We’ll See You In Court

Yes, court records can hold valuable information for the person on the genealogical quest. Court records do not necessarily mean that your relatives or ancestors actually had to attend criminal court. It merely means that there are certain proceedings that must be signed by a judge. There are four types of court documentation that is relevant to a genealogical search. These are:

1. Adoption records – These records are very difficult to access, although useful if you can gain that access. They contain the full name of the adoptee, the names of the birth parents, and the names of the adopting parents. This gives an adopted person two families to trace to get a complete picture of the family tree. You must obtain a court order to open adoption records and this is only done for “good cause”, which a genealogical search generally is not considered. Often only the adoptee may gain access to the records.

2. Divorce records – These are valuable sources of information. They give the names of the spouses as well as their birth dates and the country or state of the births, the names of the children, the date and place of marriage, and the grounds for divorce. You will need to write to the appropriate authorities of the country in which the divorce took place in order to receive a copy of the records. You will need the names of the spouses, the year of the divorce, and your relationship to them.

3. Naturalization records – These are generally found in the National Archives. They generally contain a copy of the petition for citizenship with the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), a petition with the local court clerk, and a Certificate of Naturalization. These documents can lead you to the country of origin of your family and a new branch in your search.

4. Probate records – These records are great for giving you names. They are created at the time of death and are used to establish the legality of a will. They will contain a copy of the will, a list of the assets of the deceased, and the names of any survivors and their relationship to the deceased.

Court records can give you information, often times names, that will broaden your search and help you locate family members you may not have known you had. They may also help you learn where you come from and from there you can trace your family in what was possibly their country of origin. So see what the courts hold. You may be surprised.