Union County Family Court Records
Union County family court records are maintained at the Circuit Clerk's office in Jonesboro, Illinois. If you need to find divorce filings, custody cases, child support orders, or other domestic relations records in Union County, the clerk's office is the place to start. You can search for case data online through the Judici portal at no cost. The clerk also takes walk-in and mail requests for copies. Union County is a small, rural county in southern Illinois, but it handles a full range of family court matters just like any other county in the state.
Union County Quick Facts
Union County Circuit Clerk Office
The Union County Circuit Clerk handles all family court records filed in the county. The office sits in the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro. This is where divorce petitions get filed, custody orders are stored, and child support records are kept. You can walk in and ask to see any public case file. Give the staff a case number or a name, and they will search their records for you.
Mail requests work too. Send a letter to the Circuit Clerk at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro, IL. Include the case number or names of the parties, and send a check for the copy fees. The clerk will mail copies back to you. In a county this size, things tend to move fast. You probably will not wait long for a response.
Call ahead if you plan to visit. Staff can tell you if the file is ready to view or if they need time to pull it.
Search Union County Court Records Online
Union County is one of 82 Illinois counties on the Judici case search system. The portal is free for public use. Go to the site, pick Union County, and search by party name or case number. Results show docket entries, hearing dates, case status, and party names. This makes it easy to check the status of a family court case without leaving home.
Judici does not show the full text of court documents. You will see entries that note when a divorce petition was filed or when a judge signed an order, but you cannot read the actual document online. For that, you can try the Re:SearchIL portal. This state-run system hosts documents filed through eFileIL. It charges $0.10 per page, with a $3 cap per document. Newer Union County cases that were e-filed should be on there.
The Illinois Legal Aid Online site explains how to get copies of court records across the state, including Union County.
This resource breaks down each step for requesting records in person, online, or by mail.
Note: Online records may be incomplete for older cases filed before the e-filing system was in place.
Fees for Union County Family Court Records
Copy fees in Union County follow the statewide schedule under 705 ILCS 105, the Clerks of Courts Act. The first page costs $2. Pages two through twenty are $0.50 each. Every page after that is $0.25. If you need a certified copy, add $6 per document for the certification stamp.
The clerk may charge a search fee of up to $6 per year if you ask them to look up records without a case number. Viewing case info on Judici is free. You only pay when you want paper copies or certified documents from the clerk's office.
What Union County Family Records Include
Family court records in Union County cover divorce cases, custody matters, child support filings, and orders of protection. A divorce file typically holds the original petition, financial disclosures, a parenting plan if children are involved, and the final dissolution judgment. Custody cases contain allocation of parental responsibilities orders and parenting time schedules.
All family law cases in Union County follow the rules in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act (750 ILCS 5). This state law governs how divorce, custody, and support cases proceed from filing through final judgment. It applies in every county, including Union.
Some records are not public. Juvenile cases and adoption records are restricted. Sealed files will not show up in any search. Documents with Social Security numbers or bank account details are usually redacted before public access is granted.
Legal Resources for Union County
Illinois Legal Aid Online has free guides on family law topics like divorce, custody, and child support. The site covers the steps you need to take to file or respond to a case. It also has a page that walks you through getting copies of court records in Illinois.
The Illinois Court Help portal gives live chat support for people who have questions about court forms and procedures. If you are handling a family case on your own in Union County, this is a helpful tool. E-filing is required for most civil cases now, and you can file through eFileIL.
Public Access to Union County Court Files
Most family court records in Union County are open to the public. Under 5 ILCS 160, the State Records Act, anyone can request access to public records. You do not have to be part of the case. Walk into the clerk's office, provide a name or case number, and ask to review the file.
There are exceptions. Judges can seal records when there is a strong reason for privacy. Domestic violence cases sometimes get extra protection. Juvenile and adoption files are always restricted. But standard divorce and custody records in Union County are available for public viewing. Final judgments and court orders are almost always accessible.
Nearby Counties
If the case you need was not filed in Union County, you will need to reach out to the correct county's Circuit Clerk. Here are counties close to Union County: