Have you ever been curious as to where divorce records are located in the United Kingdom? There are a plethora of different reasons that would necessitate this type of information. An individual may need a copy of their own divorce records to validate their divorce. Whatever the reason may be, it is essential that one know’s where these records may be obtained.

A very important concept to consider when answering this question, is to understand that UK divorce records are not generally available online. Thus, repetitiously searching through websites will not lead to any fruitful results. However, they are public record, and thus can be viewed when visiting the specific locations that they are subsequently held. In doing this, it is essential that you know the names of the petitioner of the divorce and the respondent and the date at which the divorce was filed. The more information that you can procure about the record in which you wish to find, the easier the process will become. However, it is important that you request these files in person, an not through other means.

The location of the divorce record is contingent upon the country in which it was filed, as well as the the date in which it was filed. Divorces in England and Wales that occurred between 1858 and 1937 can be found in the National Archives of England. For divorces filed after 1937 they can be found at the General Register Office of England, as well as the National Archives of England previously mentioned, depending on the specifics of the record. in question.

All divorces that were filed in Scotland before 1984 can be found int the National Archives of Scotland. For divorces filed after 1984, they can be found at the General Registrar Office for Scotland.

Divorce records filed in Northern Ireland may be found held at either the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, or with the county court where the divorce was filed. Further research is necessitated in order to identify where the record in question is located.

While these are the primary locations for divorce records in the United Kingdom, there may be certain records, may not be found here or may require additional research in order to be obtained.