New Castle County Dissolution Of Marriage
New Castle County Dissolution Of Marriage records are held by the Family Court at 500 N. King Street in Wilmington. The Records Department there handles copy requests for every divorce granted in the county from 1978 to now. Older files sit with the Superior Court Prothonotary. This page walks you through how to search New Castle County divorce records, what you pay, and where to turn when you need help with a filing or a certified copy.
New Castle County Overview
Family Court For New Castle County Dissolution Of Marriage
The Family Court of Delaware - New Castle County sits at 500 N. King Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. The Records Department handles every Dissolution Of Marriage request for cases granted in the county. Staff can pull files by name or case number and make copies on the spot.
The general Family Court line is 302-255-0300. The Records Department direct line is 302-255-0241 or 302-255-2222. Counter hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring a photo ID. If you are asking for a certified copy, you must be one of the parties, a child of the parties, a parent, a legal guardian, or a legal representative.
| Office | Family Court of Delaware — New Castle County |
|---|---|
| Address | 500 N. King Street, Ste. 110 Wilmington, DE 19801 |
| Records Phone | 302-255-2222 |
| General Phone | 302-255-0300 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM |
| Web | courts.delaware.gov/family |
For divorces granted before 1978, the New Castle County Prothonotary holds the file. That office is part of the Superior Court at the same 500 N. King Street address, and the direct line is 302-255-0777. The Prothonotary charges $15 per document for the first three pages and up to $2 for each additional page, plus a $25 retrieval fee for older records.
How To Search New Castle County Divorce Records
Most Dissolution Of Marriage searches in New Castle County start online and end in person. The online system shows you that a case exists. The Family Court Records Department gives you the actual paper.
Use CourtConnect to look for civil dockets and judgments. The portal covers Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, and Justice of the Peace Court civil cases, and it can show case numbers, filing dates, and docket reports. Family Court cases have limited online visibility due to privacy rules. For a complete New Castle County divorce record, you must call or visit the Records Department at Family Court.
The Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 North King Street in Wilmington is the main New Castle County courthouse. The building houses Superior Court, the Court of Common Pleas, Family Court, and a Justice of the Peace Court all under one roof. Court clerks at each office can help with in-person requests. CourtConnect does not search cases by specific county, so a New Castle party name search returns hits from across Delaware.
Family Court cases in New Castle County have no online search due to the sensitive nature of divorce filings. Direct inquiries go to 302.255.0300 for the Family Court, or 302.255.2222 for the Records Department. The Court of Common Pleas can be reached by email or by visiting the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 302.255.0900. Justice of the Peace Courts have their own CourtConnect access and separate public access policy forms available for download on the state courts site.
You can also walk into the Records Department at 500 N. King Street and ask a clerk to pull a file. Bring a photo ID and the names of both parties. A case number speeds things up but is not required. The clerk can make plain copies at $1.00 per page or certified copies at $4.00 per page. Payment is accepted in cash, check, money order, or credit or debit card.
Records And Fees In New Castle County
Fees for Dissolution Of Marriage copies are the same across Delaware but worth restating here. In New Castle County, the Family Court charges $4.00 for certified copies and $1.00 for plain copies. That rate applies per page. A full Final Decree of Divorce is usually a few pages, so a certified copy runs about $20 to $40 in most cases.
The screenshot below shows the New Castle County divorce records page, which spells out the statutory basis and record types. See the page at newcastlerecords.us/divorce-records.
New Castle County divorce files are maintained under 13 Del. C. § 1522 and include petitions, financial disclosures, property settlement agreements, and final decrees.
For records older than 1978, head to the Superior Court Prothonotary. That office charges $15 per document for the first three pages, up to $2 for each added page, plus a $25 retrieval fee. Orders go through an Application for Access to Court Records, which you can submit by email, by mail, or by hand delivery to the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center at 500 N. King Street.
The screenshot below shows the broader New Castle County court records overview, which covers the full structure of county courts. Read the overview at newcastlerecords.us/court-records.
The page also notes that Delaware Supreme Court Administrative Directive No. 175 requires redaction of Social Security numbers, account numbers, and full birth dates from any public version of a county file.
A full list of copy procedures, ID rules, and retention periods sits in the records guide. Divorce decrees have permanent retention. Custody orders are kept until the youngest child reaches 21. Child support records are kept three years after the obligation ends.
Historical Dissolution Of Marriage Records In New Castle County
New Castle County was created on August 8, 1673, and named for the English city of Newcastle. The county seat is Wilmington. The Clerk of the Peace holds marriage records from 1911, and the Prothonotary holds older divorce and court records. Most records more than 50 years old have been moved to the Delaware Public Archives in Dover.
For a New Castle County divorce granted before 1978, contact the Superior Court Prothonotary at 302-255-0777. For divorces granted by Act of the State Legislature in the 1800s, contact the Delaware Public Archives at (302) 744-5000 or email archives@delaware.gov. The Archives research room is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:15 PM.
The screenshot below shows the New Castle County public records page, which pulls together the historic and modern record paths. View the guide at newcastlecounty.delaware.recordspage.org.
The page covers marriage certificate requests through the Office of Vital Statistics at 258 Chapman Road in Newark, plus divorce and court record procedures at the Family Court and Superior Court.
Delaware vital records registration began in 1861, was paused in 1863, then resumed in 1881. General compliance was reached around 1921. For anyone tracing a New Castle County divorce from before those dates, the Delaware Legislative Council holds special acts of legislative divorce at Legislative Hall, P.O. Box 1401, Dover, DE 19901.
Filing A New Castle County Dissolution Of Marriage
Under 13 Del. C. § 1504, the Family Court has power over a divorce when either party has lived in Delaware for six months before filing. New Castle County residents file at 500 N. King Street. You can handle the case pro se, or you can hire an attorney. The court does not require counsel, but does require that a self-represented party follow all the same rules a lawyer would.
The case starts with Form 442, the Petition for Divorce/Annulment. You pair it with Form 240 (Information Sheet) and Form 441 (Vital Statistics Sheet). If the other party's address is unknown, you file Form 241D. The parties must have been separated for six months on most grounds, or the filing party must show evidence of misconduct. Parents of minor children must finish a Parent Education Class before the divorce is granted.
Filing fees in New Castle County typically run $150 to $165 for the divorce petition. Certified copies of the decree after the fact are $4 per document. A Delaware Law School Legal Aid Clinic at 4601 Concord Pike in Wilmington can help qualifying residents at 302-477-2100. The general Family Court line for form help is 302-255-0300, and Resource Centers at the Wilmington courthouse have self-help computers and form packets.
Note: Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington serves as the primary jail facility for New Castle County, which is why some court forms ask specific questions about custody at the time of filing.
Cities In New Castle County
New Castle County includes Wilmington, Newark, Middletown, Delaware City, and New Castle. All five file Dissolution Of Marriage cases at the Family Court in Wilmington. Each city page has local court info, legal aid resources, and directions.
Nearby Delaware Counties
New Castle County sits north of Kent County and Sussex County. Dissolution Of Marriage filings stay with the county where a party lives.