What Divorce Documents to Keep in Pennsylvania

Your divorce generated a stack of paperwork. Some of it you will need for decades — for Social Security claims, property sales, and retirement account divisions. Some of it you can safely shred. Here is exactly what to keep, how long to keep it, and how to get additional certified copies if you need them.

Documents to Keep Permanently

Certified divorce decree (with raised court seal). This is the single most important document. You will need certified copies — not photocopies — for name changes, property transfers, passport applications, Social Security claims, and remarriage license applications. The decree must carry the county Prothonotary's raised seal to be accepted by government agencies.

Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA) or Property Settlement Agreement. This governs asset division, support obligations, and custody terms. If your ex-spouse fails to comply with any term — transferring a deed, dividing a retirement account, maintaining insurance coverage — this document is the basis for an enforcement motion. Keep the original indefinitely.

Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) or Approved Domestic Relations Order (ADRO). If retirement accounts were divided, the plan administrator keeps a copy, but you need your own. SERS and PSERS pension divisions may not pay out for years or decades — you need the order when the participant spouse retires.

Court-entered custody order. If children are involved, keep every version of the custody order, including modifications. Schools, doctors, and travel authorities (especially for international travel) may require proof of custody arrangements.

Documents to Keep for 7 to 10 Years

Joint tax returns filed during the marriage. The IRS statute of limitations is generally three years for audits, six years if income was substantially understated, and unlimited for fraud. Keep joint returns for at least seven years to cover all scenarios.

Financial disclosure statements and asset valuations. These document the basis for equitable distribution. If a dispute arises about whether assets were properly disclosed, these records are your evidence.

Capital improvement records for the marital home. If one spouse kept the house, records of improvements (new roof, kitchen renovation, additions) increase the cost basis and reduce capital gains tax when the home is eventually sold. The IRS Section 121 exclusion covers up to $250,000 in gains for single filers, but you may need these records to prove your basis exceeds the sale price minus the exclusion.

Documents to Keep Until the Obligation Ends

Child support and alimony payment records. Keep records of every payment made or received — bank statements, canceled checks, Domestic Relations Section ledgers — until the obligation terminates. If a dispute arises about arrears, your records are the first line of evidence.

Health insurance enrollment confirmations. Keep proof of your Pennie enrollment or COBRA election until you have stable, individual coverage and no longer need to prove continuous coverage.

How to Get Certified Copies of Your Divorce Decree

Contact the Prothonotary's office in the county where your divorce was filed. Fees vary by county — typically $5 to $15 per certified copy. You will need to provide the case number and the names of both parties.

Request at least four to five certified copies upfront. Each agency that requires proof of divorce (SSA, PennDOT, passport office, Recorder of Deeds, retirement plan administrators) typically wants its own certified copy. Ordering extras now saves you a return trip.

If you cannot locate the county or case number, you can search the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System's online docket portal using both parties' names.

What You Can Safely Discard

Drafts and unsigned versions of agreements can go once the final signed version is in hand. Correspondence with your attorney is generally not needed after the case closes, unless you anticipate a malpractice claim. Temporary court orders that were superseded by the final decree can be discarded once the final order is confirmed.

The Pennsylvania After-Divorce Checklist includes a document retention worksheet so you can track exactly which originals and certified copies you have, which you still need, and where each one is stored.

See more Pennsylvania guides →