How do I find records of divorce dates?

[cdlamis]

My mom is completing her paperwork to become a US citizen. The paperwork is very detailed and time comsuming. They want to know everything!
She has been married to my stepfather for over 20 years and she has to provide the exact date of his divorce from his ex-wife. He doesn't know nor does he have any information. And my mom really doesn't want to call his ex-wife.

So, where can she find this info? Can she call a state departmrent from his home state (Michigan)? She suggested making up a date (they know the year, just not exact month and day) but I told her she doesn't want to mess around with that kind of thing and risk deportation after 30 some years! :)

I told her that I would help her find the info. So, I came running straight here! :)

Thanks!!

[ribbit1019]

Ex-wife probably doesn't know either so I wouldn't consider that. Besides the actual date can vary. In our county it is the filing date that is the official date, others it is when the judge signed the decree and so on.

Most online court records won't go that far back online. So I would recommend calling the county or city in which he was divorced (hopefully he can remember that).

The records dept should be able to retreive the final decree for her. I would get a copy of that to have on hand. Since she needs it as a third party, the formal request will likely have to come from your stepfather.

Really it shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of. It is the records from the sixties and early seventies that are hard, late seventies - 80's shouldn't be that bad.

Christy
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[miki]

I don't have any more advice than what Christy posted but wanted to add that you are definitely right to tell your mom not to fudge the date. If somehow it came up and was construed as a lie, it could snowball into a finding that she is of bad moral character. She doesn't want that and get deported. A lesson I learned years ago when I worked as an intern at the Immigration Court in NYC.