Access Free Johnson County Divorce Records (Resource)

Search free Johnson County divorce records in minutes with the guidance and tools throughout this streamlined resource.

Divorce information can be reviewed and even obtained by citizens thanks to public records laws at the state and federal levels. This brief article lists useful public records sources for anyone seeking information on divorce in Johnson County, Kansas.

How To Search Johnson County Divorce Records (Free)

The Johnson County District Court clerk of courts can assist with accessing divorce records.¹

The Clerk’s office is located at:

Johnson County District Court
150 West Santa Fe Street
Olathe, Kansas 66061

Telephone: 913-716-3480
Email: [email protected]

The records office accepts in-person visits and is open from 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. In-person requests are generally processed on the same working day as long as there is sufficient time to do so before the office closes.

The office has a public access page where you can view public court records free of charge.² You will need to make an account to view records. Printing the records costs $0.50 per page.

The Clerk’s office can provide information about divorces between 1980 and now. They can also attempt to retrieve information about older cases that have not yet been digitized. Older cases may take several days to be retrieved from the archives.

Requests can also be made in writing or by email to the above address. Interested parties are asked to call before requesting an estimate for retrieving their records. Payment must be included along with the request.

The records department accepts personal, cashier, or firm checks and money orders in the mail. Those wishing to pay by cash or a credit/debit card can do so if they visit the records office in person.

Certified documents are available upon request. The fees are:

• $1 per document for certification
• $2 per document for attestation

If a request is made in writing, the records office has three business days to respond and generally aims to fulfill the request at this time. If they cannot complete the request within three working days, they will respond by that deadline to give an estimated processing time.

Execute a Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage Search via Cities in Johnson County Kansas

Divorce cases in Kansas are processed by the district court covering the county where the application was made. The court clerk is the primary record keeper for the county and the initial point of contact for individuals seeking divorce records in major cities in Johnson County, such as:

• Overland Park
• Olathe
• Shawnee
• Lenexa
• Leawood

Record seekers should try to find out which county court covers the location where the divorced individual lived when they applied for divorce. While accessing divorce records from statewide databases is possible, using a more local record custodian typically offers a smoother experience.

Processing times for record searches from more extensive databases can often be several days, and it may be challenging to narrow down the search if there’s only limited information available or the party has a common name. Smaller record custodians can typically offer a more personalized service and faster turnaround times. In many cases, they also have lower fees.

Those looking for historic divorce records predating the centralized reporting systems can find some information from local libraries. However, those records will likely be in microfiche form with limited or no indexing.

How To Track Down Divorce Records Throughout All of Kansas via the State Judicial Branch

The Kansas Open Records Act states that private individuals are entitled to request public divorce records from the state’s Judicial Branch.

Limited court information is available online via the District Case Search tool.³ However, not all courts are fully connected to the database so divorce records may be unavailable for some districts.

Records can be requested in writing using the official records request form.⁵ The request must be delivered to the appropriate records custodian. Contact details for district courts can be found on the Kansas Judicial Branch District Courts page.

Divorcees can request a copy of their divorce certificate by mailing a copy of the request form to:⁶

Kansas Office of Vital Statistics
1000 South West Jackson Street
120 Topeka, KS 66612-2221

Requests must be accompanied by payment in advance, and those requesting certified copies must also provide proof of identity. The cost of certified documents is $20 per copy. The office will retain $20 as a search fee if no records are found.

Walk-in requests are also accepted at the above address. The office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Those who need access to divorce records urgently should consider visiting the office early in the day to increase the likelihood of same-day processing.

The Johnson County Archives maintains a Research Room where historical documents are publicly available. Indexes for Non-Certified Marriage Records of Johnson County (1858-1969) and Divorce Records of Johnson County (1892-1940) can be accessed here.

The Office of Vital Statistics also contains information about divorce certificates filed in Kansas after July 1, 1951.

Are Details of Divorce Accessible to Everyone in Johnson County Kansas?

The Kansas Open Records Act (K.S.A. 45-221) dictates that certain court information, including divorce, is a matter of public record.⁷ Anyone can search for information about a divorce without explaining why they’re looking for it. Moreover, they do not have to provide proof of ID when searching for divorce papers.

Divorce decrees, however, are a slightly different matter. While a divorce index might state that two named individuals were granted a divorce on a given date, a divorce decree includes far more information, such as:

• Who petitioned for the divorce
• Details of any children from the marriage
• The dates of birth of the two parties involved
• Whether there were any conditions associated with the divorce

Decrees can be obtained by requesting a copy of the court records from the court clerk in the county where the divorce occurred. However, only an authorized individual (such as the divorcee or someone permitted to act on their behalf) can request certified copies of such documents.

Kansas recognizes the idea of common-law marriage. If a couple who was married under common law breaks up without getting a formal divorce, they would not be permitted to remarry in the eyes of the law. The concept of common law divorce is not recognized. Common law couples go through the same divorce process as couples that married the traditional way.

Information about divorce records can be obtained online via VitalChek.⁸ This third-party service provider offers access to divorce information for various states nationwide. However, unauthorized third-party providers cannot be used for official purposes. These services often charge a processing fee, and turnaround times for non-rush orders can be slow.

This resource provides information on how to do a free Johnson County divorce records search seamlessly and efficiently.