-371-3758 answer questions about where a case sits and what a copy costs.
People search these files to confirm a judgment date, remarry, or update a name on other documents. New York keeps matrimonial papers under rules that limit who may read them. The sections below explain what a file holds, how to request a certified copy, and what to do when a record seems missing. Counter hours run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Divorce Record Search
Start with the index number if you have it. Without one, search the divorce records by the parties’ names and the year of filing. The county clerk keeps the matrimonial index for Supreme Court cases in Monroe County, and that index covers Rochester filings and suburban filings once they reach the Supreme Court level. A case caption places the plaintiff’s name first, so try both spouses before you conclude a search failed.
Filings, Decrees & Custody Terms
A matrimonial file holds the summons, the complaint or the summons with notice, financial disclosure statements, and the judgment of divorce. A separation agreement or a stipulation may be attached to the judgment. Custody terms appear in the judgment and in any later order. Read the judgment first, then look for orders that changed it. The newest signed order controls the schedule in force today.
Certified Divorce Decrees & Judgment Dates
The judgment of divorce carries the date a judge signed it, and that date usually marks the end of the marriage. A certified copy of the divorce decree comes from the county clerk with a seal and a signature. Banks, passport offices, and a new spouse’s paperwork may each ask for one. Ask for the judgment and the findings together, since some agencies want both pages in the same packet.
Property Division & Spousal Support Logs
Property terms appear in the judgment or in an incorporated agreement. The file may list a house, retirement accounts, and debt, and it may order a transfer of title. Maintenance awards, the New York term for alimony, can run for a set term or an indefinite period. Support paid through the support collection unit leaves a separate payment record that the court file does not track.
Child Custody & Post-Divorce Modifications
Custody and parenting terms sit in the judgment and in later orders. A parent who wants a change files a modification petition, often in Family Court after the divorce ends. That petition creates a new file with its own index number. Search family court records and the divorce file when you need the current schedule, and read the most recent written order before you rely on an older arrangement or calendar.
Public Availability & Official Copies
Matrimonial files carry tighter rules than most civil cases. New York limits inspection to the parties and their attorneys, though a judge may allow others. A clerk may confirm that a case exists without showing the papers. Certified copies go to a party or to someone with a court order. Bring photo identification and be ready to explain your interest in the file at the counter.
District Clerk Files & Search Logs
The county clerk serves as clerk of Supreme Court in Monroe County, and the matrimonial index lives in that office. Staff can search by name, index number, or filing year. Older cases may sit in an archive or on microfilm rather than in the electronic index. Ask which years the electronic index covers before you assume a case is absent from the courthouse or the archive.
Confidential Child Data & Sealed Records
Files that name a child receive extra protection. Courts may seal reports, medical records, and details of a custody evaluation. A sealed file stays out of public view until a judge orders it opened. Ask the clerk what can be released, and expect a partial answer at the window. Never assume that a missing document means the case lacked one, so ask about sealed portions too.
Certified Copies, ID Rules & Processing Fees
A certified copy requires a fee set by state law, plus a per-page charge in some cases. Photo identification is standard at the counter. A party may need to show a case number or a court order. Requests by mail need a cover letter, a check, and a return envelope. Ask about current fees before you send payment, since the schedule changes from time to time.
Rochester, NY 14614
Rochester, NY 14614
Rochester, NY 14614
Record Accuracy & Resolution
Divorce records inherit errors from the papers filed. A misspelled name, a transposed date, or a wrong index number can travel into the judgment. Only the court can amend its own record, and it usually needs a motion or a corrected order. The clerk can explain the steps but cannot change a judge’s decision. Keep copies of every version you receive, including the original filing.
Matching Spouse Names & Case Numbers
A caption lists one spouse as plaintiff and the other as defendant. A name change during the marriage can put two surnames in the same file. Search both names and any former name. The index number includes the filing year, which helps when the same couple appears in more than one case, such as a support matter heard alongside the divorce or a later custody petition.
System Delays for Recent Filings
A new filing can take days to reach the public index. Papers filed at the counter get scanned and docketed in order. A judgment signed by a judge may wait for entry by the clerk before any copy exists. A pending case may show no judgment at all. Ask staff whether entry is complete before you pay for a copy request or travel to the courthouse.
Unlisted Divorce Record Resolution
When a search returns nothing, widen it. Try a maiden name, a former town, or a filing year near the one you hold. A case filed before electronic indexing may need a manual search or a microfilm review. The clerk can check the matrimonial index by hand. For a case from another county, contact that county’s clerk instead of the Monroe office, and ask whether the file was transferred.
Frequently Asked Questions
These four questions cover what the counter hears most often: whether a file is open, what a certified decree requires, what stays off the internet, and who to call when a case cannot be found. Each answer points to the office that actually holds the record. Bring a case number and photo identification to the Hall of Justice and expect a small fee for copies.
Are dissolution of marriage files open to the public in Monroe County?
Partly. New York treats matrimonial files with more care than an ordinary civil case. The parties and their attorneys may read the file, and a judge can allow others. A clerk will usually confirm that a case exists in the index. Details about children and financial disclosure receive extra protection under state rules. Ask the clerk in advance what can be released before you travel to the courthouse.
What is required to obtain a certified divorce decree copy?
You need the index number or the parties’ full names and the filing year, plus photo identification. A party may request the judgment of divorce directly; anyone else usually needs a court order. Fees follow state law, with a per-page charge in some cases and a flat certification fee. Mail requests need a check, a signed cover letter, and a return envelope addressed to the clerk.
Are financial details and child custody orders viewable online?
Rarely. Monroe County does not post matrimonial papers on a public website. The index may show that a case exists, and the documents stay at the clerk’s counter. Financial disclosure statements and custody evaluations get extra protection under state rules. A party can request copies in person at the Hall of Justice. Anyone else needs a judge’s written order to read the file or receive a certified copy.
Who confirms missing or unlisted divorce filings?
The county clerk’s office at the Hall of Justice is the first call. Staff can check the matrimonial index by name and year, and they can say whether a case was sealed or sent to an archive. For a custody modification, try Family Court. For an appeal, try the Appellate Division in Rochester. Start with the court that signed the last written order, then work backward.