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 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

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

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

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.