Find Dissolution of Marriage Records in White County

White County dissolution of marriage cases are handled by Circuit Clerk Sara Brown-Carlton in Searcy, Arkansas. The clerk's office keeps all filed petitions, hearing records, and final decrees for domestic relations proceedings in the county. If you need to look up a case, verify that a divorce is final, or get a certified copy of a decree, the Circuit Clerk is the right office to contact. White County also offers efiling lite and eRecording options, making it easier to submit certain documents without a trip to the courthouse. Cases can be searched online through Arkansas CourtConnect for free.

White County Circuit Clerk Office

Circuit Clerk Sara Brown-Carlton maintains all dissolution of marriage records for White County. The office is at 300 North Spruce Street, Searcy, AR 72143. Phone: 501.279.6203. Email: sara.carlton@whitecircuitclerk.com. The clerk's office handles new filings, document processing, certified copy requests, and case record maintenance for all domestic relations cases in the county.

White County offers efiling lite and eRecording services. Efiling lite allows certain documents to be submitted electronically rather than by mail or in-person drop-off. ERecording allows land and court documents to be recorded digitally. For dissolution cases, electronic options can reduce the need to make multiple courthouse trips during the filing process. Contact the clerk's office by phone or email to find out which documents qualify for electronic submission in your specific case.

When you file a dissolution petition, the clerk opens a file and assigns a case number. Every document that comes in after that, including the service of process return, temporary orders, property agreements, and the final decree, goes into the file. That file is the official record of your case. Certified copies of the final decree or any other document cost $5 each. You will likely need at least one certified copy for practical purposes, such as changing your name on a driver's license or updating a beneficiary designation.

The White County Circuit Clerk website and the White County Clerk website both have contact information and may list current hours and office services. The county clerk handles different functions from the circuit clerk, but both offices are in Searcy.

Search White County Dissolution Cases

Arkansas CourtConnect is the free online system for searching White County dissolution cases. Access it at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. No account is needed. Search by the names of one or both parties, or enter a case number if you have one. The results show you the case status, hearing dates, and a list of filed documents. Many of those documents are available to view and print online.

If you get multiple results for a name search, check the filing date and party names carefully. White County is a mid-size county, so common last names will likely produce several hits. If you cannot find the case you are looking for in CourtConnect, it may have been filed before the system's coverage window. In that situation, call or email the clerk's office directly. Staff can search the physical index and tell you whether the records you need are on file and how to request copies.

White County Dissolution of Marriage Requirements

To get a dissolution of marriage in White County, at least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 90 days before the court can finalize the case. This is the state residency rule under Ark. Code Ann. § 9-12-303. You file the petition at the Circuit Clerk's office in Searcy. The initial filing fee is around $165. Cases with children or contested issues may have additional fees and filings.

Arkansas is not a pure no-fault divorce state. Your petition must list a legal ground for divorce. The most common grounds under § 9-12-301 are general indignities under § 9-12-301(b)(3)(C) and 18-month separation under § 9-12-301(b)(5). The separation ground is often the cleanest option when both parties agree the marriage should end and do not want to allege any specific conduct. General indignities is a broad ground that covers a range of behaviors and is used in both contested and uncontested cases throughout Arkansas.

Once you file, § 9-12-307(a)(1)(B) requires a 30-day waiting period. No final decree can be signed before 30 days have passed from the date of filing. Uncontested cases in White County typically close in 30 to 90 days total. Contested cases with property disputes or custody disagreements can take considerably longer.

Public Access and Privacy Laws

White County dissolution records fall under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-19-105, and Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 19. Together, these rules define what is open to the public. The final decree is generally a public document. Financial affidavits, records with Social Security numbers, and sealed orders are not. Parties to a case always have full access to their own file. Third parties get access only to the public portions.

The 50-year rule at § 20-18-305 limits access for anyone other than parties and close family for 50 years after a final decree. This means that older cases, especially those from the 1970s or earlier, are now fully open to the public. More recent cases are subject to the restriction and may require a showing of relationship to the parties before the clerk will release documents to an outside requestor.

Vital Records and Divorce Certificates

After a White County dissolution is entered, the court sends a report to the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock. The ADH maintains a statewide divorce index and can issue a short-form certificate confirming that a divorce occurred. A certificate from the ADH is not the same as a certified copy of the decree. The certificate shows names, county, and date, but none of the terms. It costs $10.

ADH Vital Records is at 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone: 800-462-0599. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm. If you need more than basic confirmation that a divorce happened, such as the property division details or the custody order, request a certified copy from the White County Circuit Clerk. That costs $5 per copy.

Clerk Website and County Resources

The White County Circuit Clerk website provides current contact details and may list available services. The White County Clerk website covers a separate set of county functions, including county court and probate records, which are distinct from circuit court dissolution filings. Both sites are useful for understanding which office handles what in White County.

The White County Circuit Clerk website lists contact information and available services for dissolution and other domestic relations filings. Visit whitecounty.ar.gov/circuitclerk for details.

The Circuit Clerk site includes contact information and service details for White County domestic relations cases.

The White County Clerk manages county court and probate records. Visit whitecounty.ar.gov/countyclerk for clerk contact information and county services.

The county clerk handles county court functions separate from circuit court dissolution filings.

Legal Aid and Free Help

White County residents who need help with a dissolution case and cannot afford an attorney can start with AR Law Help. This free resource explains how divorce works in Arkansas, what forms to use, and how to handle service of process. The guides are written in plain English and cover both simple and more complicated situations, including cases with children.

Legal Aid of Arkansas provides free legal help to eligible clients and can be reached at (501) 376-3423 or (870) 972-9224. Legal aid may be able to assist with uncontested dissolutions and help prepare paperwork. For contested cases involving real property, retirement accounts, or child custody, consulting a private attorney in the Searcy area is a smart investment. An attorney can help you avoid mistakes that could take months to fix after the fact.

Searcy and Nearby Counties

White County includes the city of Searcy, which has its own dissolution records page. See Searcy dissolution of marriage records for city-specific information. Other communities in White County include Bald Knob, Beebe, Kensett, and Judsonia, but these towns do not have separate pages. All dissolution filings for White County go through the Circuit Clerk in Searcy.

Neighboring counties include Cleburne County to the northwest, Independence County to the north, Woodruff County to the east, Prairie County to the southeast, Lonoke County to the south, and Faulkner County to the west. Each county has its own Circuit Clerk. File in the county where you live.