Access Tuscaloosa County Divorce Records
Divorce records in Tuscaloosa County are filed and kept at the Circuit Court Clerk's office on Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa. The county sits in the 6th Judicial Circuit and handles all divorce matters for the roughly 210,000 people who live here. Tuscaloosa is best known as home to the University of Alabama, which means the population swells during the school year and brings a mix of long-term residents and students to the area. The circuit court hears contested divorces, uncontested cases, and all the related custody and property disputes that come with ending a marriage. You can search for case info online through Alacourt ACCESS or visit the clerk's office in person to get copies of decrees, settlement agreements, and other divorce documents.
Tuscaloosa County Quick Facts
Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court Clerk
The Circuit Court Clerk is who you call for divorce records in Tuscaloosa County. This office takes all filings. They keep the case files. They issue certified copies. Staff can help you look up records if you have the names. Old cases take more time since they're in storage.
| Circuit Clerk | Magaria H. Bobo |
|---|---|
| Address | 714 Greensboro Avenue, Room 214 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 |
| Phone | (205) 464-8259 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Website | tuscaloosa.alacourt.gov |
The Tuscaloosa County Courthouse is located in the heart of downtown, making it fairly easy to get to. Parking can be tight during busy times, especially when court is in session. There's metered street parking and a few lots nearby. Plan to arrive a bit early if you need to go through security.
How to Search Tuscaloosa County Divorce Records
There are a few ways to look up divorce records in Tuscaloosa County. Your choice depends on how fast you need the records and whether you want to do it yourself or have staff help you out.
Online Search
The state's Alacourt ACCESS system at pa.alacourt.com lets you search Tuscaloosa County court records from anywhere. You pay $9.99 per name search or case number lookup. The results show basic case info like parties' names, case type, filing date, and how the case ended. If you want to see the actual documents, that costs extra - $5 for up to 20 pages. The system works pretty well for recent cases. Older records might not have all the documents scanned in.
In-Person Request
Head to the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 714 Greensboro Avenue during business hours. Bring whatever info you have - names of both spouses, approximate date of the divorce, case number if you know it. The staff can search their system and pull up records. For recent divorces, you can usually get copies the same day. Older cases stored off-site take longer to retrieve, sometimes a day or two.
Mail Request
Write a letter to the Circuit Court Clerk with the names of both parties to the divorce and the approximate year it happened. Include your contact info and a check or money order for the search fee. The clerk will either send you the records or contact you if additional fees are needed for copies. Mail requests take a week or two typically.
What It Costs
Tuscaloosa County charges standard fees for record copies. Regular copies run about $1 per page. Certified copies cost more - around $5 for the certification plus the per-page fee. Certified copies are what you need for legal purposes like remarriage, name changes, or proving divorce in other court matters. Call the clerk's office to confirm current fees before sending payment.
What's in Tuscaloosa County Divorce Records
When someone files for divorce in Tuscaloosa County, the Circuit Court creates a case file that grows throughout the proceedings. Here's what you'll typically find in these files:
Divorce Petition
This is the document that starts the whole thing. One spouse (the plaintiff) files a complaint asking the court to end the marriage. The petition states the grounds for divorce, lists any children, and makes initial requests about property and custody. Alabama allows no-fault divorce based on incompatibility, or fault-based grounds like adultery, abandonment, or cruelty.
Final Decree of Divorce
The most important document in the file. This is the judge's final order that officially dissolves the marriage. It spells out who gets what property, whether anyone pays alimony, and all the custody and child support arrangements. You need a certified copy of this decree to prove you're legally divorced. Banks, the DMV, Social Security, and other agencies will want to see it.
Property and Debt Division
Divorces involve splitting up what the couple owns and what they owe. The file will show how they divided the house, cars, bank accounts, retirement funds, and debts. Sometimes this is worked out in a settlement agreement the parties sign. Other times the judge has to decide after a hearing. Either way, the details end up in the case file.
Child Custody Orders
If kids are involved, the file contains custody arrangements. This covers who the children live with (physical custody), who makes major decisions about their upbringing (legal custody), and the visitation schedule. There's also the child support order showing how much gets paid and when. These orders can be modified later if circumstances change, so the file might have multiple versions over the years.
Miscellaneous Filings
Depending on how complicated the divorce was, you might also find temporary orders (for support or custody while the case was pending), discovery requests, financial affidavits, parenting plans, and motions filed by either side. Contested divorces tend to have thicker files with more back-and-forth paperwork.
Free Legal Help in Tuscaloosa County
Not everyone has money for a lawyer. Tuscaloosa County has help for folks who can't pay attorney fees.
Legal Services Alabama - Tuscaloosa Office
This nonprofit provides free civil legal services to low-income Alabamians. They handle family law matters including divorce, custody modifications, and protective orders. You have to meet income guidelines to qualify, but the help is completely free if you do.
| Phone | (205) 758-7503 |
|---|---|
| Toll-Free | (800) 240-8686 |
| Eligibility | Income-based (typically 125% of federal poverty level) |
University of Alabama School of Law - Legal Clinics
The UA law school runs several legal clinics where law students (supervised by licensed attorneys) help people with various legal issues. The family law clinic handles some divorce and custody matters. This is a good option if you live in the area - the law school is right in Tuscaloosa. Plus, you're helping train the next generation of lawyers while getting help with your case.
Tuscaloosa County Bar Association
The local bar association can refer you to attorneys who handle divorce cases. While these are not free services, some lawyers offer payment plans or reduced rates for simple uncontested divorces. The bar can also point you toward attorneys who take pro bono cases.
Tuscaloosa County Divorce Certificates
There's a difference between a divorce certificate and a divorce decree. The decree is the full court order that ends the marriage. A certificate is a shorter document that just verifies a divorce happened - it shows the names, date, and county but not all the details about property and custody.
When You Need a Certificate vs. a Decree
If you just need to prove you're divorced (say, for a marriage license application), a certificate usually works. But if you need to show the terms of the divorce - like who has custody or what the support order says - you need the actual decree from the court. Some agencies are picky about which one they want, so ask before you spend money getting the wrong document.
Where to Get Divorce Certificates
The Alabama Center for Health Statistics in Montgomery issues divorce certificates for any divorce that happened in Alabama from 1950 to present. You can also sometimes get them from county health departments. The state charges $15 for a certificate. The Circuit Court Clerk only has decrees and case files, not the simple certificates.
Alabama Center for Health Statistics
| Address | 201 Monroe Street, Suite 1150 Montgomery, AL 36104 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (334) 206-5418 |
| Fee | $15 per certificate |
Cities in Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa County includes the city of Tuscaloosa and several smaller towns and communities. The city of Tuscaloosa is the only municipality in the county with a population over 100,000. All divorce records for county residents - regardless of which city or town they live in - are handled by the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court.
Other communities in Tuscaloosa County include Northport, Brookwood, Coaling, Coker, Moundville, and parts of Lake View. Residents of all these areas file for divorce at the county level. The Northport area in particular has grown significantly in recent years, though divorce filings still go through the Tuscaloosa County courthouse.
Nearby Counties
If the divorce you're looking for happened in a different county, you'll need to contact that county's Circuit Court Clerk. Here are the counties that border Tuscaloosa County.