Dallas County Family Court Records

Dallas County family court records are maintained by the Circuit Clerk in Fordyce and include divorce, custody, child support, and other domestic relations cases filed with the 9th Judicial Circuit. You can search records online through CourtConnect for free or contact the courthouse on West Third Street for copies and certified documents.

Circuit Clerk Office

The Dallas County Circuit Clerk is Dori Keeton. The office is at 206 West Third Street, Fordyce, AR 71742. You can reach the office at (870) 352-2307. Hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

The Circuit Clerk maintains records for civil, criminal, domestic relations, and probate cases in Dallas County. The clerk also serves as the ex-officio county recorder for land records and other property instruments. Dallas County was created January 1, 1845. Marriage records date from 1855 and land records from 1845. Divorce and court records are held by the Circuit Clerk.

If you need a certified copy of a family court order or a divorce decree, contact the clerk at (870) 352-2307. Staff can confirm what records are on file and give you a cost estimate before you pay. For mail requests, ask the clerk about what information to include and whether to send payment in advance.

The 9th Judicial Circuit also covers Clark County. If you have a case that touches both counties, you may need to contact clerks in both Fordyce and Arkadelphia depending on where the case was filed. CourtConnect covers both counties and a name search will show you where records exist.

Searching Dallas County Records

Dallas County circuit court records are available online through the Arkansas CourtConnect system at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. This statewide portal is free and covers all circuit court cases in Arkansas. You can search by party name or case number to find domestic relations records from Fordyce.

The Dallas County land records system at arcountyrecords.com provides indexed data from September 1997 with new records added in real time. Advanced search options include name, instrument type, and legal description.

Under Administrative Order 8, all Arkansas circuit courts submit case information to CourtConnect. Dallas County is included. Full case information is available through the portal for most Dallas County circuit court records, including domestic relations matters like divorce, custody, and child support cases.

The Arkansas CourtConnect portal covers Dallas County Circuit Court records including domestic relations filings handled by the 9th Judicial Circuit in Fordyce.

Administrative Order 19 governs public access to court records. Most Dallas County circuit court records are public. Juvenile records are sealed. Adoption records are confidential. These restrictions apply to both online searches and in-person requests at the Fordyce courthouse. For older cases predating digital records, a visit to the courthouse is needed.

Family Court Case Types

Dallas County Circuit Court handles all domestic relations matters for the 9th Judicial Circuit covering Fordyce. Divorce filings follow Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-12-301. The most common ground used in current cases is eighteen months of continuous separation. This no-fault ground is straightforward and requires no finding of wrongdoing on either side. Fault-based grounds including adultery, physical abuse, and general indignities are also available under Arkansas law.

Custody and visitation disputes are resolved under § 9-13-101. Courts use the best interest of the child standard. The judge considers each parent's relationship with the child, the stability of each home, the child's existing school and community ties, each parent's physical and mental health, and any history of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. Parents may submit a mutually agreed parenting plan to the court for approval if they reach a custody agreement on their own.

Child support is calculated under § 9-14-107 using the income shares model. Arkansas takes the combined gross monthly incomes of both parents and uses them to calculate the total child support obligation. This total is then divided between the parents based on each one's proportional share of the combined income. Health insurance premiums and work-related childcare costs are added to the base amount. The Circuit Clerk manages the child support payment registry for Dallas County cases.

Juvenile proceedings, including delinquency, dependency-neglect, and abuse cases, are filed under § 9-27-309. All juvenile records are sealed and not accessible to the public. Adoption records are confidential under § 9-9-217. Access to sealed records requires a court order. Additional case types in the domestic relations division include paternity establishment, domestic abuse protective orders, guardianship petitions, and modification of prior custody or support orders.

Fees and Copy Costs

A new domestic relations filing in Dallas County costs $165.00. Reopening a case costs $50.00. Summons service fees run $2.50 per party. These are the standard state fees for all Arkansas circuit courts.

Standard copies cost $0.50 per page for documents made at the courthouse. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. For mail requests, include a self-addressed stamped envelope and prepaid payment. Call (870) 352-2307 to confirm the exact fee before submitting a mail request.

Searching CourtConnect online is free. No fee is needed to view basic case information through the portal. Fees only apply when requesting physical or certified copies from the clerk's office in Fordyce.

Legal Help

Free legal help for eligible Dallas 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. Resources serving south-central Arkansas and the Fordyce area are listed there.

Self-help court resources are available from the Arkansas Judiciary at arcourts.gov/directories/resources. Court forms, filing guides, and links to legal aid programs are all available at no cost. The Circuit Clerk staff in Fordyce can point you to the right forms but cannot give legal advice about your case.

Nearby Counties

Dallas County is in south-central Arkansas in the 9th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Clark County. The following neighboring counties each have their own Circuit Clerk offices.