Cleveland County Family Court Records

Cleveland County family court records are filed with the Circuit Clerk in Rison and cover divorce, custody, child support, paternity, and juvenile matters handled by the 11th Judicial Circuit. Search online through CourtConnect or contact the courthouse on Magnolia Street for document copies and certified records.

Circuit Clerk Office

The Cleveland County Circuit Clerk is Brandy Herring. The office is at 20 Magnolia Street, Rison, AR 71665. The mailing address is P.O. Box 348, Rison, AR 71665. Call the office at (870) 325-6521. Standard hours are Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

The Circuit Clerk maintains records for civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate, and juvenile cases in Cleveland County. This small county in south-central Arkansas was created on April 17, 1873 from parts of Dallas, Bradley, Jefferson, and Lincoln Counties. The county seat, Rison, is a small community, and the courthouse serves all of the county's circuit court needs.

The County Clerk, which maintains marriage and probate records separately, is at 20 East Magnolia Street, Rison, AR 71665. That office can be reached at (870) 325-6514. If you need a marriage record or probate file rather than a family court record, the County Clerk is the right contact.

For a certified copy of a divorce decree or custody order, contact the Circuit Clerk at (870) 325-6521. Have the case number or parties' names ready. The clerk can confirm whether the record exists and give you a cost estimate before you pay. Records requested by mail need a self-addressed stamped envelope and prepaid payment.

Searching Records Online

Cleveland County circuit court records are available through the statewide Arkansas CourtConnect portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. This system is free and covers all Arkansas circuit court cases. Under Administrative Order 8, Cleveland County Circuit Court submits case data to CourtConnect, and full case information is available for most records in the system.

The Arkansas CourtConnect portal provides free online access to Cleveland County family court records including divorce, custody, and child support cases.

The AR Court Kiosk system at arcourtkiosk.org also includes Cleveland County as an access point. Public access terminals may be available at the courthouse in Rison for residents who prefer in-person access to digital records. The same state system reports to both platforms under Administrative Order 8.

The Cleveland County Court Kiosk provides another access point for searching domestic relations and other circuit court records.

Administrative Order 19 sets the rules for what court records can be released. Most civil and domestic relations records in Cleveland County are public. Juvenile records are sealed. Adoption records are confidential. These restrictions apply both to online searches and in-person requests at the Rison courthouse.

Family Court Case Types

Cleveland County Circuit Court handles all domestic relations matters in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Divorce cases follow Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-12-301. Grounds include the no-fault option of eighteen months of continuous separation or fault-based grounds such as adultery, physical abuse, habitual drunkenness, and general indignities. Most current filings use the separation ground because it does not require proving wrongdoing by either party.

Custody and visitation cases are decided under § 9-13-101. The court applies the best interest of the child standard. Relevant factors include each parent's relationship with the child, the stability of each home, each parent's willingness to support the other's relationship with the child, and any history of domestic violence or abuse. Judges can order sole custody, joint legal custody, joint physical custody, or a combination depending on what serves the child best.

Child support is calculated under § 9-14-107. Arkansas uses the income shares model, combining both parents' gross monthly incomes to determine the base support obligation. The court allocates this amount proportionally between parents based on their relative incomes. Childcare and health insurance costs are added to the base. The Circuit Clerk in Rison keeps the child support payment registry for Cleveland County cases.

Juvenile proceedings are governed by § 9-27-309. All juvenile records are sealed by law and are not accessible to the public. Adoption records are confidential under § 9-9-217. To access sealed records, you need a court order. Other case types include paternity establishment, domestic violence protective orders, guardianship of minors, and modifications of prior custody or support orders when circumstances change significantly.

Fees and Copy Costs

New domestic relations filings in Cleveland County cost $165.00. Reopening a case costs $50.00. Summons fees run $2.50 per party. These are the standard state fees used across all Arkansas circuit courts.

Standard copies are $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. For mail requests, send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your payment. Call (870) 325-6521 to get a fee estimate before sending a request.

Searching CourtConnect online is free. No fee applies to view basic case information through the portal. Fees are only charged when you request physical or certified documents from the Circuit Clerk's office.

Legal Help

Free legal assistance is available to eligible Cleveland County residents through the Center for Arkansas Legal Services. Apply at arjustice.org. CALS helps with divorce, custody, child support, and protective order cases for those who qualify based on income.

The Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation coordinates legal aid resources statewide at arkansasjustice.org. Programs serving south-central Arkansas and the Cleveland County area are listed on the site.

Self-help court forms and procedural guides are available through the Arkansas Judiciary at arcourts.gov/directories/resources. The Circuit Clerk's staff can tell you which forms apply to your type of case but cannot give legal advice.

Nearby Counties

Cleveland County is in south-central Arkansas, part of the 11th Judicial Circuit along with Desha County. The following neighboring counties each have their own Circuit Clerk offices.