Find Monroe County Dissolution of Marriage Records
Monroe County dissolution of marriage records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Clarendon, Arkansas. The county's records date back to 1830, making it one of the older record sets in the state. Divorce and dissolution cases are civil court filings held at the Monroe County Courthouse. You can search case information online through Arkansas CourtConnect or request records directly from the clerk's office in Clarendon. Certified copies of decrees are available at $5 per page. The current Circuit Clerk is Alice Smith, and the office can assist with in-person or mail requests for case documents.
Monroe County Overview
Monroe County Circuit Clerk Office
The Monroe County Circuit Clerk is Alice Smith. The office is at 123 Madison St., Clarendon, AR 72029, and can be reached by phone at (870) 747-3615. The Circuit Clerk maintains all civil court records for Monroe County, including dissolution of marriage filings. Staff can help you locate a specific case, describe what documents are in the file, and process requests for certified copies.
Monroe County records go back to 1830. This makes the county one of the earlier organized counties in Arkansas with a long record history. Cases from the nineteenth century and early twentieth century exist only in paper form at the courthouse. For cases filed before the courts moved to electronic records management, a direct request to the Circuit Clerk is necessary. The clerk can advise on what is available from different time periods and how to request access to older paper records.
The Arkansas County Association maintains a county profile for Monroe County at arcounties.org that includes general information about county offices and contact details. This can be a useful reference when preparing to submit a records request or when trying to confirm current office information before a visit or mailing.
Visit the Monroe County profile at Arkansas County Association for current county office information.
The county profile page includes links to Monroe County departments and can help confirm current contact details before submitting a dissolution records request.
Monroe County Dissolution Records Online Search
Arkansas CourtConnect at caseinfo.arcourts.gov is the main free tool for searching Monroe County dissolution of marriage records online. You can search by party name, case number, or date. The system shows filing dates, case parties, and current status for civil cases including dissolution of marriage. CourtConnect covers all Arkansas circuit courts, so a search by name will return Monroe County results along with any other Arkansas cases tied to that name.
For cases filed after the transition to electronic records, CourtConnect is generally the fastest way to confirm whether a dissolution case exists in Monroe County. For older cases from the paper records era, you will need to contact the Circuit Clerk directly. Provide as much detail as you can when requesting older records, including approximate filing year and the names of both parties. The clerk searches paper indices to locate historical cases and can let you know what is available before you pay for copies.
Monroe County is a smaller rural county, and its dissolution case volume is lower than in larger urban counties. This can actually make it easier to get prompt attention when you call or write the clerk, since staff are not managing as large a caseload as offices in larger counties. Direct contact with the clerk's office at (870) 747-3615 is often the most efficient path for Monroe County records.
Dissolution of Marriage Filing Process in Monroe County
To file for divorce in Monroe County, you must meet the Arkansas residency requirement at Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-303, which requires 60 days of state residency before the filing date. You file the petition at the Circuit Clerk's office at 123 Madison St. in Clarendon. The filing fee is approximately $165. A $10 fee also applies for the Arkansas Department of Health divorce certificate that is recorded at the state level.
Arkansas law under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-301 requires a stated legal ground for divorce. The most common choices are general indignities under subsection (b)(3)(C) and 18 months of continuous separation under subsection (b)(5). The separation ground functions similarly to a no-fault approach, though Arkansas does not formally recognize no-fault divorce. After the judge grants the divorce, a 30-day waiting period under § 9-12-307(a)(1)(B) applies before the decree becomes final.
Legal assistance for Monroe County residents is available through Arkansas Legal Services at (501) 376-3423. The eastern office at (870) 972-9224 is closer to Monroe County and may be the more convenient contact. The AR Law Help divorce guide covers the full filing process in plain language and is a good resource for self-represented litigants.
Access to Monroe County Divorce Records
Dissolution of marriage records in Monroe County are public under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105 and Administrative Order No. 19 from the Arkansas Supreme Court. These rules allow any member of the public to request a dissolution case file from the clerk. You do not need to be a party to the case. You may need to fill out a request form, pay the applicable copy fees, and wait for the clerk to retrieve the file if it is in paper storage.
The state-level divorce certificate at the Arkansas Department of Health is governed by § 20-18-305 and restricted for 50 years. That certificate is separate from the court file. If you need the court records, go to the Circuit Clerk in Clarendon. For the ADH certificate, contact ADH at 4815 West Markham St, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205, or call 800-462-0599. Certified copy fees at the clerk's office are $5 per page.
Note: Monroe County records date to 1830. Historical dissolution cases from the nineteenth and early twentieth century exist only as paper records at the Clarendon courthouse and are not available through CourtConnect.
Monroe County Dissolution Case File Documents
A dissolution of marriage case file in Monroe County includes the petition for divorce, any response from the other party, temporary orders if any were issued, and the final decree. The decree is the most important document in the file. It legally ends the marriage and sets out the terms for property, spousal support, and if there are children involved, custody and child support arrangements.
More complex cases have more documents. A contested matter may include financial disclosures, hearing transcripts, written motions, and multiple orders from the judge. An uncontested divorce where both parties agreed on all terms is likely to have a short file with just the key documents. Before requesting copies, call the clerk to find out what the file contains and how many pages you can expect. That way you can plan for the cost and make sure you are ordering the right documents.
Counties Near Monroe County
Monroe County is in east-central Arkansas. Bordering counties maintain their own dissolution of marriage records through local Circuit Clerks.