Is there a good reason for why marriage and divorce records aren't freely available online?

[fried eggs]

Am I missing something? You can find out everything about a person online for free except if they're married.

[FreakinDJ]

1. Paternal Conspiracy of course

[pipoman]

2. Marriage and divorce records

contain Bday, SS, mothers maiden name, etc. They are public records in most or all states but you must go to the courthouse and sign an information request to see the records usually. Oh, and names of children and visitation schedules and monetary settlements...just too much private information..

[Llewlladdwr]

3. Some are.

How far back are you trying to go? Geneology websites may be helpful.

[enlightenment]

4. It varies by state.

I'm not sure she has it listed (though she has most everything else), but CyndisList http://www.cyndislist.com/us/ (a genealogy metasite) may have an index as to which states make their BMD records available online.

I know Colorado used to, but that might have changed.

[fried eggs]

20. Thank you

[arcane1]

5. Because it's nobody's business?

[Llewlladdwr]

6. Sometimes it kinda is.

I'm currently trying to document my descent from one of my paternal great grandmothers. It's kinda important to be able to document that she really did marry into the family.

[OldDem2012]

8. In what state did the marriage take place? nt.

[Llewlladdwr]

10. Texas.

Still looking for the county...

[OldDem2012]

11. Here's a few good sites that may give you some good ideas on where to look....

Genealogy.com Marriage Date

QUOTE:

[i]An individual's marriage date can usually be found on any of the documents listed below. If you have the minimum information required to find one of these documents, select the name of that document. The items in the list are ordered from most to least important. If you do not have the minimum information required, read the paragraph below this list.

Check out the International Genealogical Index in the list above.

Also, try the following site: RootsWeb (free)

And this one: FamilySearch (free)

[Llewlladdwr]

12. Thank you very much!

I'm still new to this so every pointer helps!

[OldDem2012]

14. No problem! In 1996, I was where you are now...that was more than 44,000 names ago...

...but I still have a few brick walls I've been unable to conquer.

Stick with it...knowing your family history can be incredibly rewarding. Just remember, you'll have to learn to take the good with the bad.

[Raine1967]

24. I've used Family Search

-- it is the LDS Church project -- (Mormon) and it was actually helpful to me finding information about my grandfather (Opa) -- I was able to use that info and integrate it with Ancestry.com and got the ship he traveled on when he migrated to germany.

Sad irony?

My Opa was baptized Mormon.

[sammytko]

43. Bexar county has them, but only to the 70s or so

Takes time to make them available on line.

[treestar]

15. These are public records.

Of public acts.

Who would keep it a secret that they were married? It is a public act. That's the whole point.

[HereSince1628]

36. My father was devastated when he found out the cause his mother's divorce

was an affair she had with his foster-brother who was 6 years younger than she was.

The truth had been kept from him and he always looked upon his mother as a saint. He learned the truth 20 years after her death and he never adjusted to it.

IMO, he would have preferred to have gone to his own grave ignorant of that knowledge.

[treestar]

40. Family Court nowadays, at least where I am

Keeps the whole file confidential and the decree simply states the bonds are dissolved.

[HereSince1628]

42. I think that's the way it is in most places in the US

I actually prefer that.

[fried eggs]

19. Still, it's awfully convenient for adulterers

that so many hoops must be jumped through to find out the truth.

[TimberValley]

7. ....privacy?

Why should someone's marriage or divorce record be out there for everyone to see?

[dlwickham]

9. why should any "public record" be public

why should the deed to my house be public record?

why is it anyone's business

[slackmaster]

13. Yes. Rebecca Shaeffer was murdered in 1989 by a stalker who got her address from the California DMV.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca_Schaeffer

There are, rightfully, degrees of availability for public records.

Personally, I don't have a problem with the deed to my house being in the public record. But there should be (and there is) a record created when anyone looks it up. And that is the way it should be.

[Lex]

18. How is a record created when someone looks up your deed?

Just curious.

[slackmaster]

21. There are four ways for an individual to get a copy of a deed

1. Go to the recorder's office in person. In most jurisdictions deeds are available on microfiche, microfilm, or an electronic (scanned) format. You have to present ID, and sign a form affirming that you are accessing the information for a lawful purpose, and typically pay a fee for a hard copy.

