Fort Smith Dissolution of Marriage Records
Fort Smith residents file dissolution of marriage cases at the Sebastian County Circuit Court, the official keeper of all divorce decrees and court documents for the city. This page covers how to access those records, where to go, and what online tools are available to help you search.
Fort Smith Overview
Sebastian County Circuit Court: Filing Location for Fort Smith
Fort Smith is one of the two county seats for Sebastian County, which has an unusual two-courthouse setup. The Circuit Clerk is Susie Hassett. The Fort Smith courthouse handles dissolution of marriage cases for residents of Fort Smith and nearby areas. It is located at 901 South B St., Room 205, Fort Smith, AR 72901. Call the clerk's office at 479-782-1046 for hours, fees, and records requests.
The second Sebastian County courthouse is in Greenwood at 301 East Center, Room 103, Greenwood, AR 72936. Phone: 479-996-6885. Cases for residents near Greenwood may be filed at that location instead. If you are not sure which courthouse holds a specific case, call either office and they can check their system. Both locations serve the same county court system and both clerks have access to records across the county.
Dissolution of marriage records at Sebastian County include the full case file: the petition, any responses, court orders, property agreements, and the final decree. The clerk can provide certified copies for a fee. If you know the case number, you can request a copy by mail. Include the names of both parties, the filing year, and payment made out to the Sebastian County Circuit Clerk.
Search Fort Smith Dissolution Cases Online
Arkansas CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the state's free online case search tool. It covers Sebastian County Circuit Court records. You can search by full name or case number. The system returns case status, filing dates, docket entries, and the assigned judge. You do not need an account to run a basic search.
CourtConnect shows docket information, not always the full document text. For a certified copy of a decree or an official record, contact the Sebastian County Circuit Clerk at 479-782-1046. The clerk can confirm whether documents are available for a given case and what the copy fee will be. For older cases that may not appear in the online system, in-person research at the courthouse is the best option.
Note: Sebastian County has two courthouse locations -- Fort Smith (901 South B St.) and Greenwood (301 East Center). If you are looking for a case and cannot find it at one location, try the other. The clerk at either location can check both sets of records.
Different Records, Different Offices in Sebastian County
Fort Smith residents sometimes get confused about which office holds which type of record. Here is a quick breakdown. Dissolution of marriage records and divorce decrees are at the Sebastian County Circuit Clerk: 479-782-1046. Marriage license records are at the Sebastian County Clerk's Office: 479-782-5065. Birth and death records are at the Arkansas Department of Health: (800) 462-0599.
The City Clerk for Fort Smith is Sherri Gard. Her office is at 623 Garrison Ave., Room 303, Fort Smith, AR 72901. Phone: 479-784-2208. She holds city records -- ordinances, meeting minutes, city contracts -- not court records. Do not contact the city clerk for dissolution of marriage documents. That is the wrong office for that type of record.
If you need a simple confirmation that a divorce occurred in Arkansas rather than the full case file, the Arkansas Department of Health keeps a statewide divorce index from 1923 forward. Their index does not include the full decree, but it does confirm the event and can be useful for certain legal or personal purposes. Call (800) 462-0599 or visit their Little Rock office at 4815 West Markham Street.
Sebastian County Official Website
The screenshot below shows the Sebastian County official website, which serves Fort Smith and the rest of the county. Visit sebastiancountyar.gov for contact information, department listings, and updates on court office hours and procedures.
Sebastian County's website has links to the Circuit Clerk's office, the County Clerk, and other departments that handle different types of records for Fort Smith residents.
Arkansas Dissolution Law and Fort Smith Residents
Arkansas requires stated grounds for dissolution of marriage. This state does not allow you to simply check a no-fault box. The two most commonly cited grounds are general indignities under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-301(b)(3)(C) and 18-month continuous separation under § 9-12-301(b)(5). General indignities is a broad category that covers persistent mistreatment. If both spouses have lived apart for 18 months, the separation ground is often easier to use because you do not need to prove specific conduct.
Residency rules apply. One spouse must have lived in Arkansas for at least 60 days before filing and must still be an Arkansas resident at the time of filing (§ 9-12-303). After service, a 30-day waiting period must pass before a judge can sign the final decree (§ 9-12-307(a)(1)(B)). That waiting period applies even to cases where both parties agree on everything. The court will not waive it.
Legal aid is available in the Fort Smith area. AR Law Help has free guides on Arkansas dissolution law. The Center for Arkansas Legal Services serves parts of western Arkansas and can be reached at (501) 376-3423. Legal Aid of Arkansas covers other regions at (870) 972-9224. If your income qualifies, these organizations may provide direct representation or advice.
Arkansas CourtConnect Portal
The Arkansas CourtConnect portal allows you to search dissolution of marriage cases filed in Sebastian County and across the state. Visit caseinfo.arcourts.gov to search by name or case number.
CourtConnect is updated regularly and is free for public use. For certified copies of any records found in the system, contact the Sebastian County Circuit Clerk at 479-782-1046.
Other Arkansas Cities With Dissolution Records
Other cities across Arkansas file their dissolution cases at their respective county circuit courts. If you need records from outside Sebastian County, each county has its own clerk's office. The CourtConnect portal can help you identify which county holds a given case.
If you need general information about the dissolution process in other parts of the state, you can browse by county from the counties page or by city from the cities page.