Missouri · Uncontested divorce · Updated Oct 2026

Uncontested divorce in Missouri

An agreed (uncontested) divorce in Missouri, from official sources: how agreed cases are handled, the residency rule, the waiting period, the official forms, the fee waiver, e-filing, how your spouse can sign instead of being served and mediation.

In short

For agreed cases in Missouri: No summary process. If you agree, you can file a signed settlement agreement (and parenting plan) and finish after the 30-day wait, often at a short hearing.

Who can file (residency)
90 days
Waiting period
30 days after filing
Filing fee
Check with your court

How agreed divorces are handled in Missouri

  • No summary process.
  • If you agree, you can file a signed settlement agreement (and parenting plan) and finish after the 30-day wait, often at a short hearing.
  • Self-represented people must complete the court's Litigant Awareness Program before filing in many family cases.

Before you file in Missouri

Who can file (residency)
You or your spouse must have lived in Missouri (or been stationed there in the military) for 90 days right before filing.
Waiting period
The judgment can't be entered until at least 30 days after the petition is filed.
Law
RSMo 452.305.1(1) · RSMo 452.305.1(1)

Forms, fees and filing in Missouri

Official forms
Divorce forms (Missouri courts)
Court self-help
Divorce self-help (Missouri courts)
If you can't afford the fee
Ask the court to let you proceed as a poor person (in forma pauperis) by filing a motion and affidavit with your petition.
E-filing
Missouri courts use statewide e-filing (Case.net / eFiling); self-represented litigants can e-file in many circuits.

If your spouse agrees to sign

Your spouse must be served with the petition and summons by the sheriff or a special process server, or can sign an Entry of Appearance and Waiver of Service.

If you agree on only some issues

Courts may order mediation of custody and visitation disputes (except where there is domestic violence); many circuits do so routinely.

An uncontested divorce in Missouri, step by step

  1. Check that you can file in Missouri

    You or your spouse must have lived in Missouri (or been stationed there in the military) for 90 days right before filing.

  2. Check how agreed cases are finished

    No summary process.

  3. Fill in the official forms

    Use the court's official divorce forms: Divorce forms (Missouri courts)

  4. File, and pay the fee or ask for a waiver

    Can't afford it? Ask the court to let you proceed as a poor person (in forma pauperis) by filing a motion and affidavit with your petition. Missouri courts use statewide e-filing (Case.net / eFiling); self-represented litigants can e-file in many circuits.

  5. Have your spouse sign or be served

    Your spouse must be served with the petition and summons by the sheriff or a special process server, or can sign an Entry of Appearance and Waiver of Service.

  6. Wait out the waiting period

    The judgment can't be entered until at least 30 days after the petition is filed.

  7. Get the final decree

    The judge signs the final decree (judgment), which ends the marriage. Get a certified copy and keep it.

Questions about uncontested divorce in Missouri

Is there a simplified divorce for agreed cases in Missouri?

No summary process. If you agree, you can file a signed settlement agreement (and parenting plan) and finish after the 30-day wait, often at a short hearing. Self-represented people must complete the court's Litigant Awareness Program before filing in many family cases.

How long does an uncontested divorce take in Missouri?

The judgment can't be entered until at least 30 days after the petition is filed.

Who can file for an uncontested divorce in Missouri?

You or your spouse must have lived in Missouri (or been stationed there in the military) for 90 days right before filing.

Does my spouse have to be served if we agree in Missouri?

Your spouse must be served with the petition and summons by the sheriff or a special process server, or can sign an Entry of Appearance and Waiver of Service.

Can we file for divorce online in Missouri?

Missouri courts use statewide e-filing (Case.net / eFiling); self-represented litigants can e-file in many circuits.

Is mediation required in Missouri?

Courts may order mediation of custody and visitation disputes (except where there is domestic violence); many circuits do so routinely.

More about divorce in Missouri

Uncontested divorce in nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.