LaSalle County Divorce Records
LaSalle County divorce records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk in Ottawa and include all dissolution of marriage cases filed in the county through the 13th Judicial Circuit. Whether you need to confirm a case exists, get a certified copy of a decree, or find out what documents are in a file, the Circuit Court Clerk's office is the place to start. This page explains the process step by step, along with state-level options and relevant Illinois law.
County at a Glance
LaSalle County Circuit Court Clerk
Greg Vaccaro serves as the Circuit Court Clerk for LaSalle County. The Clerk's office is in Ottawa at 119 W. Madison Street, Room 201, which is the courthouse for the county seat. All divorce case records for LaSalle County are filed and maintained here. The Clerk's office is the right place to go for case lookups, certified copies, and questions about specific filings.
| Clerk | Greg Vaccaro |
|---|---|
| Address | 119 W. Madison Street, Room 201, Ottawa, IL 61350-0617 |
| Phone | (815) 434-8671 |
| Fax | (815) 433-9198 |
| Website | lasallecounty.org/departments/circuit-clerk |
| Judicial Circuit | 13th Judicial Circuit |
LaSalle County is one of five counties in the 13th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Bureau, Marshall, Putnam, and Grundy counties. Each county in the circuit operates its own clerk's office and keeps its own records. A case filed in LaSalle County will not appear in Grundy County's system. If you are not sure which county a divorce was filed in, you may need to check more than one county's records.
LaSalle County is geographically large, spanning the Illinois Valley from Ottawa south along the Illinois River. The county has a mix of older industrial towns and rural communities. The courthouse in Ottawa has handled divorce filings for the area for many decades, and some older case files are stored off-site. Calling ahead is advisable if you need records from more than ten years ago.
Note: Room 201 at 119 W. Madison Street is the specific location of the Circuit Clerk's office within the LaSalle County courthouse building.How to Get LaSalle County Divorce Records
There are three main ways to access LaSalle County divorce records. Each one works best in different situations depending on what you need and how quickly you need it.
Online case search is the fastest way to confirm that a case exists and get basic information. Check the LaSalle County Circuit Clerk's website to see whether an online lookup tool is available. If it is, you can search by party name or case number to get the case status, filing date, and document log. Online access usually does not let you download the full text of orders or filed documents. For that, you need to contact the Clerk directly.
In-person visits give you the most complete access. Go to Room 201 at 119 W. Madison Street in Ottawa with a valid photo ID. Staff can look up a case by name or number and retrieve the file. If the file is active or recent, it is likely on-site. Older files may be at off-site storage. Ask about retrieval time before you go. Copy fees apply to all documents. Certified copies cost more than plain photocopies, so know which you need before you ask.
Mail requests are the best option if you cannot travel to Ottawa. Send a letter to the Clerk's office at 119 W. Madison Street, Room 201, Ottawa, IL 61350, with both parties' full names, the approximate filing year, and any case number you have. Include a check or money order for the copy fee, plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. Mail requests take longer than in-person visits and depend on whether the file needs to come from off-site storage.
Illinois Divorce Law and the 13th Circuit
Illinois law sets irreconcilable differences as the sole ground for divorce, as established under 750 ILCS 5 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act. Fault-based divorce was eliminated in 2016. Courts presume irreconcilable differences exist if the parties have lived apart for at least six months before the judgment is entered, though shorter periods are allowed when both parties agree.
One spouse must have been an Illinois resident for 90 days before filing. Cases go to the circuit court of the county where at least one spouse lives. In LaSalle County, that means filing at the 13th Circuit courthouse in Ottawa. If one spouse lives in LaSalle County and the other in a neighboring county, the LaSalle spouse can file in LaSalle County. Once the case is filed, the records stay in LaSalle County regardless of where the parties live later.
The Illinois Vital Records Act, 410 ILCS 535, governs how dissolution records are reported to the state. Courts are required to send a report of each dissolution judgment to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which is how the statewide IDPH index stays current. That index is what supports the verification service described below.
Note: If a divorce was filed in LaSalle County but all proceedings took place by agreement, the file may be thin. Do not assume a short file means something is missing.State Verification Through IDPH
The Illinois Department of Public Health maintains a statewide index of dissolution of marriage records covering 1962 to the present. You can request a verification from IDPH if you need a quick confirmation that a divorce occurred but do not need a certified copy of the actual decree. IDPH will search their index and send you a letter confirming whether their records show a dissolution for two named individuals.
Verifications cost $5. Mail your request to IDPH Division of Vital Records, 925 E. Ridgely Ave., Springfield, IL 62702. You can also call (217) 782-6553 to ask questions before mailing. Allow four to six weeks for processing. Include the full names of both parties and the approximate year of the divorce. If you need the actual decree or any specific court orders from the case, those must come from the LaSalle County Circuit Court Clerk, not from IDPH.
The IDPH dissolution of marriage records page explains what a verification covers, how much it costs, and how to submit the request.
IDPH also clarifies on that page that their records start in 1962 and that certified copies always come from the circuit court, not from IDPH.
Contents of a Divorce Case File
LaSalle County divorce files are built up over the life of each case. The documents in a file reflect every step of the proceedings, from the initial petition through the final judgment and any later modifications.
The core documents in most divorce files are the petition for dissolution of marriage, the proof of service showing the other spouse was properly notified, any financial disclosure forms, a marital settlement agreement if the parties reached one, and the final judgment for dissolution. The judgment is the most requested document. It establishes the legal end of the marriage and sets out any property division, spousal maintenance, and parenting terms the court ordered.
Contested cases add considerably more to the file. You may find motions, temporary orders, responses, deposition transcripts, court hearing transcripts, expert reports, and multiple amended orders. The size of a case file can range from a few pages for a simple uncontested dissolution to hundreds of pages for a long-contested case. Some items in the file may be sealed or restricted. Financial records and information about minor children are common examples. Ask the Clerk which documents are open to public inspection.
Legal Help and Research Resources
LaSalle County residents looking for legal assistance or help navigating the records system have a few places to turn. The Illinois Courts website lists every circuit court clerk in the state, including LaSalle County, and links to self-help resources. If you are filing a divorce without an attorney, the self-help center has forms and guides specific to Illinois dissolution proceedings.
Prairie State Legal Services covers LaSalle County and can provide civil legal aid to those who qualify based on income. They handle divorce filings, post-decree modifications, and help with accessing court records. For genealogy and historical records research, the Illinois Genealogical Society is a strong resource for older divorce records. Their members can often help locate cases that predate online court databases.
The Illinois State Archives at (217) 782-4682 holds older state-level records and can assist with research going back before 1962. For current records in LaSalle County, the Clerk's office in Ottawa at (815) 434-8671 is the right first call. They can tell you what is available and how to request it, and that saves time before you make the trip to Ottawa.
Cities in LaSalle County
LaSalle County's largest cities are Ottawa (around 18,000 residents) and Peru (around 9,000). Neither meets the population threshold for a dedicated records page. All divorce records for residents of Ottawa, Peru, Streator, LaSalle city, and other LaSalle County communities are held at the Circuit Court Clerk's office in Ottawa. No qualifying cities with their own divorce records pages are located within LaSalle County.
Nearby Counties
LaSalle County borders many other counties. If a divorce may have been filed elsewhere, these pages can help you narrow it down: