Dominican divorce decrees and certificates
We can get them for you!
How much will a Dominican divorce certificate cost?
In most cases we charge a total of US$210* = 1) US$95* for the search, then 2) US$115 for the certificate = total of US$210) for an original legalised and apostilled long-form divorce certificate including shipping by certified airmail which generally takes between 2 and 5 weeks to arrive. For details and an order form, go to our Dominican divorce documents order page.* If the divorce occurred before 1945, or if you do not know the date or place of birth, we charge US$195 for the search fee (instead of the US$95 quoted above).
Dominican divorces are processed in the following order:
Most of our Dominican divorce enquiries come from non-Dominicans who got divorced in the 1970s and 1980s under the Dominican Republic's quickie divorce laws. Common to many enquiries is the fact that now years later, our customers cannot always remember the specific date of their divorce, nor the name of the town where the divorce was decreed.
We search for your old Dominican divorce records by working backwards:
REGISTRY OFFICE – A Dominican divorce is “pronounced” (= finalised) when the registry office registers the court decree in its ledger, and the registrar has signed the record. Then a divorce certificate can be issued. It is this divorce certificate which confirms that the marriage ended, and that the divorce is irreversible and final. We start our search at the registry office because:
COURTHOUSE – Old Dominican divorce decrees have usually not been scanned or indexed so are not easily searchable. When we approach the clerk-of-court to search for an old decree, they usually refer to their index of decrees which are kept in old binders, school exercise books or sometimes unorganised loose sheets, with one line for each decree. The actual divorce files are stored in boxes off-site such as in a large storage unit. Dominican divorce files from the courthouse would typically include:
- The court issues the divorce decree.
- The decree must be taken to the town hall to be registered.
- The divorce is pronounced at the registry office which issues the divorce certificate.
Old Dominican divorce records
Searching for old Dominican divorce records is some of the most challenging work we do.Most of our Dominican divorce enquiries come from non-Dominicans who got divorced in the 1970s and 1980s under the Dominican Republic's quickie divorce laws. Common to many enquiries is the fact that now years later, our customers cannot always remember the specific date of their divorce, nor the name of the town where the divorce was decreed.
We search for your old Dominican divorce records by working backwards:
REGISTRY OFFICE – A Dominican divorce is “pronounced” (= finalised) when the registry office registers the court decree in its ledger, and the registrar has signed the record. Then a divorce certificate can be issued. It is this divorce certificate which confirms that the marriage ended, and that the divorce is irreversible and final. We start our search at the registry office because:
- Registry-office records for the entire Dominican Republic are in one central database known as PARC, court records are not.
- The divorce pronouncement in the registry office usually gives us the date and docket number of the Dominican court decree.
- Unlike courthouses, many registry offices have already had their ledgers scanned and indexed, and are therefore often more easily located.
COURTHOUSE – Old Dominican divorce decrees have usually not been scanned or indexed so are not easily searchable. When we approach the clerk-of-court to search for an old decree, they usually refer to their index of decrees which are kept in old binders, school exercise books or sometimes unorganised loose sheets, with one line for each decree. The actual divorce files are stored in boxes off-site such as in a large storage unit. Dominican divorce files from the courthouse would typically include:
- Your divorce decree, of which we can obtain a certified copy for you.
- Separation agreement that you and your ex-spouse signed, relating to custody of children, payment of alimony, division of property etc
- Copy of the divorce announcement published in the Dominican newspaper.
