Find Cleburne County Family Court Records

Cleburne County family court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Heber Springs and include divorce, custody, child support, juvenile, and related domestic relations cases filed with the 16th Judicial Circuit. Search online through CourtConnect or contact the courthouse on West Main Street for copies.

Circuit Clerk Office

The Cleburne County Circuit Clerk is Heather Smith. The office is at 301 West Main Street, Heber Springs, AR 72543. The phone number is (501) 362-8149. The County Clerk's office, which handles probate and marriage records, is at 310 West Main Street with a separate phone at (501) 362-4620.

The Circuit Clerk maintains records for civil, criminal, domestic relations, and probate cases in Cleburne County. The clerk also serves as ex-officio county recorder. The Recorder of Deeds shares the same address as the Circuit Clerk at 301 West Main Street, with a P.O. Box 543 mailing address.

If you need a certified copy of a divorce decree, custody order, or child support record, call the Circuit Clerk at (501) 362-8149 first. Staff can confirm what records exist, give you a cost estimate, and tell you how to submit payment. Most requests can be handled in person during business hours, Monday through Friday.

The Cleburne County Health Unit at 2319 Highway 110 West, Heber Springs, can assist with vital records services like birth and death certificates. These are different from court records but may be relevant if you need supporting documents for a family law case. The Health Unit phone is (501) 362-7581.

The Arkansas CourtConnect system provides free online access to Cleburne County Circuit Court records including divorce, custody, and child support filings.

Searching Records Online

The main tool for searching Cleburne County family court records online is the statewide Arkansas CourtConnect portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. This system is free and covers all circuit court cases in the state. Cleburne County Circuit Court records are fully available through this portal.

Administrative Order 8 requires every Arkansas circuit court to submit case information to CourtConnect. Cleburne County fully participates. You can search divorce filings, custody orders, child support cases, and other domestic relations records by party name or case number. Results appear quickly and basic case details are shown at no charge.

Administrative Order 19 governs public access to court records in Arkansas. Most circuit court records in Cleburne County are public. However, juvenile case records are sealed and adoption records are confidential. These restricted categories do not appear in CourtConnect searches. If you need access to a sealed record, you must petition the court with a valid reason.

For older records not yet in the digital system, an in-person visit to the courthouse in Heber Springs is the best option. The clerk's staff can assist with historical record searches and can tell you what older files are available for inspection.

Family Court Case Types

Cleburne County Circuit Court handles all domestic relations matters for the 16th Judicial Circuit. Divorce cases follow Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-12-301. Arkansas provides both fault-based and no-fault grounds for divorce. The no-fault option, based on eighteen months of continuous separation, is the most common approach in current filings. The court can also grant divorce based on adultery, physical abuse, habitual drunkenness, and other statutory grounds.

Child custody and visitation cases are decided under § 9-13-101. The best interest of the child standard guides every custody decision. The court evaluates the quality of each parent's relationship with the child, the stability of each home, the parents' ability to communicate and cooperate, the child's adjustment to home and school, and any history of abuse or neglect. Both joint and sole custody arrangements are possible in Cleburne County cases.

Child support is set under § 9-14-107 using the income shares model. The combined gross incomes of both parents determine the base support amount. This is apportioned based on each parent's percentage of the combined income. Health insurance and childcare costs are added on top of the base. The Circuit Clerk maintains the child support registry and can provide payment records for court purposes.

Juvenile court handles dependency-neglect, abuse, and delinquency matters under § 9-27-309. All juvenile records are sealed. Adoption records are sealed under § 9-9-217. Neither type of file is accessible to the general public. Other family law case types in Cleburne County include paternity establishment, domestic abuse protective orders, guardianship of minors, and post-decree modifications of custody or support orders.

Fees and Copy Costs

Filing a new domestic relations case in Cleburne County costs $165.00. Reopening a closed case costs $50.00. Summons service fees are $2.50 per person. These are the standard state filing fees applied across all Arkansas circuit courts.

Standard document copies cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. For mail requests, include a self-addressed stamped envelope and prepaid payment. Call (501) 362-8149 to confirm the fee amount and acceptable payment methods before sending a request by mail.

Searching CourtConnect online is free. No account or login is required to search basic case information. Fees only apply when you need physical or certified copies of court documents.

Legal Help

Free legal help for eligible Cleburne County residents is available through the Center for Arkansas Legal Services at arjustice.org. CALS provides free civil legal assistance for divorce, custody, child support, and protective order cases for those who meet income requirements.

The Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation maintains a statewide directory of legal aid programs at arkansasjustice.org. Programs serving the Heber Springs area and the 16th Judicial Circuit region are listed there.

Self-help resources for court filers are available from the Arkansas Judiciary at arcourts.gov/directories/resources. Court forms, procedural guides, and links to legal aid programs are all accessible at no charge. The Circuit Clerk in Heber Springs can identify which forms you need but cannot advise you on how to handle your case.

Nearby Counties

Cleburne County is in north-central Arkansas in the 16th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Fulton County. The following counties are nearby.