For many people, marriage is the end of a happy fairy tale of romance, love, trust, and commitment. The day that the bride walks down the aisle into the arms of her waiting groom to the smiles of the observers would certainly rank as one of the happiest days in the life of a marriage, and for many of those who would be in attendance as the couple say their vows to each other, what would follow the ceremony is nothing less than a happily ever after. With three out of every five marriages in the United States ending in divorce, however, it would be fair to say that not every couple who would walk down the aisle are entitled to their happily ever after.

There are many reasons why divorce happens. Issues of trust, love, and commitment, the very same reasons for the marriage to be born, may very well be the reason for its death. It is not easy to meld two personalities into one and over the years of partnership, the bond of marriage will be tested and, under the right circumstances, may break and no efforts of reconciliation between the couple may mend it.

Divorce records exist because their maintenance is mandated by law. Aside from that, these records serve as a means for a higher authority to ensure that the substantive and procedural due process required by the law in divorce proceedings are met, and these records serve as a means for prospective brides and grooms to check their would-be spouses should they ever decide to get married again. Divorces do not happen because the couple desires it; the law requires and mandates them to undergo divorce proceedings.

Fayette County was founded in the year 1837, and their district clerk has custody of divorce proceedings granted in the county from the year 1838. Fayette County is under the coverage of the Texas Public Information Act, and this statute recognizes that public documents, like divorce records, are a matter of public record and as such, is available to the public, subject to exemptions.

In the state of Texas, certified copies of divorce records are only available in the district clerk of the county where the divorce was granted. The Texas Public Information Act provides for the procedure of obtaining this information, and this procedure begins with a written request sent to the office that has custody of the records. The more information that could be provided regarding the records that are being requested for, the faster and easier it would be for the district clerk to locate the documents that are being asked for. It is important to note that under the same statute, any fee must be settled within ten days after the request for payment was sent, otherwise, the request would be deemed to have been automatically withdrawn.

In the state of Texas, the state government could not give certified copies of divorce records, but the Texas Department of State Health Services could provide verification of the existence of a divorce. This process requires anywhere between ten to fifteen days to complete and would cost twenty dollars. The process begins either through the internet and with the use of a credit card, or through a mail sent to the department using a form free to download from the website of the Department of State Health Services.

Lastly, it is also possible to conduct a search for the records through the World Wide Web. The internet is filled with specialized online search databases that provide not only information about divorce records but also vital records. These searchers are more efficient than resorting to obtaining hard-copy records as internet searches are often free of charge, and instantaneous in their results. Internet searches also have no lines as they rarely require the searcher to leave the comforts of their home.