TYPES OF DOCUMENTS
Divorce Decree
You will need a Divorce Decree Apostilled or Legalized if you had a dissolution of marriage, the official conclusion of a matrimonoial union between two individuals. A divorce is a end to the legal commitments of marriage and severs the "bonds of matrimony." Globally divorces can be processed in many different ways, nonetheless a court will intervene in the transaction and involve other powers. Some countries do not recognize divorce.
You will need a Divorce Decree Apostilled or Legalized for some of the following basic uses:
- Visas
- Marriage
- Inheritances
- Divisions of property
- Alimony
- Child Support
- Custody issues
- And more
A Divorce Decree is a Vital Document. Legally speaking, a divorce is not considered official until a Divorce Decree has been issued or received. Just as a marriage is a legal contract that is certified by a Marriage Certificate so is a Divorce Decree a legal contract certifed by a Divorce Certifcate. A Divorce Decree and Divorce Certificate are considered to be official Vital Records just as Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, and Marriage Certificates.
The Divorce Decree and the Divorce Certificate are essentially terms that refer to the same certified document. Nonetheless, a few states have Divorce Certificates and Divorce Decrees. In some states the Divorce Decree can only be obtained from the Superior Court in the county where the divorce took place not Vital Records.
Divorce Decree - a document that is issued by the court. The court decrees the terms and the conditions for the divorce. It is a Judgment of Divorce that is signed by the officiating judge. The Divorce Decree is then filed with the appropriate authorities within the same county or region that the Divorce Decree was issued (i.e. County Clerk). ONLY THE ORIGINAL CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A Photocopy is not acceptable.
Divorce Certificate - a document that is issued by the County or State level of government that certifies the official divorce between both individuals. This document also certifies the date and state where the divorce took place. As with all Vital Records, this certificate is filed in the state's records. Only Certified Copies of this Certificate are considered to be official court documents. ONLY THE ORIGINAL CERTIFIED DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. A Photocopy is not acceptable.
When working with foreign countries, it is essentially required to obtain an Apostille or Legalization confirming that the Vital Records obtains official and authentic signatures.
Before a Divorce Decree can be Apostilled, you must mail to our office for processing, a valid (recent) Certified Copy issued by the County Court (in some states - Circuit Court, Family Court, or Superior Court). If you hired an attorney, your attorney should have supplied you with a Certified Copy of your Divorce Decree. If not, your attorney can obtain one from the court for you. Divorce Decrees can only be Apostilled by the State who issued the certificate. In other words, the Secretary of State does not have the authority to Apostille a Divorce Decree that was issued from another State.
However, not every Divorce Decree qualifies as a Certified Copy that can be Apostilled by the Secretary of State. For instance, some states have established time limits on how old a Certified Copy can be. Most States can Apostille a Divorce Decree that is older than 5 years but in some states the Divorce Decree cannot be older than 12 months.
Therefore, we highly recommend that you
- Utilize Vitachek to obtain your Vital Documents, such as Divorce Decree nationwide. Vitacheck has a quick turnaround in providing Certified Copies of Vital Documents. They are accurate and they are dependable. Vitalchek is simple, fast and secure method of ordering your family's most important documents from the privacy of your home or office, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. You can even ask Vitalcheck to send the Certified Copy to us, so we can begin processing your Apostille.
- Scan and upload a colored copy of your documents to us, either via our website, email or fax. This will allow us to review your documents before you mail the originals to us to be Apostilled.
If by chance, the State does not accept your Divorce Decree we will contact you with the State's instructions.
Once the Certified English Divorce Decree is properly received you can mail it to us to be Apostilled. We can also provide Certified Translation Services into the language required by the Country of Designation.
Here at Ezra Notary and Apostille,