Kent County Dissolution Of Marriage Lookup
Kent County Dissolution Of Marriage records are held at the Family Court at 400 Court Street in Dover. Dover is also the state capital, so the county handles its own divorce files and sits near the main Office of Vital Statistics and the Delaware Public Archives. This page walks you through how to search Kent County divorce records, what you pay for a copy, and where older files are kept before modern Family Court took over in 1979.
Kent County Overview
Kent County Family Court For Dissolution Of Marriage
The Family Court for Kent County sits at 400 Court Street, Dover, DE 19901. This is where every Dissolution Of Marriage case in the county is heard, and it is where the Records Department keeps the case files. Copy requests go through this office.
The Records Department line for Kent County is 302-672-1045. The public counter hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Walk-in requests are handled while you wait in most cases. The clerk charges $4.00 for certified copies and $1.00 for plain copies, and payment can be cash, check, money order, or credit or debit card.
| Office | Family Court of Delaware — Kent County |
|---|---|
| Address | 400 Court Street Dover, DE 19901 |
| Records Phone | 302-672-1045 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Web | courts.delaware.gov/family |
The Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street houses the Superior Court and the Court of Common Pleas. The Family Court is around the corner at 400 Court Street. Both addresses are in downtown Dover, near the Delaware Public Archives on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For older divorce records, the Superior Court Prothonotary is based at 38 The Green, Dover.
How To Search Kent County Divorce Records
Kent County Dissolution Of Marriage searches use two systems: the statewide CourtConnect portal and the Family Court Records Department counter. CourtConnect lets you confirm a case exists. The Records Department lets you pull the file.
CourtConnect shows case numbers, party names, filing dates, and docket entries for Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Justice of the Peace Court civil cases. Family Court cases have limited online visibility due to privacy rules. You can use the system to narrow down the case number and year. Then you call the Records Department to request copies.
The Kent County Courthouse at 414 Federal Street in Dover houses the Court of Common Pleas and Superior Court. The Family Court has its own building nearby at 400 Court Street. Both sit in downtown Dover within a short walk of each other. CourtConnect cases covered include Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court civil dockets. Family Court cases have limited online access for privacy reasons.
A search run on CourtConnect covers Delaware statewide. To narrow to Kent County cases, filter by court type or case type after the initial search. The court technology integration also allows for electronic filing and virtual hearings in some types of case, though divorce filings are still typically made in person or by mail through the Family Court.
To search, you need the full name of at least one party. A year helps, and a case number is even better. Kent County uses the state-standard forms, so every file opens with Form 442, the Petition for Divorce/Annulment. Clerks can look up a case by name or case number. ID is required at the counter.
Kent County Courts That Handle Divorce
Kent County court structure is layered. The Family Court has jurisdiction over Dissolution Of Marriage and all other domestic relations cases: divorce, custody, child support, adoption, juvenile matters, and protection from abuse orders. The Superior Court handled divorces before 1978 and still handles older Prothonotary records. The Court of Common Pleas hears civil disputes under $50,000 and misdemeanors, but not divorce.
Justice of the Peace Court 6 at 35 Cams Fortune Way, Harrington, DE 19952, handles criminal matters in the south part of the county. Justice of the Peace Court 7 at 480 Bank Lane, Dover, handles criminal, truancy, and DUI cases. Justice of the Peace Court 8 at 100 Monrovia Avenue, Smyrna, handles criminal matters in the north. Justice of the Peace Court 16 at 414 Federal Street, Dover, handles civil matters.
The screenshot below shows the Kent County court directory, which lists every office with a phone number. Read the directory at the CourtReference Kent County page.
The Superior Court Prothonotary for Kent County is Julie Brooks at 302-735-3925, with Shelly Swafford at 302-858-5756 handling the Court of Common Pleas side.
Kent County also has a Court of Chancery. That court handles business disputes, probate, equity matters, corporate issues, and real estate title disputes, not divorce. For Dissolution Of Marriage cases, you always go to the Family Court on Court Street.
Historical Kent County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Kent County was created on August 8, 1673, and originally named St. Jones County. It was renamed Kent County on December 17, 1682. Dover has served as the county seat since early colonial times. For a Kent County divorce granted before 1975, the Prothonotary at the Kent County Court House, 38 The Green, Dover, DE 19901 keeps the file.
The Delaware Public Archives also sits in Dover at 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. North. The Archives holds pre-1900 divorce records, plus card-catalog references to legislative divorces granted up to about 1890. Reach the Archives at (302) 744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov. The research room is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM.
The screenshot below shows the Kent County public records page, which explains access rules and ID requirements for vital records and divorce files. Visit the page at delaware.thepublicindex.org/kent-county.
The page notes that vital records in Delaware are restricted to legal representatives, parents, close relations, or the person on the record, while most court records are open to any interested party under the state Freedom of Information Act.
Pre-1900 records can also be requested from the Delaware Legislative Council at Legislative Hall, P.O. Box 1401, Dover, DE 19901. For divorces granted before the state took over vital records registration around 1935, the paper trail often goes back to private acts of the General Assembly.
Filing A Kent County Dissolution Of Marriage
Kent County divorce filings follow Title 13, Chapter 15 of the Delaware Code. You must have lived in Delaware for at least six months before filing. On most grounds, the parties must also have been separated for at least six months. Filings on grounds of misconduct can move faster but require proof.
Parents of minor children must attend the Parent Education Program and file the certificate of completion before the Family Court will enter a final decree. Mediation services are offered through the court to help parties resolve disputes on property, custody, and support. Self-represented filers can use the Resource Center at 400 Court Street for forms and guidance.
The Office of Vital Statistics in Dover sits at 417 Federal Street. It does not issue certified copies of divorce decrees, but it does keep a state-wide divorce index from 1935 to the present. Staff can confirm that a divorce happened and point you to the right county Family Court. The Delaware Health Statistics Center at 417 Federal Street can be reached at 302-739-4776.
Note: Kent County Levy Court sits at 555 Bay Road, Dover, and serves as the county government. It does not hold divorce files but runs the Recorder of Deeds and property records that may come up in a divorce property split.
Cities In Kent County
Kent County includes Dover, Harrington, and the Kent County side of Milford. All file Dissolution Of Marriage cases through the Family Court in Dover.
Nearby Delaware Counties
Kent County sits between New Castle County to the north and Sussex County to the south.