Franklin County Family Court Records

Franklin County family court records cover divorce, custody, child support, and other domestic relations cases filed with the 12th Judicial Circuit. The county has two courthouse locations in Ozark and Charleston. Records are searchable online through the Arkansas CourtConnect portal or available in person at either courthouse.

Circuit Clerk Offices

Franklin County maintains a dual county seat system, which is one of a small number of Arkansas counties to do so. The primary courthouse is in Ozark at 211 West Commercial Street, Ozark, AR 72949. The phone number for the Ozark division is (479) 667-3607. The secondary courthouse is in Charleston at 101 West Laurel Street, Charleston, AR 72933. Charleston serves the eastern portion of the county.

The Circuit Clerk handles all filings for civil, criminal, domestic relations, and juvenile cases across both locations. The Ozark courthouse also handles vital records inquiries. Marriage licenses in Franklin County are issued by the Franklin County Clerk at 211 West Commercial Street, Ozark. The marriage license fee is $60, or $25 if the couple completes a premarital counseling program. Birth and death certificates come from the Arkansas Department of Health, not the county courthouse.

If you need a certified copy of a divorce decree or custody order from Franklin County, call the Ozark courthouse at (479) 667-3607 first. Staff can confirm which courthouse handled the case and provide fee information. For older cases, knowing which part of the county the parties were from can help you identify which courthouse location to contact.

Franklin County is one of only a few Arkansas counties that still maintains two fully functional county seats. The split reflects the county's geography and has been in place for many years. Both courthouses are staffed and handle the same types of cases based on geographic location within the county.

The Arkansas CourtConnect system provides full online access to Franklin County Circuit Court records from both the Ozark and Charleston courthouse divisions.

Searching Franklin County Records Online

Franklin County circuit court records are available through the statewide Arkansas CourtConnect portal at caseinfo.arcourts.gov. This free system covers all Arkansas circuit courts. You can search by party name or case number. Records from both the Ozark and Charleston courthouse divisions are included.

Administrative Order 8 requires all Arkansas circuit courts to report case data to CourtConnect. Franklin County fully participates. Domestic relations cases including divorce, custody, and child support filings are all included in the system. A name search will return all matching cases from both courthouse locations within the county.

Administrative Order 19 governs public access to Arkansas court records. Most civil and domestic relations records in Franklin County are publicly accessible. Juvenile records are sealed and cannot be viewed without a court order. Adoption records are confidential. These restrictions apply to both the online portal and in-person access at either courthouse.

For records predating the digital system, in-person research at the appropriate courthouse in Ozark or Charleston is required. Staff at either location can help identify what historical records exist and how to access them. Very old records may be in paper form only and may require advance notice to retrieve.

Family Court Case Types

Franklin County Circuit Court handles all domestic relations matters for the 12th Judicial Circuit. Divorce cases are filed under Arkansas Code Annotated § 9-12-301. Arkansas law allows divorce on several grounds. The most common in current filings is eighteen months of continuous separation, which does not require proving fault by either party. Fault grounds including adultery, physical abuse, habitual drunkenness, and general indignities are also available if a party chooses to use them.

Child custody and visitation matters are governed by § 9-13-101. Courts decide custody disputes using the best interest of the child standard. The judge considers each parent's relationship with and involvement in the child's life, the stability of each parent's home, each parent's mental and physical health, the child's school and community ties, and any history of domestic violence or abuse. Joint and sole custody arrangements are both possible.

Child support is calculated under § 9-14-107 using the income shares model. The court combines both parents' gross monthly incomes and uses Arkansas's family support guidelines to calculate the base support amount. This total is then divided between the parents based on each one's proportional share of the combined income. Health insurance and childcare costs are added on top of the base. The Circuit Clerk maintains the child support registry for Franklin County and can provide payment records.

Juvenile court proceedings are handled under § 9-27-309. All juvenile records are sealed by law. Adoption cases are confidential under § 9-9-217. Neither category is accessible to the public without a court order. Other domestic relations case types in Franklin County include paternity establishment, domestic violence protective orders, guardianship of minors, and modifications to prior custody or support orders.

Fees and Copy Costs

Filing a new domestic relations case in Franklin County costs $165.00. Reopening a case costs $50.00. Summons service fees are $2.50 per party. Marriage license fees are $60 (or $25 with premarital counseling completion). These fees apply at both the Ozark and Charleston courthouse locations.

Standard copies of court documents cost $0.50 per page. Certified copies are $5.00 per document. For mail requests, send a self-addressed stamped envelope and prepaid payment to the appropriate courthouse. Call (479) 667-3607 in Ozark to confirm which location has your record and what the fee will be before mailing payment.

Online searches through CourtConnect are free. No account or payment is needed to search basic case information. Fees only apply when you request physical or certified copies from a clerk's office.

Legal Help

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

The Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation provides a directory of legal aid programs serving western Arkansas at arkansasjustice.org. Programs covering the Ozark and Charleston areas of Franklin County are listed there.

Self-help court resources including forms and procedural guides are available from the Arkansas Judiciary at arcourts.gov/directories/resources. Court staff at either Franklin County courthouse can identify which forms you need but cannot provide legal advice about your case.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County is in the Arkansas River Valley in the 12th Judicial Circuit. The following neighboring counties each have their own Circuit Clerk offices.