How to Get a Copy of Your Washington, DC Divorce Certificate

Marriages are not always made of fairy tales and do not always end happily ever after. When a marriage is dissolved, there is often a mix of emotions, and a variety of paperwork and issues to be handled post-divorce. A divorce certificate serves a variety of purposes when handling business with your financial institutions, insurance company, or other agencies. If you need a copy of your Washington, D.C. divorce certificate, DoNotPay can help you navigate the process, or we can simplify the process by doing it for you.

What's the Difference Between A Divorce Decree and a Divorce Certificate?

Divorce decrees and divorce certificates are different documents of a divorce. They each contain different information and serve different purposes.

1. Divorce Decrees

A divorce decree is the final documentation that is issued by the courts. It contains the judge's decisions or your settlement agreement regarding the dissolution of your marriage. There will be information pertaining to how assets and debt are divided, child support, spousal support, custody arrangements, or any other issues that are handled during a divorce hearing. After the divorce, the parties involved and their attorneys are usually the only ones to receive divorce decrees.

2. Divorce Certificates

Divorce certificates are less complicated documents. They generally contain very basic details regarding the divorce. In general, a divorce certificate will include:

• The full names of both former spouses
• Date the divorce was issued
• The place where the divorce took place

Once a jurisdiction issues a divorce certificate, it will usually be available through vital statistics, or sometimes the circuit court where it was issued. Not all states or jurisdictions issue divorce certificates.

How to Get a Divorce Certificate in Washington, DC

Unfortunately, D.C. courts do not give thorough details on how to obtain a divorce decree. Here are a few things to know for getting a copy of a divorce decree in Washington, D.C.

1. For divorces filed before 1957, divorce decrees are available at the Clerk's Office.
2. For divorces filed after 1957, divorce decrees can be obtained through the District of Columbia Courts Services.
3. The cost for a copy of a divorce decree is $6.50.
4. According to the CDC, divorce information for Washington, D.C. can be obtained from:

Although the information is limited, you can use the above contact information, or let DoNotPay do all the heavy lifting for you.

DoNotPay Can Request Washington DC Divorce Records on Your Behalf

Divorce often comes with enough stress and headache. If you need copies of your divorce records for any reason, there's no need to pile on more stress or work. DoNotPay can alleviate some of that headache and make the process easier for you.

If you want to get a copy of a divorce certificate in Washington, D.C. but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 7 easy steps:

1. Go to the Certificates of Divorce product on DoNotPay.

    

2. Select whether the certificate belongs to you or a relative/loved one. If it belongs to someone else, enter the details of both people on the certificate, and select/upload evidence that proves your relationship with them. If the certificate is yours, enter the details of your spouse.*Please note: some states only allow people named on the certificate to apply.

    

3. Enter the city, state, and county where the divorce certificate and original divorce certificate were issued as well as the dates they were issued on.

    

4. Indicate what you will be using this certificate for, and choose whether you need an authorized or certified copy.

    

5. Enter your contact information and shipping address. Upload copies of your government-issued identification, such as a driver's license.

    

6. Choose whether you would like to electronically sign this form or not. Once we generate the form, verify that all of the information is correct.

    

7. If you need the document to be notarized, schedule a notarization appointment using our Notary product. Otherwise, proceed to our Mail Checks product and let DoNotPay mail-in your request form with a check on your behalf.

    

What Else Can DoNotPay Do For You?

DoNotPay can help you obtain divorce certificates from any jurisdiction - whether it happened in Arkansas, California, Florida, Texas, New York Nevada, DoNotPay is here to help. 

Not only can we help you obtain DC divorce certificates, we can also assist you with any other issue or problem you are facing, including:

• Obtaining Birth Certificates
• Getting a Marriage Annulled
• Divorce Settlement Agreements
• Credit Card Assistance
• Handling Insurance Claims
• Document Notarization

Whatever problem you are facing, DoNotPay has quick ways to resolve your issues.