Representing Yourself in a Family Law Case

Skip breadcrumb navigation and go to main content
Home Court Forms Representing Yourself in a Family Law Case

This website is designed to provide information and resources for those involved in family law matters in the state of Missouri. The information, tools and resources available are not intended to take the place of legal advice and there is no guarantee that using the information and/or resources will get the results you want.
Attention Required

If you plan to represent yourself in court in a family law matter (divorce, modification of child custody or child support, or paternity), you are required to complete the following two step Litigant Awareness Program, and file your certificate with the court. The program will help you understand the Missouri court system and the type of case that interests you. You also will learn about the dangers and duties of representing yourself in court. The program may be helpful for other types of cases as well.

Casenet Icon
The public now has free, online access to certain documents filed on Missouri Case.net from anywhere in the world on a device that has internet access. This is called “remote public access.” Since court documents are publicly available, any person who files documents with the court must remove confidential information from all documents before they are filed with the court. If you plan to represent yourself, you must follow the rules of the Supreme Court of Missouri to take out, or redact, confidential information from the documents you file with the court. Confidential information includes social security numbers, dates of birth, and names of minor children (children under the age of 18) but may also include names of other people involved in the lawsuit and certain financial information. A website has been set up to give you more information about remote public access to Missouri Case.net, including what information must be removed from documents that will be filed with the court.

Litigant Awareness Program

Step 1: Click the play button below to watch the education program video, or read the written materials here. A written transcript of the video also is available.
Step 2: Click one of the options below to learn about your type of family law matter. When you have finished, print the Certificate of Completion at the end of the page to file a copy with the court.

Should I represent myself or should I get a lawyer? The following information can help you decide if you should represent yourself in court or work with a lawyer.


Can court staff assist me with my case? Court staff are happy to help you if they can. However, court staff are allowed to help you only in certain ways because they must be fair to everyone. It's best to learn what court staff can and cannot do for you BEFORE you ask for help.
Approved Court Forms
Standard, statewide forms are required for use by anyone who participates in a family law case without being represented by a lawyer. Forms that have been developed are listed below. If you do not find the form you need, no approved form has been created.

Divorce

Families & Children

Name Change
Adult Abuse/Stalking
Miscellaneous
Additional Resources

Please take a few minutes to answer the short survey located here. Your feedback is essential to the continued growth and development of this website. Your responses will be managed confidentially and will be used to improve the quality of the tools and information provided.
Back to top