Divorce records are ridiculously public records; most of these are seldom concealed from the public. There is, however, no reason to keep them hidden, for a divorced couple is perhaps more famous than a newly married one, and everyone already knows a lot about them. Nevertheless, the extent of their publicity is exemplified by the fact that anyone, whether he is kin or not, can have access to a certain extent of the divorce records.

The New York law divides divorce records into two major types. The first one is the divorce decree. This was the only type of record that was documented and preserved prior to the 1963 year. This is an official document issued by the court and presents with all the conditions abounding the divorce. It is explicitly signed by the Judge who presided over the entire case, and is documented by the clerk of the County present within the jurisdiction of the plaintiff. This record can be made available to anyone who asks for it.

The other type is a divorce certificate. Divorce certificates were started after 1963. These are those divorce records to which a limited access is allowed; you have to be either a spouse or you have to have a court order stating that you can have access to them. These certificates hold information about the spouses, the place and the date of the dissolution of marriage. If you have legal permission to gain access to these divorce records, you will need to pay charges and wait for almost ten days before you get to see them.

Speaking statistically, the numbers of files that house these records are increasing at an overwhelming rate nowadays. The investigation into this trend has revealed the emotional, rash nature of the youngsters of the twenty-first generation, the increasing numbers of court marriages and the abysmal choices they turn out to be, and cases of infidelity. Among the legal causes are cases of domestic violence, although the victimized spouse seldom has the courage to stand up for his or her rights, and impotency. These records are a legal formality; perhaps the only practical use they can be put to is when an agency needs to look into the history of an individual’s life. Also, if the couple happens to nurture a child, the identification of that child will require a history of parents. Otherwise, they are just a proof of how poor relationship choices humans make.