Calcasieu Parish Divorce Decree

Calcasieu Parish divorce decree records are maintained at the Clerk of Court office in Lake Charles, where all civil case files from the 14th Judicial District Court are stored and accessible to the public through in-person, mail, or online requests.

Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court is the official custodian of all Calcasieu Parish divorce decree records. The main office is at 1000 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602. You can reach the main office by phone at (337) 437-3550 or by fax at (337) 437-3350. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The 14th Judicial District Court handles all civil matters in Calcasieu Parish.

Calcasieu Parish also has a West Annex location on North Huntington Street in Sulphur, Louisiana. The Sulphur office can be reached at (337) 313-1140. If you live in the Sulphur or west side of the parish, you may find it more convenient to start there. However, the main civil records department for divorce case files is at the Lake Charles courthouse on Ryan Street.

The Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court website at calcasieuclerk.gov lists all services, fee schedules, and online access options. Civil e-filing is also available for those who want to file new cases electronically. Staff at the clerk's office are prohibited from giving legal advice. For legal help, see the resources section below.

The calcasieuclerk.gov website provides full details on the civil records department, fee schedules, and online search subscriptions for divorce decrees and other civil records.

The official Calcasieu Clerk website at calcasieuclerk.gov shows civil case search tools, fee schedules, and e-filing options for Calcasieu Parish divorce cases.

How to Search Calcasieu Parish Divorce Decree Records

Calcasieu Parish offers in-person, mail, fax, and online access to divorce decree records. The Civil Records Department at the Lake Charles courthouse handles these requests. Online access is available through a subscription portal that includes Civil Case Search and Criminal Case Search tools. You can search by case number, party name, or filing date.

To request in person, go to the Civil Records Department at 1000 Ryan Street in Lake Charles. Bring a photo ID and the names of both parties. If you know the case number or year of the divorce, bring that too. Staff can search and pull the file for you. Copy fees apply at the counter. Note that certification is not processed after 3:30 PM, even though the office is open until 4:30 PM. Plan your visit accordingly.

For mail requests, write to P.O. Box 1030, Lake Charles, LA 70602. Include both parties' names, the year of divorce, and the case number if known. Include a check or money order for the estimated fees. Fax requests are also accepted; faxing records costs an additional $5 charge on top of copy fees.

The eClerks LA statewide portal provides free index access to civil records across all Louisiana parishes. Use it to confirm a case exists and find the case number before contacting the Calcasieu Parish Clerk for official copies.

The statewide portal at louisianacourtrecords.us/calcasieuparish/ provides additional civil record index access for Calcasieu Parish divorce cases, which complements the official county clerk search tools.

Calcasieu Parish Divorce Record Fees

Civil copies cost $1 per page. Certification of a document costs $10. A 10-year name search costs $15. Faxing records to you costs an extra $5 charge. Online subscriptions are available at daily, monthly, and annual rates through the clerk's portal. Call or check the website for current subscription pricing.

Note that birth and death certificate processing stops after 3:30 PM. If you are requesting certification of a divorce decree, call ahead to confirm the cutoff time applies to your type of request. Make checks or money orders payable to the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court.

Fee waivers are available for those with low income. File an In Forma Pauperis form with the court. Louisiana Law Help at louisianalawhelp.org explains this process. LDH Vital Records charges $9 for a divorce certificate, which is a shorter document and not the same as the full certified decree from the clerk's office.

Filing for Divorce in Calcasieu Parish

Divorce cases in Calcasieu Parish are filed with the Clerk of Court at 1000 Ryan Street in Lake Charles. The 14th Judicial District Court hears these cases. You begin by filing a petition at the clerk's office and paying the filing fee. The clerk gives you a case number and stores all future documents under that number.

Louisiana Civil Code Article 3941 requires at least one spouse to be domiciled in Louisiana. You file in the parish where either spouse lives. Calcasieu Parish residents file at the Lake Charles courthouse. Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 102, spouses must live apart for 180 days after filing if no minor children are involved, or 365 days if minor children are part of the case. Article 103 allows divorce without an extra wait if the separation has already lasted the required time. Civil e-filing is available in Calcasieu Parish, so you can file the initial petition electronically through the clerk's website.

Louisiana Civil Code Article 2325 makes Louisiana a community property state. Property gained during the marriage is generally split equally. The divorce decree, the judge's final signed order, contains all the terms. Once filed with the clerk, it becomes a public record under La. R.S. 44:1.

What Calcasieu Parish Divorce Decree Records Include

A Calcasieu Parish divorce decree lists the names of both spouses, the date and place of the marriage, grounds for divorce, property division terms, custody and visitation orders if children are involved, child support amounts, and any spousal support ordered. The full case file includes all documents filed from the beginning to the final judgment.

Certified copies of the decree are needed for name changes, property transfers, remarriage, and other legal tasks. Only the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court can certify copies of decrees from this parish. The LDH issues divorce certificates, not decrees. For most legal uses, you need the full certified decree from the Lake Charles clerk's office.

All documents in the case file are public under La. R.S. 44:1 unless a court has ordered specific records sealed. You do not have to be a party to the case to request copies of public records.

Legal Help for Calcasieu Parish Divorce Cases

Several resources are available for Calcasieu Parish residents dealing with divorce. Southwest Louisiana Legal Services provides free legal help to those who qualify by income. Call 211 for local referrals. Louisiana Law Help at louisianalawhelp.org has self-help guides for people filing without an attorney. The Louisiana State Bar can connect you with a family law attorney in the Lake Charles area.

The Louisiana Clerks of Court Association at (225) 293-1162 is a useful resource if you are not certain which parish handled a divorce case.

Cities in Calcasieu Parish

Calcasieu Parish includes the city of Lake Charles, the parish seat and the largest city in southwest Louisiana. All Calcasieu Parish divorce decrees are filed and stored at the Clerk of Court in Lake Charles through the 14th Judicial District Court. Other communities in the parish, including Sulphur, Westlake, and DeQuincy, also file divorce cases at the Lake Charles courthouse.

Nearby Parishes

These parishes border Calcasieu Parish. File in the parish where you or your spouse lives to ensure the court has proper jurisdiction over your case.