Pittsburgh Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Pittsburgh residents who need to find Dissolution Of Marriage records can search through Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, which handles all family law cases for the city. Pittsburgh is Pennsylvania's second largest city with roughly 303,000 people, and all divorce filings for city residents go through the county court system. Whether you need a certified copy of a decree, want to look up a case number, or are starting the process yourself, the county courthouse is where those records live. This guide explains how the system works and where to search.
Pittsburgh Quick Facts
Where Pittsburgh Residents File for Dissolution Of Marriage
Pittsburgh does not have its own divorce court. Like all cities in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh residents file their Dissolution Of Marriage cases at the county courthouse. The Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Family Division, handles all divorce proceedings for Pittsburgh and the surrounding townships and boroughs. The Allegheny County Courts Divorce Division is the primary office for these matters.
The Department of Court Records manages the files once a case is opened. Divorce filings are indexed and stored through the Family Division, and the public may search those records by case number or party name. Cases from 1995 forward are searchable online through the Allegheny County Civil Case Search. Older records require a visit to the courthouse or a written request.
Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3301, Pennsylvania recognizes both fault and no-fault grounds for divorce. The no-fault path requires either mutual consent with a 90-day waiting period or a 1-year separation period if only one spouse consents. Pittsburgh residents must also meet the 6-month residency requirement before filing in Allegheny County.
| Court | Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Family Division |
|---|---|
| Address | 436 Grant Street, Room 1500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 |
| Phone | (412) 350-4200 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | Allegheny County Marriage & Divorce Records |
The index to divorce records in Allegheny County goes back to 1788. Older records are maintained through the Ejectment and Miscellaneous Index at the Department of Court Records Civil and Family Division at 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Phone: 412-350-5729.
Note: Divorce Hearing Officers may be assigned to your case in Allegheny County. The court grants divorces administratively once all required documents are filed and reviewed.
Allegheny County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
The Allegheny County Courts maintain all dissolution of marriage records for Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. These records are public under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. § 67.101), with limited exceptions for sealed or confidential information ordered by the court.
When a Dissolution Of Marriage case is filed in Pittsburgh, the record typically includes the divorce petition, the affidavit of consent or separation, any property settlement agreement, child custody orders, and the final decree. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3502, Pennsylvania courts divide marital property using equitable distribution, which means the court looks at what is fair rather than splitting assets equally. Details of those agreements often appear in the public file.
The online civil case search covers records from 1995 to the present and is free to use. You can search by party name or case number. For certified copies, you must contact the Family Division directly or appear in person at the courthouse. There is a fee for certified copies of divorce decrees.
The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal also provides statewide case search tools that include Allegheny County. This can be helpful if you are unsure which county a case was filed in or need to search across multiple jurisdictions.
Note: State-level divorce certificates are separate from county court records. You can order them through the Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records for $20 per certified copy.
How to Search Pittsburgh Dissolution Records Online
The county provides several ways to search. The most direct method for recent cases is the Allegheny County Civil Case Search portal, which covers filings from 1995 forward. You can search by first and last name, or by the case docket number if you have it.
For statewide searches, the UJS Portal covers all Pennsylvania courts of common pleas. It is useful when a case may have been filed in another county, or when you want to verify information across systems. The portal is free and available to the public at any time.
The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network provides free or low-cost legal help to those who qualify. If you need help navigating the process or understanding your rights, legal aid is a good starting point before visiting the courthouse.
The Jenkins Law Library has published a helpful guide to docket searching through the UJS system. It covers how to read a docket sheet and what the different case status codes mean.
The UJS Web Portal offers the most complete statewide view of Pennsylvania dissolution cases.
The UJS portal is updated regularly and gives access to case dockets across all 67 Pennsylvania counties, including Allegheny County where Pittsburgh cases are filed.
Grounds and Process for Dissolution Of Marriage in Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania law offers two broad paths: fault-based and no-fault divorce. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3301, fault grounds include abandonment for one year, adultery, cruel treatment, and bigamy. These grounds require proof and are less common in practice.
No-fault divorce is far more common. There are two no-fault routes. The first is mutual consent under Section 3301(c), where both spouses agree in writing and sign affidavits after a 90-day waiting period. The second is no-fault by separation under Section 3301(d), which requires living apart for at least one year if one spouse does not consent. The one-year separation period has applied since December 5, 2016. Before that date, the required period was two years.
Pittsburgh residents must live in Pennsylvania for at least six months before filing. The definition of "domicile" is set out in 23 Pa.C.S. § 3103. Once the residency requirement is met, the filing goes to Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.
Pennsylvania is an equitable distribution state. Marital property is divided according to what is fair based on the factors listed in 23 Pa.C.S. § 3502. Those factors include the length of the marriage, each spouse's age and health, their economic circumstances, and contributions to the marital estate. A property settlement agreement may be submitted to the court and made part of the final decree.
Note: The jurisdiction rules for dissolution of marriage are found at 23 Pa.C.S. § 3104. Pittsburgh residents who have lived in Pennsylvania for at least six months may file in Allegheny County.
Getting Copies of Pittsburgh Dissolution Records
To get a copy of a divorce decree or related court record from a Pittsburgh case, you have a few options. The simplest is to visit the Family Division at 436 Grant Street, Room 1500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Staff can search the index and provide certified copies for a fee. Bring a valid photo ID and the full names of both parties along with an approximate filing date.
You may also submit a written request by mail. Include the same information and a check or money order for the copy fee. The Department of Court Records processes mail requests in the order they are received.
Online searches through the civil case search portal do not produce certified copies. Those are only available directly from the court. If you need a state-level divorce certificate rather than a court copy, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health or use VitalChek to order online. State certificates are $20 each and are issued for divorces granted in Pennsylvania since 1906.
Pittsburgh is home to major universities like Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. The city also hosts large employers in health care, finance, and technology. Its economic diversity means that many dissolution cases involve complex asset division, which makes access to court records especially valuable for those researching case outcomes.
The Allegheny County Courts provide records going back to the earliest days of the county. The court has maintained these records since 1804, when Pennsylvania law required all divorce decrees to be kept in the Prothonotary's office of the county where the case was granted.
The Allegheny County Marriage and Divorce Records page provides details on how to access both marriage licenses and divorce decrees maintained by the court.
Allegheny County has maintained divorce records since 1788, making it one of the longest-running court record systems in Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh County Divorce Records
Pittsburgh residents file all Dissolution Of Marriage cases at the Allegheny County Courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh. The Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas keeps all records and handles filings, certified copies, and public access to case files.
Nearby Pennsylvania Cities
Dissolution of marriage records for other Pennsylvania cities are filed at their respective county courthouses. These nearby cities each have their own county court systems.