California Divorce Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
The collection consists of indexes to divorces from the California Department of Health Services in Sacramento. Index provided by Ancestry.com.

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

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
The index lists the following information:


 * Name of husband
 * Name of wife
 * Docket number
 * Divorce date
 * Divorce place
 * Reference number (page, volume, entry number)

How to Use the Record
Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the index. Name indexes to divorces make it possible to access a specific record quickly. Remember that these indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

When searching the index it is helpful to know the following:


 * The name of the person at the time of the divorce
 * The place where the divorce occurred
 * The approximate divorce date

Use the locator information found in the index (such as page, volume, or entry number) to locate your ancestor in the divorce records. Compare the information in the record to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if this is the correct person. You may need to compare the information of more than one person to make this determination.

If you do not find the person you are looking for, try the following:


 * Look for alternate spellings of names.
 * Look for a different index. Divorce records are a court record. Court records are often indexed at the beginning or end of record volumes. You might also want to check with a local genealogical or historical society as they often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites
California Department of Public Health

Related Wiki Articles

 * California
 * California Vital Records
 * California History

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"California, Divorce Index, 1966-1984," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VPLF-B7P : accessed 23 April 2012), George A Middleton (1973).