Find Beaver County Divorce Records
Beaver County divorce decree records are maintained by the Prothonotary's Office at the Beaver County Courthouse in Beaver, Pennsylvania. The Prothonotary is the largest file office in the courthouse and holds all civil court records, including divorce proceedings, custody orders, support matters, and protection from abuse filings. Anyone who needs a copy of a divorce decree from Beaver County can visit the office in person or use the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System online portal to search case information. The courthouse is located at 810 Third Street in Beaver.
Beaver County Quick Facts
Beaver County Prothonotary and Divorce Decrees
The Beaver County Prothonotary's Office is the designated custodian for all civil court records in the county. This includes divorce proceedings, custody orders, civil judgments, name changes, quiet title actions, and tax liens. The office is described as the largest file office in the Beaver County Courthouse, reflecting the wide range of civil matters it manages. All divorce cases filed in Beaver County become part of this office's permanent records.
The Prothonotary is located at the Beaver County Courthouse, 810 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009. The office phone number is (724) 770-4440. Staff can assist with record searches and provide copies of divorce decrees and related documents. Online access to Beaver County civil case dockets is also available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System, which allows you to search for basic case information without visiting the courthouse.
Divorce records in Beaver County are public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law. Anyone can request access to these records, not just the parties involved. However, certified copies are typically issued only to the named parties, their legal representatives, or attorneys of record. Informational copies of divorce records can be provided to any member of the public who requests them through proper channels.
The Beaver County Prothonotary's website at beavercountypa.gov provides contact information, office hours, and guidance on how to access civil records including divorce decrees filed in Beaver County.
The image below is from the Beaver County Prothonotary's Office website, showing the office responsible for all civil records including divorce decree filings in Beaver, Pennsylvania.
The Beaver County Prothonotary page shows the office address, contact details, and a description of the civil records the office maintains, including divorce and custody filings for Beaver County.
| Office |
Beaver County Prothonotary Beaver County Courthouse 810 Third Street Beaver, PA 15009 Phone: (724) 770-4440 |
|---|---|
| Online Access | ujsportal.pacourts.us |
| Website | beavercountypa.gov/Departments/Prothonotary |
Beaver County Clerk of Courts and Civil Records
The Beaver County Clerk of Courts is a separate office from the Prothonotary. The Clerk of Courts manages criminal court records, including motions, petitions, juvenile records, and Commonwealth and Superior Court appeals. If you are looking for a divorce decree in Beaver County, the Prothonotary is the correct office. The Clerk of Courts handles the criminal side of the courthouse and is not involved with divorce proceedings.
Both the Prothonotary and the Clerk of Courts are housed at the same Beaver County Courthouse address: 810 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009. The phone number for both offices is (724) 770-4440. If you are unsure which office to contact, calling that number will get you connected to the right department.
The Beaver County Clerk of Courts website at beavercountypa.gov/Departments/Clerk-of-Courts explains the scope of that office's responsibilities. Reviewing the page can help you confirm that divorce records belong with the Prothonotary, not the Clerk, in Beaver County.
The Beaver County Clerk of Courts page clarifies that criminal matters are handled separately from the civil records maintained by the Prothonotary, helping residents find the correct office for divorce decree requests.
Beaver County Register of Wills and Marriage Records
The Beaver County Register of Wills is the office that handles marriage licenses and maintains marriage records for Beaver County. The fee for a marriage record search is $5.00. To request a search, you need to provide the names of both applicants, including maiden names, and the date of the marriage. This office is located at the same courthouse address as the Prothonotary.
If you are researching the history behind a Beaver County divorce decree, you may need the marriage record to establish when and where the marriage took place. The Register of Wills holds those records. The Prothonotary holds the divorce records. Both offices are at the Beaver County Courthouse and can be contacted at (724) 770-4440. Having both records together gives you the complete picture of a marriage and its legal dissolution in Beaver County.
The image below is from the Beaver County Register of Wills website, which manages marriage licenses and related records that may be researched alongside divorce decree documents in Beaver County.
The Beaver County Register of Wills page at beavercountypa.gov/Departments/Register-of-Wills provides information on requesting marriage record searches, which are often needed in conjunction with Beaver County divorce decree research.
Note: Marriage record searches at the Register of Wills cost $5.00 per search in Beaver County. Contact the office directly for information on providing maiden names and the date of marriage when submitting a request.
Online Access to Beaver County Divorce Records
Beaver County divorce case information is accessible online through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Web Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us. This portal provides free public access to docket sheets for the Court of Common Pleas and other courts. You can search for Beaver County divorce cases by party name, case number, or other search criteria. The docket shows basic case information including dates, events, and a list of documents on file.
