Search Victoria divorce cause books 1861-1938

The divorce cause books include a petitioner’s name and a respondent’s name, as well as the case file number. The original records are handwritten, and each result will include a transcript and an image of the original record.

Transcripts include the following fields:

• First name(s)
• Last name
• Role
• Petition year
• Petitioner’s name
• Respondent’s name
• Case file number
• State
• Country

These divorce cause books cover the year range of 1861 to 1938. Public Records Office Victoria (PROV) holds divorce case records up to 1940. If you are interested in more recent divorce cases, you will need to contact the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The petitioner is the husband or wife who submitted a petition for divorce at the Prothonotary’s Office of the Supreme Court. The individual’s legal representative, called a proctor, could also submit the petition.

Up until 1975, divorce cases in Victoria were heard by the Supreme Court.