Private Matter, Public Knowledge
If you’re going through a divorce in Okmulgee, there are ways you can protect your privacy. You may not want people to be able to access records of your divorce for one reason or another. Maybe you don’t want certain people in your future knowing you had a divorce, or maybe you just want to keep the details private. An Okmulgee divorce attorney can help you protect your privacy.
What you may not know is the civil records filed with the court are generally public, which means they are available at the courthouse in the county where the case took place. They are also often available online at sites like oscn.net and odcr.com. This means that anyone can get these records from the Internet or the courthouse.
Protecting Your Privacy
Certain civil records aren’t public, such as adoptions, guardianships, and deprived child cases. These records are sealed. You may still be able to have your civil record sealed when it doesn’t fall in a category that is automatically sealed. However, this is rare. Technically, it is possible for a judge to agree to seal your divorce record, but it’s unlikely. You’d probably have to prove that the record contains sensitive information that shouldn’t be available to the public.
Another option for protecting your privacy in an Okmulgee divorce is something that you and your spouse would have to agree on prior to filing. You’d both have to agree to file in a county that you don’t reside in. This is possible as long as it’s mutual. If you choose a small, obscure county, your records may be less accessible.
However, it’s important to note that online records are available for every county, so someone doesn’t have to know what county you filed in to find the record. This approach works best when you want to make the physical record harder to access.
Perhaps the best and simplest way to keep your divorce record private is to alter your name on the record. While your legal name has to be used in the documents, you can use a variation of it on the official listing. One way to do this is to use your first initial and your last name. This is especially useful if you have a common last name.
Another approach is to use the names Jane and John Doe. These are the only aliases you can use. You can’t use just any made-up name. While this is not often seen, another possibility is to use just the first part of your last name. For example, if your last name is Carter, you may be able to abbreviate it to Car.
These are your options for protecting your privacy when getting a divorce in Okmulgee. Whether you try to get the record sealed, file in a different county, or alter your name, you may be able to make your divorce record less accessible.
Low-cost Consultation with an Okmulgee Divorce Attorney
If you’re going through a divorce, you should consult with an experienced divorce attorney at Wirth Law Office – Okmulgee. They can also answer your questions about divorce records and privacy. For a low-cost consultation, call (918) 756-9600 or fill out the form at the top of this page.