Because the UJS Portal is a public site, no registration is required to view docket information. However, the portal shows only summary case data, not the content of the actual documents. Sensitive information is filtered from public view. For the full text of any document, including the divorce decree itself, you must contact the Beaver County Prothonotary.
A mobile app called PAeDocket is also available for searching Pennsylvania court records on Android and iOS devices. It connects to the same UJS database and can be a convenient way to search for Beaver County case information when you are away from a computer. Once you find the case number through the app or portal, you can use it when contacting the Prothonotary for document copies.
The Pennsylvania Courts public records page explains the statewide Public Access Policy that governs remote and in-person access to court records including Beaver County divorce filings. The policy draws a clear line between what is available online and what requires an in-person visit or formal request.
What Beaver County Divorce Decree Records Contain
A divorce case file in Beaver County contains all documents submitted to the Court of Common Pleas from the initial filing through the final decree. The complaint in divorce starts the file. It identifies both parties, the grounds for the divorce, and what the plaintiff is seeking. The defendant may file an answer. Both documents are part of the official court record maintained by the Beaver County Prothonotary.
Additional documents filed as the case proceeds may include property inventories, income statements, support calculations, child custody plans, and settlement agreements. If a hearing was held before a master or judge, notes and orders from those proceedings are also kept in the file. All of these documents are public records in Beaver County unless the court has ordered specific materials to be sealed.
The final divorce decree, entered by the judge under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3323, is the document that formally ends the marriage. Since 2022, all Pennsylvania divorce decrees must include a beneficiary designation notice as required by Act 106. The decree is signed by the judge and filed with the Prothonotary. Certified copies can be obtained from the Beaver County Prothonotary for use in legal matters such as name changes, estate proceedings, and new marriage applications.
Property division in Pennsylvania follows equitable distribution under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3502. Any settlement agreement or property order filed with the Beaver County court is legally binding as a court order under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3105. Both documents are part of the case record.
Pennsylvania Divorce Law and Beaver County Court
All divorce proceedings in Beaver County are governed by Pennsylvania's Divorce Code found in Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. The primary grounds for divorce in Pennsylvania are mutual consent under § 3301(c) and irretrievable breakdown under § 3301(d). The mutual consent ground requires both parties to sign consent affidavits after the 90-day waiting period. The irretrievable breakdown ground applies after the parties have been separated for at least one year.
To file for divorce in Beaver County, at least one spouse must have been a Pennsylvania resident for at least six months before the complaint is filed. The case is filed with the Beaver County Prothonotary. Filing deadlines and procedural rules come from Chapter 1920 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, which applies statewide including in Beaver County.
Fault grounds for divorce are also available under Pennsylvania law, though they are less commonly used. They include adultery, cruel treatment, bigamy, and other specific circumstances listed in § 3301. Each ground has its own procedural requirements and burden of proof. Regardless of grounds, all Beaver County divorce decrees follow the same required form under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3323 and are filed with the Prothonotary upon entry.
Note: The full text of Pennsylvania divorce law is available through the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes on Westlaw, which is a free public resource for reviewing the statutes that govern divorce cases in Beaver County and across the state.
Legal Help for Beaver County Divorce Cases
Residents of Beaver County who need legal assistance with a divorce case have several options. Pennsylvania Legal Aid provides free civil legal services to qualifying residents. Their website at palegalaid.net lists offices and programs that serve Beaver County. They can help with court forms, procedural questions, and related civil legal matters for people who meet income eligibility requirements.
For those who prefer to hire private counsel, the Beaver County Bar Association can provide referrals to family law attorneys with experience in Beaver County courts. The Pennsylvania State Bar Association also operates a statewide lawyer referral line that can connect you with an attorney familiar with divorce proceedings in this region. Self-represented litigants can find forms and instructions on the UJS Portal at no cost.
The CDC guide to Pennsylvania vital records confirms that divorce copies must be obtained from the county Prothonotary, not from a state agency. For Beaver County, that means contacting the Prothonotary at 810 Third Street in Beaver. The Pennsylvania Department of Health does not issue copies of divorce decrees; they only issue divorce certificates, which are shorter summaries that do not include the full terms of the court order.
Nearby Counties
Divorce cases in Pennsylvania are filed in the county where at least one spouse lives. If you are researching records near Beaver County or need to confirm jurisdiction for a case, check the addresses of both parties before filing. The counties listed below border Beaver County and may hold related divorce records.