How to Complete Uncontested Divorces in Missouri
- 1). Complete a "Petition for Dissolution of Marriage." Provide you and your spouse's names and addresses, employment status and monthly gross income, the date the separation occurred, the number of children born to you and your spouse after the date of the marriage, the names and ages of your children, who will have legal and physical custody and whether you or your spouse will pay maintenance.
- 2). Complete a "Statement of Income and Expenses." You and your spouse must each complete this form. You must provide information about your monthly gross income, the amount of maintenance you will receive from this case or the amount you receive from another case, the amount of child support you receive from another case, child support and maintenance you currently pay and childcare and health insurance costs paid by you.
- 3). Complete a "Statement of Property and Debt and Proposed Separation Agreement." If the divorce is uncontested, this form will provide detail about the separation agreement reached between you and your spouse. Provide information about how you and your spouse will divide property and debt and whether one spouse will pay the other spouse maintenance.
- 4). Complete a "Parenting Plan" form if you have minor children. You must provide the names and ages of the minor children and tell the court which spouse will have legal and physical custody of the children, the residential schedule for the children, the vacation and holiday schedule and the exchange schedule you and your spouse will abide by.
- 5). File the four forms with the court clerk and notify your spouse of the divorce proceeding by serving your spouse with the documents. It is not necessary to serve your spouse if your spouse signs a "Waiver of Service and Entry of Appearance." In all other cases, you must have someone, such as a sheriff, professional process server or a person age 18 or older who is not a party to the action, serve your spouse at his residence or place of employment. If in-person service is not possible, you may serve your spouse by registered mail.
- 6). Complete the "Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage" and file it with the court. This form is used in uncontested divorce cases. In some courts, a judge will complete this form. This form specifies the amount of maintenance and child support paid by you or your spouse, the child custody arrangement agreed to and the division of marital property and debt. The divorce is final once the judge signs this form.
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