Residency Requirements:
In order to file for divorce in Missouri, either spouse must have been
a resident of Missouri for 90 days before filing.
Legal Separation:
Legal separation provisions include an irretrievable breakdown of
the marriage which may include adultery, abandonment for six months,
separation for 12 months before filing a petition for divorce, spousal
behavior that the other spouse cannot reasonably be expected to live with,
living separate and apart continuously for 24 months, with one of the
spouses a resident of Missouri for 90 days before filing for legal
separation.
General Divorce Procedure:
Settlement agreements are expressly authorized, and both spouses may
file jointly, each spouse titled as “co-petitioner”. Some counties have
approved pre-printed forms that may be used for filing, available through
the court clerk.
Title of Divorce action:
Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.
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Grounds for Missouri Divorce:
The only no-fault or fault-based ground for divorce in Missouri is
the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage with no reasonable likelihood
that the marriage can be saved.
Mediation or Counseling:
The court, at its own initiative, may delay the proceedings for 30-180
days so the spouses may seek counseling.
If a divorce is pending, either party may file a motion requesting
mediation of their disputed issues. The parties may choose to submit
any or all of their issues to mediation prior to the initiation of
divorce proceedings, in order that they may proceed on an uncontested
basis.
Rights to Maiden Name:
Either spouse may petition the court for the name change, and a public
notice of any name change must be published in the local newspaper in the
county where the person resides.
Go to "Change Name" service
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