Cambria County Dissolution Of Marriage Records
Cambria County dissolution of marriage records are filed with and maintained by the Prothonotary's Office at the Cambria County Courthouse in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. Home to Johnstown and a population of about 133,000 residents, Cambria County is a west-central Pennsylvania county with a long judicial history dating to its formation in 1804. If you need to find a past divorce case, verify a decree, or request a certified copy of a dissolution of marriage document, this guide covers the process for accessing Cambria County's court records and the statewide tools available to help you search.
Cambria County Quick Facts
Cambria County Prothonotary: Dissolution Record Office
The Cambria County Prothonotary is the elected official responsible for all civil court records in the county, including every dissolution of marriage case filed since the county's formation in 1804. Pennsylvania has required that divorce records be held at the county Prothonotary since that same year, making Cambria County's record archive a comprehensive repository going back more than two centuries. The Prothonotary's Office is located at the Cambria County Courthouse in Ebensburg, the small borough that serves as the seat of county government.
Cambria County is perhaps best known for Johnstown, the site of the catastrophic 1889 Johnstown Flood, and for the steel and coal industries that shaped the region's history. Today Johnstown serves as the largest city in the county while Ebensburg handles all county government functions from its hilltop courthouse. All dissolution of marriage cases from anywhere in the county, whether filed by Johnstown residents or those in the county's many rural townships, are processed and maintained at the Ebensburg courthouse.
| Court | Court of Common Pleas, Cambria County |
|---|---|
| Address | 200 South Center Street, Ebensburg, PA 15931 |
| Phone | (814) 472-1470 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | cambriacountypa.gov/prothonotary |
Searching Cambria County Divorce Records Online
The Unified Judicial System Web Portal provides free online access to Cambria County civil case records, including dissolution of marriage cases. Searches can be conducted by either party's name or by docket number. The portal shows case status, docket entries, and document links for cases in the system. Cases from recent years are generally fully indexed. For older cases, a direct contact with the Prothonotary's Office is required for a manual search.
The CountyOffice Pennsylvania divorce records database provides an additional third-party index for basic case lookups. For certified copies of any document from the case file, requests must go through the Cambria County Prothonotary. You will need the names of both parties, the approximate year of the divorce, and the docket number if available. Valid photo identification is required for in-person requests. Mail requests should include a brief description of what records are needed and a return address.
The Cambria County Prothonotary's Office in Ebensburg maintains all civil court records for the county, including dissolution of marriage filings, decrees, and companion documents dating back to 1804.
Note: Sensitive personal information including Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and identifying details about minor children is redacted from publicly accessible court records per Pennsylvania court rules.
Filing Dissolution Of Marriage in Cambria County
To file for dissolution of marriage in Cambria County, at least one spouse must have been a Pennsylvania resident for six months before the filing date as required by 23 Pa.C.S. § 3104. The complaint is filed at the Prothonotary's Office and served on the other spouse. Grounds for divorce are established at 23 Pa.C.S. § 3301.
Pennsylvania's no-fault divorce law provides two options. Under the mutual consent path, both spouses sign an affidavit of consent, and the court can enter a divorce decree after a 90-day waiting period. This is generally the faster and simpler of the two no-fault routes. Under the irretrievable breakdown path, where one spouse does not consent, the parties must have been separated for at least one year (counting from a separation date on or after December 5, 2016) before the filing spouse can complete the divorce without the other's agreement.
Fault-based grounds remain available in Cambria County under Pennsylvania law. These grounds include adultery, willful and malicious desertion without reasonable cause for one year, cruel and barbarous treatment, bigamy, imprisonment following conviction of a crime for two or more years, and indignities making the petitioner's condition intolerable and life burdensome. The terms used throughout Pennsylvania's divorce law are defined at 23 Pa.C.S. § 3103. Proving fault requires presenting evidence to the court and is more involved than a no-fault proceeding.
Property and Equitable Distribution in Cambria County
When a Cambria County dissolution of marriage involves marital property, the case is governed by 23 Pa.C.S. § 3502, Pennsylvania's equitable distribution statute. The court divides marital property in a way that is equitable, meaning fair given the facts of the case, rather than automatically splitting everything in half. The court considers factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse's income and earning capacity, contributions to marital property, economic circumstances following the divorce, and whether either spouse will be the custodial parent of minor children.
Companion counts for alimony, custody, and child support can be filed alongside the dissolution of marriage complaint or as linked companion cases. All of these documents become part of the permanent court record maintained by the Prothonotary. These records are public under 65 P.S. § 67.101, Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, with the standard redactions applied for sensitive personal data.
The Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network may provide free legal assistance to qualifying low-income Cambria County residents dealing with dissolution of marriage proceedings. Residents who can afford an attorney are strongly encouraged to seek legal counsel, particularly in contested cases involving property division or custody disputes.
Obtaining Certified Copies and State Records
Certified copies of Cambria County dissolution of marriage documents are available from the Prothonotary's Office. Requests can be made in person during business hours at the Ebensburg courthouse, or by written request submitted by mail. Include the full names of both parties, the docket number if known, and the approximate year of the filing. A valid government-issued photo ID is required for in-person requests. A per-copy fee applies as set by local court rule.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Records issues state-level certified divorce certificates for $20 per copy. The mailing address is PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103-1528, and the phone number is (724) 656-3100. Online orders are available through VitalChek. The PA Department of Health Vital Records page explains what information is needed to order a state certificate. These state-issued documents are accepted for remarriage applications, name changes on government IDs, and estate administration purposes.
The Cambria County Court of Common Pleas handles all family and civil law proceedings in this west-central Pennsylvania county, with the Prothonotary managing the permanent record archive for all dissolution of marriage cases.
Additional Resources for Cambria County Divorce Records
For genealogical research into older Cambria County dissolution of marriage cases, the FamilySearch Pennsylvania Divorce Records guide explains where historical records may be found. Some records from the 19th century are available in digitized form through genealogical databases. The Pennsylvania State Library vital records research guide also provides direction on locating older civil records. For a thorough docket search using only publicly available tools, start with the UJS Portal and supplement with the Prothonotary's in-person records when needed.
Cambria County residents seeking legal guidance on divorce proceedings can contact the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. The network operates throughout Pennsylvania and can connect residents with local legal aid organizations. The North Penn Legal Services organization may also serve portions of Cambria County depending on the specific program and eligibility requirements.
VitalChek allows Cambria County residents to order state-issued certified divorce certificates online for $20 per copy, providing a convenient way to obtain proof of a dissolved marriage without visiting the Ebensburg courthouse or mailing a request to New Castle.
Nearby Counties
Cambria County is located in west-central Pennsylvania and borders several surrounding counties. Use the links below to access dissolution of marriage records in neighboring courts.