Monroe County Divorce Records and Dissolution Filings
Monroe County dissolution of marriage records are filed and maintained by the Prothonotary at the courthouse in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Located in the Pocono Mountains of eastern Pennsylvania, Monroe County has seen fast population growth over the past few decades, and its court system processes a steady volume of divorce cases each year. Whether you are looking up a past case, requesting a certified decree copy, or searching records for legal or family history purposes, this guide walks you through the tools and steps needed to find Monroe County dissolution of marriage records.
Monroe County Quick Facts
About Monroe County and Its Court System
Monroe County was formed in 1836 from parts of Northampton and Pike counties. It sits in the Pocono Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania and shares borders with Pike, Wayne, Lackawanna, Carbon, and Northampton counties. The county seat is Stroudsburg, a small city that serves as the hub for county government and court services.
The county has grown at a fast pace since the 1980s. Many residents commute to the New York City metro area, and the Pocono resort region draws both tourists and new full-time residents. That growth has brought more civil filings, including dissolution of marriage cases, through the local court system. The Monroe County Court of Common Pleas handles all domestic relations matters, including dissolution of marriage, under the jurisdiction of the 43rd Judicial District.
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area lies partly within Monroe County. While the area is known for outdoor recreation, the county seat of Stroudsburg is where all civil court records are held and where you must go in person to access dissolution of marriage case files.
The Monroe County Prothonotary is the elected civil clerk for the Court of Common Pleas. This office records every step in a dissolution of marriage case, from the initial petition through the final decree. Records kept in this office go back to the county's founding and are available to the public under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101.
Note: Monroe County dissolution of marriage records filed since the county's founding in 1836 are stored in the Prothonotary's Office and may also appear in the statewide UJS case search system for more recent filings.
Where Monroe County Dissolution of Marriage Records Are Filed
The Monroe County Prothonotary in Stroudsburg is the official keeper of all dissolution of marriage records for the county. When a divorce case is filed, the Prothonotary assigns a docket number and records each document as the case moves forward. The final decree of divorce becomes part of the permanent court record at this office.
Pennsylvania law has required counties to maintain these records locally since 1804. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3301, all dissolution of marriage proceedings must be filed in the Court of Common Pleas of the county where at least one spouse resides. That means Monroe County records are only held in Stroudsburg, not at any state-level repository.
| Court | Monroe County Court of Common Pleas |
|---|---|
| Address | Monroe County Courthouse, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 |
| Phone | (570) 517-3008 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | monroecountypa.gov/prothonotary |
The lead-in sentence: The Pennsylvania Courts website shows the structure and judicial assignments for Monroe County's Court of Common Pleas.
The Monroe County courthouse in Stroudsburg is where you will find all civil case records, including dissolution of marriage filings and final decrees.
How to Search Monroe County Dissolution of Marriage Records
The fastest way to search active and recent Monroe County dissolution of marriage cases is through the Unified Judicial System (UJS) Portal. This free online tool lets you look up cases by party name, docket number, or filing date. Not all older records appear in the online system, but most filings from the past two decades are included.
For older records or certified copies of a final decree, you need to contact the Prothonotary's Office directly. You can visit in person during business hours, call the office, or submit a written request by mail. When requesting a certified copy, be ready to provide the full names of both parties and the approximate year of the case. There is a fee for certified copies.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records office also holds statewide divorce certificates. A certified copy costs $20.00 and can be requested by mail to PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. This state-level copy confirms the fact of the divorce but does not include the full case file. You can also order through VitalChek for faster online processing.
Note: The UJS portal search covers cases statewide, so be sure to filter by Monroe County when searching to avoid confusion with records from other counties that share common party names.
Pennsylvania Dissolution of Marriage Law and Monroe County Filings
Under Pennsylvania law, either spouse must have lived in the state for at least six months before filing for dissolution of marriage. The filing must be made in the county where at least one spouse lives, which means Monroe County residents file at the Stroudsburg courthouse. 23 Pa.C.S. § 3103 defines the key terms used in Pennsylvania dissolution law.
Pennsylvania offers both no-fault and fault-based grounds for dissolution of marriage. The most common path is mutual consent, which requires a 90-day waiting period. If spouses do not both agree, the filing party can also use a one-year separation ground, which has applied since December 5, 2016. Fault grounds include abandonment of at least one year, adultery, cruel treatment, and bigamy.
Property division in Monroe County follows Pennsylvania's equitable distribution rules under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3502. Equitable distribution does not mean a 50/50 split. The court weighs factors such as length of the marriage, each spouse's income and earning capacity, and contributions to the marital estate.
The filing process begins with a Complaint in Divorce submitted to the Prothonotary. The case docket number issued at that time becomes the permanent reference for all documents in the case. Under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3104, the Court of Common Pleas has broad authority to handle all ancillary matters, including child custody, support, and property division, as part of the dissolution proceeding.
State Image: Pennsylvania Vital Records
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Vital Records provides statewide divorce certificates for cases processed anywhere in Pennsylvania, including Monroe County.
State vital records certificates confirm the legal fact of a dissolution of marriage but do not replace the full court file held by the Monroe County Prothonotary in Stroudsburg.
Getting Help With Monroe County Dissolution Records
If you need legal guidance on filing a dissolution of marriage in Monroe County or accessing records, Pennsylvania Legal Aid may be able to help. Legal aid provides free or low-cost civil legal services to those who qualify based on income. They can assist with understanding your rights under Pennsylvania law and help you navigate the filing process at the Stroudsburg courthouse.
For family history research, the CountyOffice divorce records page for Pennsylvania provides background on how and where to search for older dissolution records across the state's 67 counties. The FamilySearch Pennsylvania Divorce Records guide is also a strong resource for tracing records that predate online systems.
Researchers looking for records from the 1800s and early 1900s may find that Monroe County records from that period are not yet digitized. In those cases, a visit to the Prothonotary's Office or a written request is the best option. Staff can help you find archived records by party name and approximate date.
Nearby Counties
Dissolution of marriage cases must be filed in the county where at least one spouse lives, so make sure you are searching in the right county if the parties moved or lived near a county border.