Divorce decrees are documents that detail the proceedings of your previous marriage. Documents are stamped and signed by the High Court or the court that issued the decree. Sadly, it is not possible to download a copy of a divorce decree from the Department of Home Affairs, as there are many false rumours spread on the internet. Divorce decrees for South Africa cannot be accessed online. Obtaining divorce decrees from the court where the divorce was finalized can be a lengthy process.

What Is the Purpose of Not Making Divorce Decrees Available Online?

In most jurisdictions, you may not be able to view the decree unless you are a party to the case or the legal representative of one of the parties. For this reason, these documents are not available online.

Divorce decrees are stored in electronic and hardcopy formats at the civil court where your divorce was filed. The case number of your divorce must be available to obtain a copy of this certificate. In addition, you will need to supply us with a signed affidavit indicating that we are permitted to see or copy the document. We can then obtain the document on your behalf.

Is It Possible to Obtain a Copy of My Divorce Decree?

In South Africa, getting a copy of your divorce decree isn’t difficult, but it is time-consuming. For this reason, working with a professional documentation service provider, such as Apostil, is wise to help simplify the process.

The following information is needed for us to help you obtain the divorce decree:

• The case number for the divorce
• The court in which the divorce was finalized (mandatory)
• Divorce date (month, day, year)
• Names and ID numbers of the defendant and plaintiff (you and your ex-spouse)

How Do I Find Divorce Records in South Africa?

You cannot always be sure that we or anyone else will be able to obtain your divorce decree file with a case number and court name. There are times when files have been moved to another facility, which can make retrieving them a lengthy process. In some cases, the file has even been found to be empty. As a result, if either of the parties were represented by a lawyer in court, the only place to get a copy of the divorce decree is from that lawyer.

What Is the Cost of a Copy of a Divorce Decree in South Africa?

Prices and service timings will vary based on how urgently you need a divorce decree and how much information you have about the divorce. For more information or to start the process of obtaining your divorce records in South Africa, get in touch with the team at DocAssist today.