2. Same as 1 but by mail. This creates a record of where the copy was sent.

3. Many recorder's offices now have Web portals through which copies of documents can be ordered to be sent by mail, or viewed online directly. Either way, system log records are created. Those records can be traced.

4. Commercial aggregators of public record data are the final source. They are in the business of selling data. They keep track of who buys it.

As far as I know, there are no jurisdictions (counties, townships, etc.) that will give away copies of deeds without some kind of verification of and control over who is requesting them.

[Lex]

23. No, you can just go online and print of copy of a deed.

Most Register of Deeds offices are online now and it's as simple as printing out a pdf of the Deed. You don't have to sign in or create an account. Same with property tax bills.

[slackmaster]

25. When you access the Web site from which you download the copy, a record of at least your IP address

...is created.

I paid my property tax online recently. I had to provide either my physical address or the parcel number in order to access the record. I can look up my neighbor's address and see his property tax status, but when I do that the fact that someone at my IP address did the search is logged.

You can't get the data completely anonymously.

[Lex]

26. But you said

"As far as I know, there are no jurisdictions (counties, townships, etc.) that will give away copies of deeds without some kind of verification of and control over who is requesting them."

Sure, there's the IP trace thing, but no one verifies who you, are or controls who is getting copies.

[slackmaster]

27. Here's how San Diego County makes copies of recorded documents available

http://arcc.co.san-diego.ca.us/services/document_copies.aspx

You can't get a copy without identifying yourself, and paying a fee.

If you know of a jurisdiction where anyone can download a copy of a deed for free, I'd like to see the Web site.

[Lex]

28. Sure, how about this one?

http://rodweb.co.durham.nc.us/

Hit "I accept" after the disclaimer, then type in the owner's name in "Grantee" and up pops the list of Deeds and you can print whatever ones you want in pdf on your own computer.

Also here: http://services.wakegov.com/booksweb/genextsearch.aspx

And any other Register of Deeds site in NC that happens to be online.

[slackmaster]

29. You can bet that your IP address and every request you make on the site is logged.

That's a good "free" (i.e. taxpayer-funded) service.

Thanks!

[UnrepentantLiberal]

30. You can take a laptop you paid cash for to the library

and use their wireless network. The trail would end there.

[slackmaster]

33. Perhaps so, but you wouldn't be able to wholesale download every document from the site.

That's why cookies and JavaScript are required by the application.

[Lex]

32. Sure, but you said it wouldn't be free of charge.

It is. And do they "verify" or "control" who prints documents? No.

[slackmaster]

34. Somebody pays to scan documents, and to maintain the site.

Access is controlled. The site has measures to prevent people from downloading documents wholesale.

[Lex]

37. OK. But now that's different.

OF COURSE someone pays to maintain the site.

[treestar]

16. If deeds were not public

You could not sell your house. No one would have any guarantee of title.

There are some things the public does have a right to know. Births, deaths, marriages, divorces and who owns what land. Otherwise, society could not function.

[dlwickham]

44. yes you could

if I'm selling the house, I would give the deed to the new owners

file the new deed with the appropriate governmental body and make it private

sounds pretty simple to me

[treestar]

17. No there is not, though it does not have to be online

The records at with the clerk of peace or the courthouse. Divorce decrees (just the bare decree, not all the issues behind it) are public.

Marriage records are of course public. The whole idea of marriage is to make it public.

[slackmaster]

22. Not quite. Most states have a "confidential marriage" option that seals your marriage certificate.

A court order is required for it to be divulged to anyone other than the couple.

http://www.usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/california/marriage_licenses/san_diego_county.shtml#confidential

[Gormy Cuss]

31. Where other than CA is this an option?

You wrote that most states have this option. Can you name a couple of others?

[slackmaster]

35. I'm not a lawyer, but I believe that Nevada offers confidential marriages.

HTH.

[treestar]

41. OK.

Though it seems to invalidate the entire point. Also could increase the chances of bigamy. Nowadays I could see wanting to find out if a person was married already before marrying them. If it in a marriage in confidence, it's easier for the potential bigamist to keep secret.

[msanthrope]

38. Just dump the person. If you have to go online to find out the truth, they aren't

worth keeping.

[Major Nikon]

39. To protect the identity of John Cornyn's box turtles

Just a guess.