Talbot County Divorce Decree Lookup
Talbot County divorce decree records are filed and kept at the Circuit Court in Easton, where Clerk Kathi Dulin Duvall and staff handle all requests for certified copies and case searches. The clerk's office serves this mid-Eastern Shore county and maintains divorce records for cases filed in the local court, with older cases accessible through the Maryland State Archives.
Talbot County Overview
Talbot County Circuit Court Clerk
Clerk Kathi Dulin Duvall runs the Talbot County Circuit Court office at 11 N. Washington Street, Suite 16, in Easton. The office handles divorce decree requests Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can call 410-822-2611, use the toll-free number at 800-339-3403, or send a fax to 410-820-8168. TTY users can connect through Maryland Relay 711.
In-person requests are the simplest way to get a certified copy quickly. Bring your photo ID and any case details you have. Staff can search by name, though knowing the case number first will help. Mail requests are also accepted with a written request that includes the full names of both parties, the approximate date of the divorce, and the case number if available. Include payment with mailed requests along with a self-addressed stamped envelope for the returned copy.
One thing to know about Talbot County specifically: historical divorce records from 1908 to 1985 have been digitized and are available electronically through the Maryland State Archives. For cases filed after 1985, the Circuit Court in Easton is the right place to go. This split means that if you are looking for a pre-1985 divorce, the Archives may actually have a faster path to the record than the local clerk's office.
| Clerk | Kathi Dulin Duvall |
|---|---|
| Address | 11 N. Washington Street, Suite 16, Easton, MD 21601 |
| Phone | 410-822-2611 / Toll-Free: 800-339-3403 |
| Fax | 410-820-8168 |
| TTY | Maryland Relay 711 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Website | courts.state.md.us/clerks/talbot |
Note: For divorces between 1908 and 1985, contact the Maryland State Archives directly rather than the local clerk's office, as those records have been electronically archived in Annapolis.
Fees for Certified Copies
Talbot County follows the statewide Maryland court fee schedule. Certification of a divorce decree costs $5.00. Copies run $0.50 per page. Most divorce decrees are two to ten pages long, so the typical total for a certified copy is between $6.00 and $10.00. Bring payment in the correct amount when you visit, or include it with a mailed request.
A search fee of $12.00 per five-year period applies when staff must search by name without a case number. You can avoid this entirely by finding the case number first on Maryland Judiciary Case Search, which is free and takes only a few minutes. This is worth doing before you contact the clerk's office, especially for older cases where staff search time may be more involved.
For historical divorces covered by the Maryland State Archives, the fee is $25 per certified copy, ordered through the Archives online shop at shop.msa.maryland.gov. The Archives covers Talbot County records from 1908 to 1985 electronically, which makes them easier to locate and copy than paper files at the local court.
Searching Talbot County Divorce Cases Online
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search tool is free and covers all Maryland circuit courts, including Talbot County. It shows case numbers, filing dates, hearing records, and final dispositions for divorce cases. Use the "DA" case type designation to filter for absolute divorce cases. The system is available around the clock and requires no login or fee to use.
For post-1985 divorces, Case Search is the right starting point. Enter the names of either party to pull up matching cases. Once you have the case number, the Talbot County Clerk can pull the file and prepare a certified copy faster and without the name-search fee. For pre-1985 divorces, skip directly to the Maryland State Archives guide rather than the online case search.
The Maryland Courts homepage at mdcourts.gov links to case search, clerk contact information, court forms, and self-help guides. The screenshot below shows the Maryland Courts portal, where you can find everything you need to start a Talbot County divorce records search.
The Maryland Courts site is also the place to find forms if you are filing for divorce in Talbot County rather than searching for an existing record.
Historical Divorce Records at the Maryland State Archives
Talbot County has one of the more well-documented historical archives in Maryland. Divorce records from 1908 through 1985 have been digitized and are available through the Maryland State Archives collection. This is a significant resource for people looking for older divorces in this county, and it means you do not have to visit Easton or search through paper files for most pre-1985 cases.
The Archives research guide at guide.msa.maryland.gov describes what is available for Talbot County and how to navigate the collection. Certified copies can be ordered through the online shop at shop.msa.maryland.gov for $25 per copy. You can also visit the Archives in person at 350 Rowe Blvd, Annapolis, MD 21401, or call 410-260-6400.
The image below shows the Maryland State Archives divorce records interface, which covers Talbot County's historical filings and allows researchers to locate and order copies of old decrees.
For Talbot County divorces from 1908 to 1985, the Archives is often faster and more convenient than contacting the local court.
Maryland Divorce Law Overview
Under Maryland Family Law § 7-101, at least one spouse must be a Maryland resident at the time of filing. If the grounds for divorce happened outside Maryland, the filing spouse must have lived in the state for six months before filing. Talbot County Circuit Court handles divorces for county residents, and all final decrees are permanently recorded by the clerk as required by Maryland Family Law § 7-106.
Maryland law recognizes three grounds for absolute divorce as of October 2023: six-month separation, irreconcilable differences, and mutual consent. Under mutual consent, both parties must agree on all terms before filing. The People's Law Library at peoples-law.org covers these grounds and the full divorce process in plain language, free of charge.
A name change can be included in the divorce decree or requested within 18 months of the final order under Maryland Family Law § 7-105. Certified copies of the decree with the court seal are the documents most institutions require when processing a name change based on a court order.
Verification Through Maryland Vital Records
The Maryland Division of Vital Records maintains a statewide record of divorces finalized since January 1, 1992. A divorce verification from this office costs $12 and shows the names and date but not the terms of the decree. Their office is at 6550 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD 21215, and their website is at health.maryland.gov/vsa. This is useful when only a confirmation of the divorce date is needed rather than the full legal document.
For cases before 1992, or when the full certified decree is needed, the Talbot County Circuit Court and the Maryland State Archives are the right sources. The Archives covers Talbot County's pre-1985 records electronically, and the circuit court handles everything after 1985.
Legal Help and Self-Help Resources
The Maryland Courts self-help center at mdcourts.gov/selfhelp is a good place to start if you need to file for divorce in Talbot County or want to understand what an existing decree says. Court forms are free at mdcourts.gov/courtforms. The family law help page at mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/family/divorce covers the process and forms in plain English. For general court records questions, see mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/courtrecords.
Income-based filing fee waivers are available in Maryland. Form CC-DC-089 is the waiver request. Ask the clerk's office for a copy or download it from the court forms site. If you need legal advice specific to your situation, legal aid referrals for Talbot County are available through the Maryland courts legal help directory.
Cities and Towns in Talbot County
Easton is the county seat of Talbot County and the location of the Circuit Court. All divorce cases for Talbot County residents are filed and held at the courthouse on N. Washington Street in Easton. Easton does not have a qualifying city page on this site. St. Michaels, Oxford, and Tilghman Island are other communities in Talbot County whose residents also use the Easton courthouse for divorce filings.
Nearby Counties
Talbot County is located on Maryland's Eastern Shore and borders several other counties in the region. If you are not sure which county handled a divorce case, the Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers all Maryland courts and can help you find the right jurisdiction.