Find Divorce Records in Grundy County
Grundy County divorce records are filed with the Circuit Court Clerk in Morris and are part of the 13th Judicial Circuit's permanent court record. This page covers how to access those filings, what the records contain, which state agencies hold additional information, and what Illinois law governs divorce cases filed in Grundy County.
County Overview
The Circuit Court Clerk's Role
Corri Trotter serves as the Circuit Court Clerk for Grundy County. The office is located at 111 E. Washington Street in Morris, though mail should go to P.O. Box 707. The clerk's office is the official record-keeper for all civil and family court cases in Grundy County, which includes every dissolution of marriage petition filed since the county's court records began.
The 13th Judicial Circuit covers five counties: LaSalle, Bureau, Marshall, Putnam, and Grundy. Each county in the circuit has its own clerk's office and its own set of court records. Grundy County records are kept in Morris and cannot be retrieved from any other county's office. If you are trying to determine which county handled a particular divorce, look at where the filing party lived at the time the petition was filed, since Illinois law requires the petitioner to have at least 90 days of residency in the state and the case is generally filed where they reside.
The clerk's office can be reached at 815/941-3256 during regular business hours. Staff can confirm case numbers, identify which documents are on file, and provide information about the fee schedule for copies. They cannot give legal advice, and they cannot search by Social Security number or other private identifiers.
Note: The physical courthouse address and the mailing P.O. Box are different for Grundy County, so use the correct address depending on whether you are mailing a request or visiting in person.
How to Access Dissolution Records
The most straightforward way to search Grundy County divorce records is to visit the clerk's office in Morris. Bring the full names of both parties and, if possible, the approximate year the case was filed. Staff can search the index by party name and pull the case file for review. If you need certified copies of any document, you can request them at the counter and pay the applicable fee.
Remote access is available in some form through the Illinois Courts system. The Illinois Courts clerk directory links to available online resources by county. Check the Grundy County clerk's site at grundyco.org for any current online search tools or e-filing information. Online dockets, where available, typically show case status, party names, and filing dates but not the full document text.
Mail requests are also accepted. Write to P.O. Box 707, Morris, IL 60450 and include both parties' names, the approximate filing year, and a phone number where staff can reach you. Ask about current copy fees before sending payment, since fees can change and vary based on document length and whether certification is needed.
The Illinois Courts website provides a full listing of circuit court clerks organized by district and circuit, making it easy to locate the correct office for Grundy County's 13th Circuit.
What Divorce Files Include
A complete Grundy County divorce file starts with the original petition for dissolution of marriage. That document identifies the parties, states the grounds for divorce (irreconcilable differences in Illinois), and sets out what relief the petitioner is asking for. The file then grows as the case progresses, adding responses, financial disclosures, court orders, and hearing transcripts if any were prepared.
The final judgment for dissolution of marriage is the document most people need. It terminates the marriage and incorporates any agreements the parties reached on property, debt, and if applicable, children. If the parties had a marital settlement agreement, it is either attached to or referenced in the judgment. Parenting plans and child support worksheets are also part of the file in cases involving minor children.
Post-decree modifications are filed as new cases in the same court system. If child support or parenting time was changed after the original divorce, those orders will show up in a separate case number tied to the same parties. The clerk can search for both the original case and any post-decree filings by party name.
Illinois Divorce Law Overview
Illinois operates under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, 750 ILCS 5, which has governed divorce proceedings in the state since major reforms took effect in the 1970s and again in 2016. The 2016 changes eliminated fault-based grounds for divorce entirely. The only ground now recognized in Illinois is irreconcilable differences, meaning the marriage has broken down and there is no reasonable chance of reconciliation.
Residency is a prerequisite. At least one spouse must have lived in Illinois for 90 days before the divorce petition can be filed. The 90-day clock runs from the date of establishing Illinois residency, not from the date the parties separated. Grundy County filers must meet this requirement just like those in any other Illinois county.
The statute also governs how courts divide marital property, determine spousal maintenance, and allocate parental responsibilities. Illinois uses an "equitable distribution" model for property, which means the court divides assets fairly but not necessarily equally. Understanding what 750 ILCS 5 says can help you interpret the orders and agreements you find in a Grundy County divorce file.
The full text of 750 ILCS 5 is available on the Illinois General Assembly's website and applies to every dissolution of marriage case filed in Grundy County.
Note: Vital records law under 410 ILCS 535 gives IDPH the authority to maintain a statewide divorce index separate from the court records held by the Grundy County clerk.
IDPH Divorce Verification
The Illinois Department of Public Health has kept a record of divorces granted in Illinois since 1962. This index is separate from the court file and is used to issue verification letters rather than certified court copies. A verification letter from IDPH costs $5 and confirms that a dissolution of marriage record exists in the state index. It is useful when someone needs quick proof that a divorce occurred without going through the full court record process.
To request a verification, write to IDPH at 925 E. Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702, or call (217) 782-6553. Mail requests typically take four to six weeks to process. You will need to provide the full names of both parties and the approximate year the divorce was granted. IDPH also requires a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID. The IDPH valid ID page lists what forms of identification are acceptable.
Full instructions and the request form are on the IDPH dissolution of marriage records page. For divorces before 1962, contact the Illinois State Archives at (217) 782-4682. Researchers looking at historical Grundy County divorce records may also find help through the Illinois State Genealogical Society.
Cities in Grundy County
Grundy County has no city with a population over 50,000, so no individual city pages exist for this county. Morris, the county seat, is the largest city, with a population of roughly 14,000. Minooka, located in the southwestern part of the county near the Will County border, has grown considerably and had around 11,000 residents at the last count. Other communities include Coal City, Channahon, and Braceville. Residents of all these towns file dissolution cases through the Circuit Court Clerk's office in Morris.
Nearby Counties
Grundy County borders several counties in the greater Chicago metro area and the Illinois River Valley. Each has its own circuit court with jurisdiction over divorce cases filed there.