Divorce records or divorce decrees are documents that detail the proceedings of a person’s previous marriage. 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 a tedious process.
What are divorce records?
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 it is signed and stamped by the court where the divorce was finalised.
If you misplaced your original divorce decree, it can be tricky to obtain a copy of the document 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 got divorced.
Where can I gain access to divorce records 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. In order to obtain a copy of this certificate, you will need to have the case number of your divorce on hand.
Can I get a copy of my original decree of divorce?
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.
In order 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
- Date (day, month, and year) of the divorce
- Names and ID numbers of the plaintiff and defendant (you and your ex-spouse)
What does it cost to obtain a copy of a divorce decree in South Africa?
Depending on how urgently you need to obtain a copy of your divorce decree, costs vary. Please contact us or head over to our pricing page to get an estimated idea of the costs involved. Once your South African Divorce Decree has been issued, you might have to get it apostilled or attested in order for it to be seen as valid in foreign countries. We can assist with this legalisation process as well.
Need assistance with divorce records?
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.
Madam/Sir
Was wondering wherher you can assist me?
Dilemma: I got divorced in 2020 and has all my divorce documents. I remarried in Dec 2022 and when the pastor submitted the required documentation to Home Affairs, they refuse to accept my Divorce Decree, indicating that the date on it is illegible. The result is that the marraige will not be registered unless I correct the document. I am in Oudtshoorn and tge argue that Pretoria will not accept such a document.
Request: Can you assist with the Decree reissued properly sogned and dated?
Thanks and regards
Archie
Absolutely, yes, we can assist you to obtain the divorce decree and register the marriage.
How fast can you get my original divorce certificate
This depends on how much information you have on the divorce decree, as well as from which court you require it. It can be anywhere from 2 days to a few weeks.
Good morning
I need to obtain a copy of the following:
Divorce document
Birth certificate
Please can you let me know what the process is
Thank you
Claudelle (de Wet) Emslie MacGregor
We can certainly assist you and have contacted you by email.
Good evening.
My name is Agnita [redacted] and I need help to get a copy of my divorce degree please.
My husband divorced me in August [redacted]. I never went with him. So I’m not sure whether it was in Benoni or Brakpan
We can definitely assist you in obtaining your divorce decree. Please fill in a form or call/email us right away.
Good Day
I just wanted to know if someone can help me get my Divorce Documents Please
I got Divorced in 2017 at Bellville Court but never went back to get my Documents
Will it be possible if someone could help me please.
Absolutely, please email us to get started right away: info@apostil.co.za.
Good day to whom it may concern.
Are you able to assist please.
We approached a Lawyer and cant remember who they were, its been such a long time since the Divorce.
I have a case no [redacted] dated [redacted]/2004. I urgently require a copy of the Divorce Decree please.
I can provide both ID’ no’s if required.
We can definitely assist in obtaining the South African divorce decree, please email us on clients@apostil.co.za.
Greetings,
I initiated my divorce but my ex husband finalised the divorce with my consent when I was out of the country, he has refused to give me the divorce decree and he has remarried, it was Raamalla attorneys in Germiston that handeled my divorce, I have lost his contact details can you assist me in getting my divorce decree?
It was initiated in 2014 or 2015.
We can assist, please contact us and have the relevant information mentioned on this page ready.
We lost devorce certificates. We don’t have case numbers. How can we obtain these certificates?
Yes, send us all the details that you do have an we may be able to assist.