The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is June 2024)
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Divorce records from all over the U.S. are sometimes difficult to find online. They are another hidden gem of information that can assist you in advancing your family history and genealogy research.
What can you find in these records? Obviously the dates and location of the divorce proceeding, the date and location of the marriage, the woman’s maiden name, names of minor children, and the reason for the divorce. The reason can not only provide another part of your ancestor’s story but also may lead to more clues, especially in the case of desertion, where you may be able to find the location where the “deserting” party moved to.
WARNING: Some of the information in the Divorce Petitions may be difficult to read. There may be shocking claims, especially related to your ancestors’ physical and emotional cruelty, or other behavior. Be prepared.
In most cases, I did not include the links to County Courts, where most divorce records are now processed and the documents held. However, these divorce documents for most states are partially held in either state archives or county clerk records. So you may wish to avail yourself of the county clerk and court archives, especially those that can be searched online.
Note: Please be aware that if you find the desired divorce record in an index, the holder of the actual materials (e.g., archive, county court, etc.) may charge a small fee to send you a copy of the material itself.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Below are links to the state’s divorce record and index collections that are available for free online.
Montana Divorce Records
- Beaverhead County, Bannack, Divorce Records, 1925-1950
- Deer Lodge County General Index 1888-1966, and Divorce Files 1890-1950
- Deer Lodge County, Divorce Files, 1866-1889
- Fergus County, Divorces 1887-1916
- Fergus County, Mineral Argus Newspaper, 1883-1900 Divorces
- Flathead County Records, 1871-2007
- Flathead County, Divorce Records, 1905-1929
- Flathead County, The Interlake Newspaper Divorce Announcements, 1893-1899, 1998-2001
- Flathead County, The Interlake Newspaper Divorces and Annulments Notices, 1893-1947, 1968, 1971, 2003-04, 2007
- Gallatin County, Divorce Index
- Granite County Records, 1865-2009
- Indian Census Rolls (includes Divorces), Crow, 1891-1940
- Indian Census Rolls (includes Divorces), Flathead, 1886-1939
- Indian Census Rolls (includes Divorces), Fort Peck, 1885-1939
- Jefferson County, Divorce Index from Newspapers
- Jefferson County, Newspaper Notices of Divorce
- Lake County Records, 1857-2010
- Lake County, Divorce Records, 1814-1958
- Lewis & Clark County, Index to Divorce Records, 1865-1943
- Lewis and Clark County, 1944 – 1950 Divorce Records
- Northern Cheyenne Agency, Tongue River Agency, Vital Statistics, 1914-1939
- Ravalli County, Divorce Records, 1893-1922
- Ravalli County, Index to Court Records
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
One reply on “Free Montana Online Divorce Record Collections”
I am searching for information my Father, Ernest Parker who lived in Butte Montana 1849s, His name is Ernest Parker. Checking for marriages and children