Hancock County Family Court Records
Hancock County family court records are on file with the Circuit Clerk in Carthage, Illinois. The county has roughly 17,000 residents in western Illinois, along the Mississippi River. Family court case files include divorce, custody, child support, and orders of protection. Hancock County is part of the Judici online case search system, so you can look up basic case data for free. When you need copies or certified documents, the Circuit Clerk's office in Carthage handles those requests. This page explains how to search for and get family court records in Hancock County.
Hancock County Quick Facts
Hancock County Circuit Clerk
The Hancock County Circuit Clerk is in charge of all court records for the county. The office is at the Hancock County Courthouse in Carthage. Family law cases, including divorce and custody, are filed here. The clerk stores all records and provides copies to the public upon request.
Visit the office in person for the quickest service. Bring a case number or party name. The clerk will search for the file and pull it so you can look through it. Copies are made at the counter. If you cannot visit Carthage, send a written request by mail. Include all the case info you have along with payment. The Illinois Circuit Court Clerks directory has the current mailing address and phone number for Hancock County.
Search Hancock County Records Online
Hancock County is on Judici, the free public case search tool used by 82 Illinois counties. Go to the Judici website, select Hancock County, and search by name or case number. You will see party names, docket entries, hearing dates, and case minutes. Family court records are part of the searchable database.
Judici is a useful starting point, but it does not always show the full text of court documents. Docket entries describe what was filed or what happened, but you may not be able to read the actual petition or order online. For the complete document, you need to contact the clerk. The Re:SearchIL portal is a second option for e-filed cases. It charges $0.10 per page, capped at $3 per document.
The screenshot below shows the family law resources page from the Illinois Courts, which links to forms and guides relevant to Hancock County family court cases.
This page gathers self-help materials, court forms, and information on family law procedures used throughout Illinois.
Fees for Hancock County Family Records
Fees in Hancock County follow 705 ILCS 105, the Clerks of Courts Act. The first page of a copy costs $2. Pages two through twenty are $0.50 each. Pages after twenty cost $0.25 each. A certified copy adds $6 per document for the certification.
If the clerk has to do a name-based search without a case number, the fee can be up to $6 per year searched. Looking up the case on Judici first can save you this charge.
Hancock County Family Case Types
The family court records in Hancock County cover divorce, custody, child support, and protective orders. Divorce cases follow 750 ILCS 5, the state law that governs marriage dissolution. A divorce file in Hancock County will typically include the petition, financial statements, parenting plans when children are involved, and the final judgment of dissolution.
Custody cases are called allocation of parental responsibilities in Illinois. These records lay out how parenting time and decision-making were divided between the parents. Child support case files document the payment amounts and any later changes to those amounts. Orders of protection are filed when someone needs the court to protect them from a family or household member.
Note: Juvenile and adoption records in Hancock County are not available to the public under Illinois law.
Public Access in Hancock County
Most family court records in Hancock County are open to the public under 5 ILCS 160. You do not need to be part of the case to see the file. Walk in, give the clerk a case number or party name, and ask to review it. The clerk will pull the file.
Restrictions apply to certain records. Sealed files do not appear in searches. Juvenile and adoption records are always restricted. Personal details like Social Security numbers are redacted from public copies. But for standard divorce and custody cases, the records at the Hancock County Circuit Clerk are accessible to anyone.
Legal Resources for Hancock County
Illinois Legal Aid Online has free guides on divorce, custody, child support, and court record access. You can learn step by step how to navigate family court issues. Their page on getting court records covers the process for any Illinois county.
Illinois Court Help offers live chat. Staff can help with forms and explain what steps to take. Both resources are free and work for Hancock County residents dealing with family court matters on their own.
Nearby Counties
Hancock County is on the western edge of Illinois. Neighboring counties maintain their own family court records through their Circuit Clerks.