Lycoming County Divorce Decree Records
Lycoming County divorce decree records are kept by the Prothonotary of the Court of Common Pleas in Williamsport. Anyone can request access to these records. The Prothonotary office at the Lycoming County Courthouse holds case files going back many years. You can search by name or case number to find a divorce decree filed in this county. Whether you need a certified copy for a legal matter or just want to look up case details, the Prothonotary can help you get what you need.
Lycoming County Quick Facts
Lycoming County Prothonotary Office
The Lycoming County Prothonotary is the official keeper of all civil court records, including divorce decrees, in this county. The office is located at the Lycoming County Courthouse in Williamsport. Staff can search the index by party name or case number. If you know the year the divorce was filed, that helps speed up the search. Older case files may be stored in a separate archive area, but the Prothonotary can still retrieve them.
You can visit in person, call ahead, or submit a written request to the Lycoming County Prothonotary. The office can provide plain copies and certified copies of divorce decree documents. Certified copies carry the court seal and are accepted for legal use, such as proving your divorce to a government office or changing a name on a deed. The cost to file a new divorce complaint in Lycoming County is $120.00. Copy fees are set separately and may vary by the number of pages.
Since 1804, divorce records in Pennsylvania have been filed with the county Prothonotary where the divorce was granted. That means if the divorce happened in Lycoming County, the record stays here.
| Office |
Lycoming County Prothonotary Lycoming County Courthouse 48 W. 3rd Street Williamsport, PA 17701 Phone: (570) 327-2268 |
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| Website | lyco.org/prothonotary |
Note: Call the Lycoming County Prothonotary at (570) 327-2268 before visiting to confirm current hours and any requirements for requesting certified copies.
Search Lycoming County Divorce Decree Records
There are two main ways to look up a Lycoming County divorce decree. You can search online through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal, or you can visit the Prothonotary office in Williamsport. Each method has its uses. Online searches are fast and free for basic case information. In-person visits let you review the full case file and get official copies on the spot.
The UJS Portal at ujsportal.pacourts.us allows searches by party name, case number, or docket number across all Pennsylvania counties, including Lycoming. The portal shows docket sheet information for public cases. You can see the case status, the judge assigned, and the list of documents filed. The portal does not show the content of documents, only the docket entries. For the actual divorce decree text, you still need to contact the Lycoming County Prothonotary.
When searching for a Lycoming County divorce decree, it helps to have:
- Full legal name of one or both spouses
- Approximate year the divorce was filed or finalized
- Case number if available
- County where the divorce was granted
Note: The UJS Portal may not include all older Lycoming County records. For divorces filed before electronic records began, a direct request to the Prothonotary office is the most reliable option.
What a Lycoming County Divorce Decree Contains
A divorce decree is the court order that officially ends a marriage. In Lycoming County, the decree is issued by the Court of Common Pleas and kept on file with the Prothonotary. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3323, the decree must state that the parties are divorced from the bonds of matrimony. It also carries a notice about beneficiary designations, as required by the 2022 update to the statute.
A typical Lycoming County divorce decree record includes the names of both spouses, the date the complaint was filed, the date the decree was entered, the grounds for divorce, and any provisions about property or support that were part of the final order. If a name restoration was requested, that appears in the decree as well. The full case file in Lycoming County may also contain the original complaint, any responses filed, settlement agreements, and court orders issued along the way.
Divorce records in Lycoming County are public records under Pennsylvania law. Any person may request to view them. Certain information about minor children may be redacted from public copies. For most purposes, the certified copy of the decree itself is the document you need. Longer case files with multiple documents may take more time to process and copy.
Note: If the divorce was granted before 1970 and records are not found through the Prothonotary, the Pennsylvania State Archives may have older dockets that can help locate the original record.
Filing a Divorce in Lycoming County
To file for divorce in Lycoming County, you begin by submitting a complaint in divorce to the Prothonotary. The current filing fee is $120.00. At least one spouse must have lived in Pennsylvania for six months before filing, as required by Pennsylvania law. If you live in Lycoming County, this is the court that has jurisdiction over your case.
Once your complaint is filed, you receive a case number. You must then serve the other spouse with a copy of the complaint. Service can be done by the Lycoming County Sheriff, a private process server, or certified mail with return receipt. Proof of service becomes part of the court file. Pennsylvania law under Chapter 1920 of the Rules of Civil Procedure sets out each step in the process.
Pennsylvania offers no-fault divorce. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3301(c), both spouses can consent to divorce after a 90-day waiting period. Under § 3301(d), one spouse can seek divorce based on irretrievable breakdown after a one-year separation. Fault grounds still exist under Pennsylvania law but are less common. Once all issues are resolved and the record is transmitted to the judge, the court enters the divorce decree. That decree is then filed with the Lycoming County Prothonotary and becomes part of the permanent public record.
If you need legal help with a divorce in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Legal Aid may be able to assist if you qualify based on income. The organization provides free legal services to those who meet the guidelines.
Pennsylvania Divorce Certificates vs. Decrees
People sometimes confuse a divorce certificate with a divorce decree. These are different documents. A divorce certificate is a short summary issued by the state. A divorce decree is the full court order from Lycoming County.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health does not issue copies of divorce decrees. For the full court order, you must go to the Lycoming County Prothonotary. However, if you only need to confirm that a divorce occurred, you can contact the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records at PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, or call (724) 656-3100. The CDC also provides guidance for Pennsylvania vital records at cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/pennsylvania.htm. For most legal matters, the certified copy of the Lycoming County divorce decree is what you will need.
Historical Divorce Records in Lycoming County
Lycoming County has been granting divorces through its Court of Common Pleas since the early 1800s. Pennsylvania law placed divorce jurisdiction with the Courts of Common Pleas starting in 1874. Before that, both the courts and the state legislature handled divorces. Records from the earliest period of Lycoming County history may be harder to find but are often preserved in courthouse archives.
For genealogy research involving older Lycoming County divorce records, FamilySearch maintains a research guide for Pennsylvania divorce records that can point you to useful indexes and collections. The Prothonotary's index in Williamsport goes back many decades, and older docket books may be available on request. The Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg also holds some early divorce-related records at the state level.
Note: Divorce records from before 1804 were handled by the state legislature or the Supreme Court and are not held at the Lycoming County Courthouse.
Nearby Counties
Lycoming County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. If you are not sure where a divorce was filed, check the county where the petitioner lived at the time. The divorce record stays in the county where it was granted.