St. Louis, Missouri Divorce Resources

Note: This is a work in progress. Come back soon for more information.

Missouri Divorce/Dissolution of Marriage – General Law

• Domestic Relations Statutes: http://www.moga.state.mo.us/STATUTES/STATUTES.HTM#T30
• Missouri Appellate Case Law: http://www.osca.state.mo.us/courts/pubopinions.nsf/CCD96539C3FB13CE8625661F004BC7DA

• Missouri Bar Brochures: http://www.mobar.org/pamphlet/broindex.htm#Family Law Resource
• Rules of Civil Procedure: http://www.plf.net/pro/mociv.htm

Missouri Paternity Law

• Uniform Parentage Act: Sec. 210.817-210.852. http://www.moga.state.mo.us/STATUTES/C210.HTM And see “Child Support” below.

Missouri Courts

• Missouri Judiciary (all courts): http://www.osca.state.mo.us/
• St. Louis (City) Circuit Court: http://www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com/
• St. Louis County Circuit Court: http://www.co.st-louis.mo.us/circuitcourt/
• St. Charles County Circuit Court: http://www.win.org/county/depts/circlerk/circlka.htm

Child Support

Child Support Calculations

Missouri has a chart that is used to calculate “presumed child support.” (There is lots of negotiating that goes into determining what numbers go into the chart, and you can argue that because of special circumstances the judge shouldn’t follow the chart.) Every case begins with filing “Form 14,” the “presumed child support” chart. Here is a link to the Missouri Supreme Court’s version of Form 14 and the related instructions.

There are quite a few complicated aspects of Form 14. In St. Louis County, Judge Goeke has put together an Excel spreadsheet that does the calculations, and a few interrelated calculations involving maintenance and the adjustment for times the non-custodial parent has the children. Here’s an explanation of his calculations: http://www.mobar.org/journal/1998/novdec/goeke.htm. The shareware spreadsheets are available for $35 from the St. Louis County Bar Association and other sources.

College Expenses

· R.S. Mo. 452.340(5)

· Papa, “‘Back to College’ Child Support Concerns”, http://www.considering-divorce.com/pdfs/Back_to_College_Child_Support%20.pdf

Qualified Medical Child Support Judgment Order (QMCSJO)

· Missouri Statute: R.S. Mo. 454.603, http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/C400-499/4540000603.HTM

Child Custody:

· See sections 452.375 thru 452.400, Begins here: http://www.moga.state.mo.us/statutes/C400-499/4520000375.HTM

Property Division

• R.S. Mo 452.330
• General description: http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/hesguide/famecon/gh3504.htm

QDRO – Retirement Plans

· CCH Financial Planning Toolkit: http://www.finance.cch.com/text/c40s15d040.asp

· Advice from CaliforniaDivorce.com: http://californiadivorce.info/dm.money.assetsliabilities.qdros.htm

· What plan administrators need to know about QDRO’s. (See page 4) http://www.bairdholm.com/pub/pdf/Oct03.pdf

· Wife must renew judgment of divorce or get court approval of QDRO within 10 years of the divorce in order to maintain her rights to the retirement benefit. http://www.mobar.org/publications/courtsquery.php?item=20

· Sample QDRO orders: http://www.wisbar.org/sections/famlaw/qdros/

· Case: Muenz vs. Muenz, http://www.family-court.org/Documents/FCR%20vol%201%20issue%201.pdf (ruling on defined benefit plans and separate vs. marital property interest in 401(k).

Maintenance (Called “alimony” in other states)

• Article: “How the Courts Award Maintenance”