What's in N.S.W Divorce Records and how do I find an Index?

Divorce papers are very useful to family historians. They provide details of the marriage, details of the children of the marriage and, in particular, the names or co-respondents. The names of co-respondents may assist in searching for second marriages.

The best place to start searching for divorce records is the divorce index at State Archives. You can access the records by following these steps:

1. Go to the NSW State Records On-Line Index Page
2. Click on the “Court Police and Prison” link at the top of the page
3. “Divorce, 1873-1930” is the 5th item under this heading – note, the records are only indexed to 1923 and will be added to later
4. Click the “Search”
5. Type in the name of the person for whom you are looking – note the petitioner (the person seeking the divorce) and the respondent (the other party) will usually have the same surname – do not use the wife’s maiden name
6. You will get either an individual or a list of the records in which the name appears, depending on how much you information you put into the search
7. Identify the person you are looking for and record the details
8. Return to this page and enter the details of the divorce on our order form

There are, however, a number of other indexes and records relating to divorce that can be searched manually and that cover a much wider period. We are happy to search a 10 year period for a greater fee. All you need to provide is the name of the person you want to search for and the approximate year you believe the divorce took place.