Greenville County Divorce Records

Where Greenville County Divorce Records Are Kept

In South Carolina, divorce is a family court matter, and in Greenville County the case file is maintained by the Greenville County Clerk of Court. The Clerk of Court also maintains records for the Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions, but family-law cases such as divorce, separate maintenance, and custody are handled as a distinct docket within that office.

It is important to understand what the Clerk does and does not hold. The Clerk of Court keeps the divorce case file and, ultimately, the signed decree. It does not issue birth or death certificates — those come from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) Vital Records. If you need certified copies or want to confirm exact procedures, contact the Greenville County Clerk of Court directly, since fees and available copy formats should be confirmed with that office.

How to Search Family-Law Cases Online

The South Carolina Judicial Branch provides a statewide public index for court case searches. This index can be a useful starting point for locating a divorce case by party name and confirming the case number and county of filing. Once you have the case number, you can follow up with the Greenville County Clerk of Court for details on the file itself.

General steps to search:

1. Open the statewide public index maintained by the South Carolina Judicial Branch.
2. Select the correct county (Greenville) and search by the last and first name of one of the parties.
3. Note the case number, filing date, and case type for any matching family-court record.
4. Contact the Greenville County Clerk of Court to ask about viewing the file or ordering copies.

Not every document in a family-court file appears in an online index. Some information is only available in person or by direct request to the Clerk. Confirm what is searchable online with the Judicial Branch and the Clerk of Court before assuming a record does or does not exist.

What a Divorce Decree Contains

A final decree of divorce is the court order that legally ends a marriage. Depending on the case, a Greenville County divorce file and its decree may include:

• The full names of both spouses and the case number.
• The date the divorce was granted and the grounds recognized by the court.
• Terms of any property or debt division.
• Provisions for alimony or spousal support, if ordered.
• Child custody, visitation, and child-support terms, when children are involved.
• The judge's signature and the filing stamp of the Clerk of Court.

The exact structure of the decree and any accompanying orders varies from case to case. This page is informational only and is not legal advice about remarriage waiting periods, support obligations, or any other legal effect of a decree — for that, consult a licensed South Carolina attorney.

Sealed and Restricted Portions

Not all parts of a divorce case are open to the general public. Family-court files can contain sensitive material, and courts may restrict or seal certain documents. Categories that are commonly protected or redacted include:

• Financial declarations and account numbers.
• Information about minor children.
• Records tied to domestic-violence or protective-order matters.
• Documents a judge has specifically ordered sealed.

Because access rules to restricted material can be strict, ask the Greenville County Clerk of Court what portions of a specific file are public and what will require a court order or proof of standing to view. Do not assume a sealed item is available simply because the case appears in an index.

Ordering Certified Copies

A certified copy of a divorce decree is the version most agencies accept as official proof that a marriage ended. To obtain one, request it from the Greenville County Clerk of Court, which maintains the underlying case file. When you contact the office, be prepared to provide the names of both parties and, ideally, the case number you located through the statewide index.

Fees, accepted payment methods, whether requests can be made by mail or in person, and turnaround time should all be confirmed directly with the Clerk of Court, because those details are not published here. A marriage license search or a general vital-records request will not show whether a couple later divorced — the divorce record is a separate court record held by the Clerk, so request it there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the DHEC Vital Records office have my divorce decree?

No. In South Carolina, DHEC Vital Records issues birth and death certificates. Divorce decrees are court records held by the Greenville County Clerk of Court. Confirm what DHEC can and cannot provide directly with that agency.

Will a marriage license search show that I am divorced?

No. A marriage license or a vital-records search reflects the marriage event only. To confirm a divorce, you must locate the family-court case through the South Carolina Judicial Branch index and the Greenville County Clerk of Court.

How much does a certified copy cost and how long does it take?

Those details are not listed here. Contact the Greenville County Clerk of Court to confirm current fees, payment methods, and processing time before submitting a request.

Can I view a sealed portion of a divorce file?

Not without meeting the court's requirements. Some documents are restricted or sealed. Ask the Clerk of Court what is public and whether a court order is needed to view protected material.

Official & Public Resources

Greenville County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court maintains Common Pleas records, including divorce decrees.

https://www.greenvillecounty.org/ClerkOfCourt/

Greenville County Government

Official Greenville County government portal with links to county departments and services.

https://www.greenvillecounty.org/

South Carolina Judicial Branch

Official website of the South Carolina Judicial Branch, including the statewide public case index.

https://www.sccourts.org/