Union County Divorce Records Lookup
Union County divorce records are held by the Circuit Clerk in El Dorado, the county seat of this south Arkansas county. Whether you need to search a case online, get a certified copy of a divorce decree, or order a divorce certificate through the Arkansas Department of Health, this page walks you through each step and tells you exactly where to go and what to bring.
Union County Overview
Union County Circuit Clerk Office
The Union County Circuit Clerk is located at 101 N Washington Street, El Dorado, AR 71730. Phone: (870) 864-1910. Fax: (870) 864-1940. This office is the official keeper of all court records in Union County, including divorce cases filed in the Circuit Court under the 11th South Judicial Circuit. Staff are available Monday through Friday during regular business hours at the El Dorado courthouse.
Union County was created in 1829 from parts of Hempstead and Clark counties and is named for the Union of the United States. The county seat is El Dorado, a city in south Arkansas known for its oil history. The Circuit Clerk has maintained divorce records from the county's early years. Some of the oldest records may exist only in paper form at the courthouse. For records from the late 1800s or early 1900s, a direct request to the clerk is the way to go.
The Circuit Clerk in El Dorado handles civil, criminal, and domestic relations cases for Union County. When you contact the office, have both parties' full names and an approximate year for the divorce ready. That helps staff find the right case quickly. Bring a photo ID when picking up certified copies in person. Call ahead to confirm office hours and current fees before visiting or mailing a request.
The screenshot below is from the Union County page on the Arkansas Association of Counties website, which lists contact details for the Circuit Clerk and other county offices in El Dorado.
Use the Association of Counties page to confirm the most current address and phone for the Union County Circuit Clerk before submitting a records request.
Online Case Search for Union County Divorces
The Arkansas CourtConnect portal is a free tool for searching Union County divorce cases online. Select Union County from the county drop-down, then choose case type 14 for Domestic Relations. Search by party name or by case number.
CourtConnect shows key case data: party names, filing date, case status, and hearing information. It does not provide images of court documents. What it does give you is the case number, which you need when requesting certified copies from the El Dorado courthouse. The Arkansas Administrative Office of Courts at 625 Marshall St Suite 1100, Little Rock (phone: 501-682-9400) maintains the system. If a case is missing from the portal, contact the AOC or the Union County Circuit Clerk.
CourtConnect covers cases entered into the digital system. Older Union County cases that predate digitization will not appear. For those older records, call the clerk at (870) 864-1910 and ask about manual search options.
Note: CourtConnect is free and shows case data, but does not display document images. Use it to get a case number before requesting copies from the El Dorado courthouse.
The screenshot below shows the Union County court records page, which provides additional detail on accessing divorce and domestic relations case information for the county.
Refer to this page for guidance on what information to provide when searching Union County court records and how to submit a formal records request to the Circuit Clerk.
Divorce Decree vs. Divorce Certificate in Union County
Two types of documents qualify as Union County divorce records. They are not the same, they do not come from the same agency, and the access rules are different. Knowing which one fits your need will save you time and avoid a wasted request.
The divorce decree is the full court order. It is held by the Union County Circuit Clerk in El Dorado. This document contains the full names of both parties, the grounds for divorce, the date the marriage was ended, and any orders about property or children. The decree is a public record. No special standing is required to request a certified copy. Anyone can get one from the Circuit Clerk by paying the applicable fees and showing a government-issued photo ID.
The divorce certificate is a summary record kept by the Arkansas Department of Health Vital Records. Under ACA § 20-18-305, access is restricted to the named parties, their immediate family members, or their legal representatives. The ADH office is at 4815 W Markham St Slot 44, Little Rock, AR 72205. Phone: 501-661-2336 or 866-209-9482. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Online orders go through VitalChek for $10 plus $5 processing and $1.85 ID verification.
For most third-party or general research purposes, the divorce decree from the Circuit Clerk is the right choice. It is public and available to anyone. The ADH certificate serves a specific purpose for parties with standing under the statute.
How to Request Copies of Union County Divorce Records
There are three main ways to request Union County divorce records. Each has different steps and timelines.
In person is the most direct method. Go to the Union County Circuit Clerk at 101 N Washington Street, El Dorado, AR 71730. Bring a photo ID. Tell staff the names of both parties and an approximate year. They will search the records and prepare certified copies. Per-page copy fees plus a certification fee apply. Call (870) 864-1910 to confirm the current rates and hours before visiting.
By mail, write to the Union County Circuit Clerk at 101 N Washington Street, El Dorado, AR 71730. Include your name, return address, phone number, both parties' full names, and the approximate case year. Enclose a check or money order. Call first to get the correct fee amount. Mail turnaround depends on the clerk's workload at the time of your request.
For an ADH divorce certificate, order through VitalChek online. In-person orders are also accepted at the ADH Little Rock office, with same-day processing available for arrivals before 4:00 PM. ADH mail orders take 7 to 14 business days to process.
Arkansas Divorce Law and Union County Filing Rules
Divorce cases in Union County go to the Circuit Court under the 11th South Judicial Circuit. Arkansas state law applies to all filings, and the same requirements hold in Union County as in every other Arkansas county.
One spouse must have lived in Arkansas for at least 60 days before filing. After the case is filed, there is a mandatory 30-day waiting period before the court can grant the divorce. That wait cannot be skipped or shortened. Arkansas recognizes fault and no-fault divorce. Fault grounds are listed in ACA § 9-12-301. No-fault divorce based on 18 months of separation is available under ACA § 9-12-306. When children are part of the case, the court requires a parenting plan and child support order before a final divorce is granted. The Arkansas Child Support Guidelines determine the support calculation used in Union County cases.
El Dorado is the county seat and the largest city in Union County. The Circuit Clerk office in El Dorado serves all residents of the county and maintains the official divorce records repository for the region.
Legal Aid and Attorney Resources in Union County
Free and low-cost legal help is available in Union County for residents who need it. Several programs serve south Arkansas and can assist with divorce cases or records questions.
The Arkansas Legal Services Partnership offers free divorce forms and plain-language guides applicable statewide. The Complaint for Divorce, Financial Affidavit, and Child Support Worksheet are all available at no charge on their site. These documents work in Union County's Circuit Court. If you plan to file on your own, start with this site to understand what forms are required and when to file them. Legal Aid of Arkansas serves qualifying low-income residents across the state. If you meet the income requirements, an attorney may be available to assist with your case at no cost. Contact their office to check whether services are available in Union County and the El Dorado area.
The Arkansas Bar Association at 501-375-4606 runs a lawyer referral service. They can connect you with a family law attorney who practices in Union County and the 11th South Judicial Circuit. El Dorado has a local legal community with family law practitioners familiar with the local court system.