Example divorce decree for South Africa
Divorce records or divorce decrees are documents that detail a person’s previous marriage proceedings. These documents are stamped and signed by the High Court or the court where the decree was issued.
There seem to be many false rumours spread on the internet that lead people to believe that divorce records can be downloaded online from the Department of Home Affairs. But this is unfortunately not possible. Divorce decrees must be obtained from the court where the divorce was finalised, which can be tedious.
What are divorce decrees?
Divorce records refer to divorce decrees. A decree of divorce is a summary of your divorce settlement. It serves as proof that your divorce was finalised in the South African High Court and is signed and stamped by the court where it was finalised.
If you misplaced your original divorce decree, obtaining a copy of the document can be tricky as it’s not available anywhere online. You’ll have to apply for a copy of the original document at the High Court, where you divorced.
At present, there are 14 provincial divisions of the High Court. They each represent provincial divisions of the High Court and are situated in the following areas:
- Eastern Cape High Court – Bhisho
- Free State High Court – Bloemfontein
- Western Cape High Court – Cape Town
- KwaZulu Natal High Court – Pietermaritzburg
- Eastern Cape High Court – Port Elizabeth
- KwaZulu Natal High Court – Durban
- Eastern Cape High Court – Grahamstown
- South Gauteng High Court – Johannesburg
- Northern Cape High Court – Kimberley
- North Gauteng High Court – Pretoria
- Limpopo High Court -Thohoyandou
- Eastern Cape High Court – Mthatha
- North West High Court – Mafikeng
- Polokwane Circuit Court of the North Gauteng High Court – Polokwane/Pretoria
Where can I access divorce records and divorce decrees for South Africa?
Most jurisdictions limit access to public records. They may also prohibit you from viewing the decree unless you are a party to the case or a legal representative of one of the parties. This is why these documents are not available online.
The civil court, where your divorce was filed, is where copies of divorce decrees are stored in electronic and hardcopy format. To obtain a copy of this certificate, you must have the case number of your divorce on hand.
The process of obtaining a copy of your South African divorce decree isn’t lengthy, but it is difficult. And that is why it is always best to work with professional documentation service providers, like Apostil.co.za, to help take the hassle out of the process.
For us to help you obtain your decree of divorce, you would need to provide us with the following information:
- Divorce case number
- Court where the divorce was finalised
- Names and ID numbers of the plaintiff and defendant (you and your ex-spouse)
- Date (day, month, and year) of the divorce
How long does the process take?
Usually within two weeks, we will have your document, barring any apostillisation or other certifications required after collecting it.
Critically important: Apostil.co.za has an excellent success rate as far as obtaining divorce decrees is concerned. However, there are rare instances where documents are missing from the High Court archives. Sadly, when this happens, there is nothing anyone can do to help you obtain a copy of your divorce decree.
There are also instances where files are relocated to different courts or off-site storage facilities. This can also significantly delay the process. In this event, an application must be lodged with the Department of Justice. The additional step in the process will incur extra costs and add a considerable extra wait to the timeline.
Need assistance with divorce decrees?
Apostil.co.za is a concierge service in South Africa that can help you obtain your documents in the fastest time possible. It is true that sometimes divorce records go missing, and although it is a rare occurrence, it is a possibility. We can, however, still assist with tracing your records and having copies issued as soon as possible. We work with all 14 High Courts of South Africa. Apostil.co.za can assist more than 90% of clients with obtaining copies of their divorce decrees.
