Acquire Free Denver County Divorce Records: Verify Status

Access free Denver County divorce records in no time using the various search tools available.

The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) determines which records must always be available to people in the state, and how those documents should be accessed. Although it doesn’t require that the records be free, it does demand that people should be able to retrieve them in a convenient, affordable, and reasonable fashion.

This resource guides anyone seeking divorce records and marriage dissolution information by linking and explaining all available lookup methods. By knowing the accessible options, citizens are better equipped to effectively track down details of divorces finalized in Denver County, Colorado.

How Do I Look Up Denver County Divorce Records?

Concerned citizens can readily obtain information about divorces finalized in Denver County because they’re considered public records – that should be available to be inspected or copied whenever the need for it arises.

In Denver County, divorces are handled by the 2nd Judicial District of the Colorado Judicial Branch, and they’re also responsible for keeping those records and making them accessible to the people.¹

Although they don’t offer an online tool that allows individuals to run their own searches for public divorce records, it’s possible to conveniently request a copy when needed. Anyone who wishes to place an order with the Clerk’s Office of the 2nd Judicial Court should start by completing a Records Request Form.²

As a complement, if the individual making the request isn’t directly connected to the case that’s being searched, they can also fill out a Release of Information Form – this step isn’t mandatory and would only avoid too many questions being asked.³

The request form must be sent to the Clerk’s Office by mail, email, or in person. For anyone visiting their office, it’s important to know that appointments are not needed and they see walk-ins. This is the 2nd Judicial Court contact information:

2nd Judicial Court Clerk’s Office
Denver City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street – Room 256
Denver, CO 80202

Email: [email protected]

Record requests may take up to 3 days to be fulfilled, regardless of what type of document is requested. Simple copies cost $0.25 per page and only serve the purpose of bringing to light information about a case. They can’t be used for official purposes.

Transcripts of judgments cost $25 per case, while the certification of records costs $20 per document. Divorce certificates are as official as they get and can serve legal purposes if that’s what they’re needed for.

All searchers should bear in mind that Colorado is one of the states in the U.S. that recognizes common law marriages. Consequently, they also handle common law divorces, when those informal relationships are established. Those dissolutions may also appear on regular searches, but searchers should be attentive and look for more information if they feel the need to.

Search Cities for Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage Records in Denver County

The Denver Municipal Court and the 2nd Judicial Court share the same building. Although each of them handles different cases, the fact that they are located at the same address may cause some confusion.

The reason why Denver City holds the county records isn’t because divorce cases are tried at the municipal level. It’s just how those agencies have been organized. Individuals searching for divorce records should refer to the following address and follow the instructions presented in the previous section to succeed:

2nd Judicial Court Clerk’s Office
Denver City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street, Room 256
Denver, CO 80202

Email: [email protected]

If searchers still feel the need to contact Denver City’s Clerk and Recorder (who also helps keep records of marriage in the area), they can contact them using the following information:⁴

Office of the Clerk and Recorder
201 W Colfax Ave
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 720.913.1311
Email: [email protected]

How To Access Divorce Records Throughout Colorado as a Whole

In Colorado, each local District Court is responsible for keeping marriage dissolution records and making them available to all concerned individuals. The District Courts may have different procedures for accomplishing that goal, so it’s important to contact them to find out the best way to approach the search.

A full list of courts by district is available online, provided by the Colorado Judicial Branch.⁵ Searchers only need to know which location they have to contact and click on it to access valuable information that will help them access the records they wish to retrieve.

When the search is focused on historical records, or when the searcher is focused on genealogical facts, a good resource to rely on is the Colorado State Archives.⁶ They offer valuable instructions on how to access marriage dissolution records and have a divorce index that contains information about events in many counties.

The Colorado State Archives doesn’t have Denver County records, but can help access information about divorces in many other counties in the area. For the counties that keep historical records with the State Archives, people can use the Advanced Search Database.⁷ It’s also possible to work directly with them, using the following contact information:

Colorado State Archives
1313 Sherman St. – Room 1B-20
Denver, CO 80203

Phone: 303.866.2358

For local searches, the Denver Public Library also keeps collections that tell a lot about the history of the people in that area. Interested citizens can use the search engine of the Denver Public Library & Special Collection Archives or contact them directly using the following information:⁸

Denver Public Library
Central Library
10 W Fourteenth Avenue Parkway
Denver, CO 80204

Phone: 720.865.1111

Are Details of Divorce Accessible to Everyone in Denver County Colorado?

Any individual is able to access divorce records in Denver County because in Colorado those documents are considered public. According to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) determines what information should be kept private and what should be made public for all citizens to see.⁹ Divorce records, unless sealed, should be readily accessible in every county in the state.

In Denver County, citizens can work with the 2nd Judicial District Clerk’s Office to obtain marriage dissolution records.¹ They can request simple and certified copies – depending on what the searcher needs the records for.

However, there are a few things that are important to consider. One of them is that having been served divorce papers only indicates that a suit has been filed and a marriage dissolution is in progress.

Someone who has been served papers should hire an experienced lawyer and find ways to protect themselves as best as possible – but it’ll be a while until the dissolution is finalized and they have a divorce decree or certificate to move forward with their lives.

Also, before making a request for records, it’s important to consider which kind of copies are needed: in situations where the document will be used for official purposes, it’s important to obtain a certified copy. In those instances, simple copies won’t suffice.

Regardless of what type of document is needed, people should always value the fact that public records are accessible and can be retrieved and inspected. Whoever needs to uncover Denver County divorce records can take advantage of the lookup tools and resources available to them at any time.