Quick Overview
- Family court records - covering divorce, custody, child support, domestic violence, and child welfare proceedings - are among the most sensitive categories of court records. Most states restrict public access to family court files to protect children and encourage candor in sensitive proceedings. Yet some family court information does reach the internet, often through court portal name search indexes, vital statistics records, or news coverage. When family court information appears in Google, it can create serious privacy and safety concerns.
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Which Family Court Records Are Restricted?
By category:
- Divorce: The fact of filing and final decree are often public; detailed financial and custody file contents are frequently restricted
- Child custody and support: Generally restricted to protect children's privacy in most states
- Domestic violence and TRO: Protective orders themselves are often public (for enforcement purposes); underlying petition and file may be restricted
- Child abuse/neglect (DCFS): Confidential in virtually all states
- Adoption: Sealed in nearly all states
- Juvenile delinquency: Sealed in most states
- Guardianship: Varies by state, often restricted
How Family Court Information Appears Online
- Court portal case indexes: Many courts include divorce case numbers and party names in their public indexes even when the file itself is restricted
- Vital statistics records: Marriage and divorce records maintained by state health departments appear in data broker databases
- News coverage: High-profile custody and divorce cases receive coverage that can stay indexed online
- Public filings within restricted cases: Some documents in otherwise restricted family court cases may be publicly filed (certain protective orders, judgment of divorce)
Removing Family Court Information from the Internet
- Court portal: If case index information appears publicly, contact the court clerk to confirm what should be restricted under your state's family court rules
- Data broker opt-outs: Remove marriage/divorce data from people-search sites that draw from vital statistics
- Seal motion: For particularly sensitive cases, petition to seal the case file or specific documents
- Safety-based de-indexing: For domestic violence cases, Google has provisions for removing information that poses safety risks
- Publication outreach: For news articles, contact the outlet with context and a request for removal or de-indexing
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Frequently Asked Questions
Generally no - family court records are more restricted than other types of court records in most US states. Custody, child support, child abuse, and adoption records are typically confidential. Divorce records occupy a middle ground - the fact of divorce is often public but detailed file contents may be restricted. The level of restriction varies significantly by state. Contact your state's family court or consult with a family law attorney for specific rules.
Start by identifying the source appearing in Google - court portal, data broker site, news article, or vital statistics database. For court portals showing case index information, contact the court clerk. For data broker sites, submit opt-out requests. For domestic violence situations where personal safety is at risk, Google has specific provisions for removing information posing safety risks. For news coverage, contact the publication directly with a privacy or safety-based request.
Portions of custody proceedings - particularly sensitive evaluations, reports, or documents containing children's identifying information - can be sealed by court order. Courts are more willing to seal documents within family court cases than in general civil litigation, given the protective purposes of family court confidentiality. The final custody order itself, being a publicly enforceable document, may need a more targeted sealing request.
Domestic violence protective orders (TROs, restraining orders) are generally public records because their enforcement depends on law enforcement and courts being able to verify them. The underlying petition and file supporting the order may be more restricted. Some states limit online searchability of protective orders for victim safety reasons. If you are a victim with safety concerns about the accessibility of court records related to your case, consult with a victim advocate or attorney.
Divorce information typically reaches Google through court portals and data broker sites. Addressing data broker sites (Spokeo, BeenVerified, etc.) through opt-out requests can remove marriage/divorce information from those specific platforms. For court portals, the case index may be publicly visible even if the file itself is restricted - contact the court clerk about whether your state's family court confidentiality rules apply. Google de-indexing requests can target specific pages displaying sensitive information.
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