Jefferson County Divorce Records

Divorce records in Jefferson County are kept by the Circuit Court Clerk. The office is at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham. This is Alabama's biggest county with over 664,000 people. It handles thousands of divorce cases each year. The county is part of the 10th Judicial Circuit. There are two court divisions here. One is in Birmingham. The other is in Bessemer. The Birmingham Division handles most domestic cases. You can search case info online through Alacourt ACCESS. Or go in person to the courthouse. The clerk keeps all divorce petitions, decrees, property deals, and custody orders.

Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk

The Circuit Court Clerk is where all divorces get filed in Jefferson County. Need a copy of a decree? Go here. Want the full case file? Same place. The county has two offices. One is in Birmingham. The other is in Bessemer.

Birmingham Division (Main Office)

Bessemer Division

How to Search Jefferson County Divorce Records

Online Search

You can search Jefferson County cases through Alacourt ACCESS at pa.alacourt.com. It costs $9.99 per search. You can look up by name or case number. Results show basic case info. You'll see the names, case type, and filing date. The disposition shows too. Want the actual documents? That's $5 more for the first 20 pages. After that it's 50 cents a page.

In-Person Request

Walk into the clerk's office during business hours. Bring both names. A date helps if you don't have the case number. Staff can look it up while you wait. They'll print copies on the spot for newer cases. Old files take more time since they're in storage.

Mail Request

Send a letter to the Circuit Court Clerk. Include both names. Add the date of the divorce if you know it. Put your phone number and address so they can reach you. Include a check or money order for the search fee. The clerk will mail the records back. Or call you if more fees are needed.

Fees

Jefferson County charges fees for record requests. Rates can change. Call the clerk's office for what they charge now. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. You need certified copies for legal stuff. Things like getting remarried or changing your name on documents.

What's in Jefferson County Divorce Records

Jefferson County Circuit Court keeps full divorce case files. Everything from start to finish stays in the file. Here's what you can find when you request records.

Divorce Decrees

The decree is the final judgment. A judge signs it to end the marriage. It has orders on property split, support, and custody. You need a certified copy to prove you're divorced. This is what you show when you want to remarry. Same for legal name changes.

Property Settlements

These documents show how the couple split their stuff. Assets and debts both. The marital home might be in there. So might cars, retirement funds, and bank accounts. These details are usually in the final decree. Sometimes they're in a separate agreement filed with the court.

Custody and Support Orders

If kids were involved, the file has custody stuff. Visitation schedules are in there. So is who makes big decisions for the kids. Child support amounts show up too. These orders can change over time. Courts modify them when situations change. So you might find more than one version in the file.

Complete Case File

The full file has everything. The first petition is in there. So is the summons and any response from the other spouse. Discovery documents and motions are in there too. Temporary orders if any were made. And the final decree at the end. Some files are thick. It depends on how much the couple fought.

Free Legal Help in Jefferson County

Need help with divorce records? Have questions about your own case? Several groups in Jefferson County offer free help. You have to qualify for most of them. But if you do, the help is real.

Volunteer Lawyers Birmingham

The Birmingham Bar runs a volunteer lawyer program. It helps low-income folks with family law. Divorce is one thing they help with. They do free talks with lawyers. Sometimes they provide full help in court.

Legal Services of Metro Birmingham

This group helps low-income folks in Jefferson County for free. They do civil legal work. That includes divorce and custody matters. Call to see if you qualify.

Phone: (800) 819-7685

YWCA of Birmingham

They help with divorce cases that involve domestic violence. They have court advocates on staff. They can help with protective orders too. If you're in a bad situation at home, call them first.

24-Hour Crisis Line: (205) 322-4878

Jefferson County Divorce Certificates

Just need to prove a divorce happened? You don't need the full file. Get a divorce certificate instead. You can get one from the Alabama Center for Health Statistics. Or from the Jefferson County Health Department. These are simple forms. They just show the names, date, and county. No property or custody details.

Jefferson County Health Department

The local health department can issue Alabama divorce certificates. They can get ones for divorces from 1950 to now. Any Alabama divorce is in the system. Not just Jefferson County ones.

Cities in Jefferson County

Jefferson County has over 35 cities and towns. All of them file divorces through the same place. The Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk handles it all. Birmingham is the county seat. It's also the only city over 100,000 people in the county.

Other cities in Jefferson County include Hoover, Vestavia Hills, and Bessemer. There's also Mountain Brook, Homewood, and Trussville. Gardendale, Hueytown, and Irondale are in the county too. All of them file divorces at the county level.

Nearby Counties

Need records from a neighboring county? Jefferson County borders several other counties. Each one has its own Circuit Court Clerk.