How to obtain New York divorce record

It’s not surprising when statistics tell us that United States has the highest (or second highest in some thanks to Sweden) divorce rate in the world, but what comes as a surprise is how it came down at the state level. If you try to search for New York divorce records online, some websites will tell you that New York City has one of the lowest divorce rates in the US. The Big Apple has always been characterized by sex, excitement, and glamour and having a low divorce rate seem to throw off the entire picture.

One of the reason is it's harder to get a divorce in New York. It was just in 2010 that they passed a bill permitting no-fault divorce. People also prefer to stay unmarried, so there are fewer people getting married and thus fewer people get divorced than in other states.

There was a survey that in 2000, out of the 50 states, NYC ranked 38th with a 3.4 divorce rate per 1000 population. In 2004 it ranked 43th with a divorce rate of 3. This trend continued in 2005 because it had a 2.8 divorce rate and ranked at the bottom 6.

The divorce rate in New York as at an all time low in 2004, but the websites that provides its online search has never been at a high. Various websites offer a comprehensive repository of New York divorce records. But since websites have different databases, the information they provide may or may not be complete. It also depends if the search is free of charge (FOC) or not. Some websites ask for fees if the data requested is very detailed. 

If you want to do old school and obtain New York divorce records personally, they are kept where the divorce petition was filed and finalized. Usually the county courthouse preserves these records. If the divorce was filed in New Your City it is in the Vital Records Section of the New York State Department of Health.  These are the records that were kept since 1963. But this process requires you to fill up complex forms and the search usually takes up to 3 weeks just to find the record. If you’re not up to the task, you can hire a private investigator. Their repository also has other uncertified copies of older certificates that are also available for family tree research.

It is necessary to note that although New York divorce records are considered public property under the Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) in 1963, they have certain restrictions. If the applicant is not the husband or the wife, the New York State Court Order is required before you can get a copy of the certificate.

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