Erie County
Erie County is located along the shore of Lake Erie, west of New York. Buffalo, which is its county seat, makes up 28% of the county's population. Erie County was named after the regional Iroquoian language-speaking Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived in the area before 1654 and were conquered by more powerful Iroquoian nations tribes. Erie County together with Niagara County, make up the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area which is the second largest area in the state besides New York City.
A County Court, Surrogate's Court, Family Court, Supreme Courts, City Courts (Buffalo, Lackawanna, and Tonawanda), and Town Courts and Village Courts make up Erie County's court system.
The county's Surrogate's Court presides over probate cases, administration of estates, guardianship matters as regards minors and incapacitated adults, and adoptions. The court's duties also involve the safekeeping of wills and dispute resolution through negotiations or mediations over estates and wills.
The Family Court has some key roles in the Erie County Judicial system. They attend to the following cases:
- Juvenile delinquency
- Child custody, support and visitation
- Adoption and parental rights termination
- Child abuse and neglect
- Domestic violence and Protection Orders
- Supervision of minors on truancy and substance abuse cases
The Erie County Court serves the people of Erie County, administering justice by handling both civil and criminal cases.
The City Courts handle small claims, commercial claims, civil cases, landlord-tenant evictions, and traffic violation cases within the city they are located. They have specialized treatment courts such as the drug court, housing court, and criminal court.
The Supreme Courts are saddled with the responsibility of handling civil and criminal cases, They serve as courts of appeal reviewing court decisions from lower courts such as the family court and county court. They have specialized divisions such as:
- Integrated Domestic Violence Division
- Matrimonial Division
- Commercial Division
They deal with domestic violence, divorce or family law, and complex commercial disputes respectively.
Documented records of actions and proceedings occurring within the courts at Erie County are filed and kept for recordkeeping purposes. The Erie County Clerk, who is also the Clerk of Court of Supreme Courts and County Court in Erie County, is the legal custodian of all court records in the county. You can visit the Clerk's Office to access court records at publicly accessible terminals at:
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
The following court records are unsealed in Erie County:
- Civil records
- Criminal records
- Divorce records
- Probate records
You will be able to search public court records on the Erie County Clerk Public Record Search page. You can do a basic (search by name), advanced (refine your search), registered user (view, save, and print images), and browserview search on this website. You can request for copies by mail, in person, and online and also view the costs for obtaining copies or conducting searches. You may also visit the New York Judiciary State Courts Electronic Filing System (NYSCEF) to access court records where you have the option to search as a guest with no login details. Lastly, you can view a court record by visiting the courthouse where the case was filed.
