Friday, January 30, 2009

Online Texas Divorce Records Search

Search Online Divorce Records in Texas
By Ben Jen

Divorce records are considered public records in all states although there may be variations in the way they are governed and treated from one state to another. To search divorce records in any of the states, there are basically two options: government or private. Government sources are generally thought to be free, albeit largely the contrary in Texas while higher expectations are placed upon private ones. Either will work and is a matter of individual preference or situation.

Access Texas Divorce Records Online

The government department which is in charge of divorce records in Texas is the Texas Department of State Health Services and the service is provided out of its Vital Statistics Unit under the Report of Divorce Index section. These indexes can be downloaded free of charge from the department's website. There are close to a hundred thousand divorce files maintained by the office but its function to this end is limited to primarily providing verification letters associated with divorce.

A Divorce Letter of Verification from the Vital Statistics Office only states whether or not a divorce was issued in the state of Texas. It contains the names of the divorcing parties, the county where the divorce was granted and the court case number. Fees are $20.00 for a letter. They are considered searching charges and hence not refundable or transferable to another record whether or not a search yields any results. However if a search results in a 'no record found', it can be used as proof of single-status (marital). Verification letters are available to divorces that occurred from 1968 to the last day of the year preceding the current one.

For other divorce records such as certified copies of Divorce Certificates and Divorce Decrees, you must contact the District Clerk's office in the county where the divorce was filed as they are not maintained at the Vital Statistics Office. On that same note, Reports of Divorce Indexes before 1968 are not available there either due to the fact that divorce applications were not filed with the State offices until 1968 so they too have to be obtained at their office of origin in the respective counties.

Texans are a special lot. The reasons behind their search for Texas Divorce Records are varied and flowery. There are also Texans who have resided in multiple states or county prior to Texas. As such, the complete divorce records of these folks will cut across state borders and the various state public record databases are not linked. As a result, employing government agencies for multiple-state divorce record searches becomes unfeasible. That's why private record providers are the preferred option for Texas Divorce Records Search especially when time and personal bandwidth are a constraint. Their databases typically cover all states.

Commercial record providers are the end-all solution for those who can see past the fees involved but only if you signed up with the right one. The demand for this type of service has soared in recent times due to its obvious edge over using public agencies. This has consequently attracted many pretenders onto the bandwagon. Having that said, it's not difficult to identify the bona-fide providers. One of the best ways is to check out the review or specialist sites which are abundantly found in any of the major search engines. They seldom miss.

Government or private record providers for Divorce Records Texas? Make the right choice to suit your particular needs. You can learn all about them by visiting our site at Online Divorce Records.

Article Source:
Texas Divorce Records

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Texas Marriage Records Online Download

As a prominent state with one of the largest populations, Texas is well advanced in the area of public records. Total Texas Marriage Records amount to greater than 6 million and they are easily available through both public and private channels. The largest database is believed to be at the Texas Vital Statistics Office under the Department of State Health Services of Texas but private information brokers are also a popular source of public marriage records.

Marriage records in state of Texas were the first of the principal records to be centrally filed and maintained at the Texas Vital Statistics Office which functions as the state repository. It started in 1966 and they were then followed by Texas Divorce, Death and Birth Records in subsequent years. Texas Marriage Records prior to that year may still be obtainable but they would have to be retrieved at the respective counties where the marriages were solemnized.

Texas County Marriage Records were at just that, county level. They are known to date back as early as 1837. The administration and procedures then were not as sound as those of today and as a result, a good portion of them failed to survive the hazards and transition through the ages. Those that have made it are now filmed and re-established. But then, the most actively searched ones are really those pertaining to the current generations and they come as comprehensive as the Privacy Act (1974) permits.

A Public Marriage Record Search will virtually unveil all information in regard to someone's marital history and status in the state. In Texas, Marriage License, Marriage Certificate and so forth plus the particulars of the people involved: couple, parents, witnesses and even the conducting official are considered public information. Marriage records are under individual state jurisdiction and thus subject to variations in their governance. Respective State Records are not linked either so marriage records in other states will not appear in Texas. Likewise, Texas Marriage Records won't show up in other states.

Different folks search marriage records in different ways but it's done by far the most frequently through the net. They are convenient, swift, clean and quiet. You can buy them or find them but each has its price and purpose. The free ones save on financial cost but they typically can't match up to the paid ones in terms of quality and delivery. Given the immense competition in the information industry, a nominal financial outlay will generally fetch a high degree of worthy professional service.

Going by the sheer volume of search, Texas Marriage Records has to be the top record category within the state. The most common reason for them is checking out a romantic partner. It's also a requisite in the application for a Marriage License. Other reasons for conducting their search include Family Tree research and other legal and investigative pursuits. People are also increasingly self-checking their marriage records just be to sure that they're not shortchanged on that count as they become aware of the increased likelihood of their being checked.

Learn to determine the best way of retrieving Texas Marriage Records to suit your needs. Visit us at Marriage Records Search and let us help you understand your options with our information and research finding.