Find Dissolution of Marriage Records in Little River County
Little River County dissolution of marriage records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Ashdown, Arkansas. The clerk's office keeps all civil court filings including divorce petitions, final decrees, and supporting case documents. Records can be accessed in person at the courthouse, by mail request, or through the Arkansas CourtConnect portal online. The Circuit Clerk also maintains Laredo online access for real estate and related records, which makes this office one of the more digitally accessible in southwest Arkansas. If you need a certified copy of a divorce decree from Little River County, the clerk can provide it for a standard fee.
Little River County Overview
Little River County Circuit Clerk Office
The Circuit Clerk for Little River County is located at 351 N. Second St., Suite 5, Ashdown, AR 71822. You can reach the office by phone at (870) 898-7212. The Circuit Clerk handles all civil court filings for the county, which includes dissolution of marriage cases, real estate records, and other civil matters. The office keeps official records and can provide certified copies to anyone who requests them and pays the applicable fee.
Little River County offers Laredo online access for land and real estate records through the clerk's office. While this is primarily used for property documents, the office also maintains divorce and other civil court records in its system. The availability of online tools makes it easier to confirm whether a case exists before making a trip to the courthouse or mailing a request. For dissolution of marriage records specifically, CourtConnect remains the main online tool for case searches.
Visit the Little River County Circuit Clerk page for current office hours and contact information.
The Circuit Clerk page has details on how to submit a mail request and what information you need to provide when asking for a certified copy of a court record.
Little River County Dissolution of Marriage Records Online
Arkansas CourtConnect is the main portal for searching Little River County dissolution records online. Go to caseinfo.arcourts.gov and search by party name or case number. The system shows case filings, hearing dates, and current status for most civil cases in the county. It is free to use and no account is needed for basic searches. Not all older cases appear in the system, so a direct contact with the clerk may still be needed for historical records.
A secondary resource for Little River County records is available through Arkansas State Records. This aggregator indexes publicly available court information and can serve as a useful starting point when you are not sure about the exact details of a case. It does not replace official courthouse records, but it can help confirm whether a filing likely occurred in Little River County.
Review the state records index for Little River County at Arkansas State Records to cross-check case details.
This resource can supplement a CourtConnect search and may surface older case information that has been indexed separately.
Filing a Dissolution of Marriage in Little River County
To file for dissolution of marriage in Little River County, you or your spouse must have lived in Arkansas for at least 60 days before filing under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-303. You also need to have lived in the state for at least 30 days after the divorce is granted before the decree becomes final, as set out in § 9-12-307(a)(1)(B). The filing fee is around $165 at the Circuit Clerk's office in Ashdown, though this amount can vary based on the complexity of the case and any additional motions.
Arkansas requires you to state a legal ground for divorce under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-301. The most commonly used grounds are general indignities under subsection (b)(3)(C) and an 18-month separation period under subsection (b)(5). The separation ground works similarly to a no-fault option, though Arkansas does not technically recognize no-fault divorce. Once a judge grants the divorce, the 30-day waiting period applies before the decree is legally final.
You will also need to pay a $10 fee to the Arkansas Department of Health for the state-level divorce certificate. That certificate is filed separately from the court record and is maintained at ADH at 4815 West Markham St, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. For questions about legal help, call Arkansas Legal Services at (501) 376-3423 or visit AR Law Help.
Access Rules for Little River County Court Records
Dissolution of marriage case files in Little River County are public records under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act at Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105 and Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 19. These rules allow public access to court records while also permitting courts to seal specific documents when necessary. Most dissolution case files are accessible to anyone who requests them.
The state-level divorce certificate held by the Arkansas Department of Health is a separate document from the court file. Under § 20-18-305, those health records are restricted and become public after 50 years. If you need the court file, the Circuit Clerk is the right contact. If you need the state certificate, you contact ADH directly. The two requests go to different agencies and involve different fees and timelines.
Note: Certified copies of divorce decrees from the Little River County Circuit Clerk cost $5 per page. The Arkansas Department of Health divorce certificate costs $10 and is ordered separately by contacting ADH at 800-462-0599.
What a Dissolution Case File Includes
A dissolution of marriage case file in Little River County generally contains the original petition, any response filed by the other spouse, temporary orders if the court issued any during the case, and the final decree. The decree is the document that formally ends the marriage and addresses property, support, and custody matters if applicable. It is the piece most people need when they are updating legal documents or remarrying.
Contested cases have larger files. They may include financial statements, depositions, hearing transcripts, exhibits, and written orders from the judge. Uncontested cases with a settlement agreement are usually shorter. The clerk can tell you what is in the file before you request copies, which helps you avoid paying for documents you do not need. If you only need the decree, ask specifically for that document rather than requesting the full case file.
Neighboring Counties
Little River County sits in the far southwest corner of Arkansas. If you think a case may have been filed in a neighboring county, these offices handle dissolution records for their areas as well.