German courts have lost my divorce decree - now what?

[Mokles&Uschi 0]

OMG! I'm new here so please pardon me if I'm in the wrong forum. I am at my wits end - and need help, advice, a miracle??

I need a copy of my German fineal divorce decree - granted in 1974. I contacted the German civil authorities and was told that after inquiry in the German archives where the divorce was finalized, it could not be found, the whereabouts of my file are unknown. I was also told that because so much time had passed, it is more than likely that the documents have been destroyed. I requested this in writing on official letterhead and submitted that document to USCIS along with along with the usual required documents and certifcates (as they pertain to my case).

USCIS sent back an RFE demanding a legible copy of a final divorce decree signed by a judge or magistrate. They acknowledged the letter sent to me by the German civil authorities, but said that it is not proof a final divorce.

I contacted the German civil authorities again and requesterd another search be performed. I got the same result - no final divorce decree could be located and the whereabouts of my file are unknown. However, this time there was also a search into the Civil Register and there they found a notice that divorce proceedings were entered and registered there in 1974. The actual file and anything it contained remains missing -- or has been destroyed.

Now what? How do you obtain a document of something that doesn't exist anywhere, anymore? I'm short on funds, short on time, and at this point...so very short on hope that this situation will have a happy ending. Every door seems to have been slammed in my face. I'm very short on funds so I can't perform a person search to look for the ex - and seriously, I don't even want to do that. I wouldn't know where to begin.

Has anyone ever run into this kind of problem? I'm open to suggestions. Or maybe this is a lost cause altogether?

[Penguin_ie 5,996]

** Moving from DCF to Eruope forum for country specific answers ***

Did you ever have a copy of the divorce decree previously, and maybe used it for something such as getting a mortgage or in child custody proceedings etc? Ie might there be a lawyer or a bank or someone who has a copy?

If not, can the German civil authorities give you a piece of paper saying they have a record of you being divorced (as opposed to jsut saying the decree is lost)?