Virginia, Divorce Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection consists images of divorce records located at the Virginia State Department of Health. The collection covers the years 1918 to 1988. Certificate images courtesy of Ancestry.com.

Record Content
These records contain the following information:


 * Names of interested parties
 * Divorce date
 * Name of court
 * County of court
 * Conditions of the divorce decree

In addition the records may also contain:


 * Ages or calculated birth year of husband and wife
 * Names of minor children
 * Names of other relatives
 * Court costs

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name
 * Divorce date
 * Divorce place

Search the Collection
To browse by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "Place" ⇒Select the "Record Type and Year Range" which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as age, or wife's maiden name. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for another index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities.

Related Websites

 * Virginia Department of Health
 * Archives
 * Family Link
 * World Vital Records

Related Wiki Articles
Virginia Vital Records

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation: