Missouri Legal Guides
26 guides covering Missouri topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Missouri lawFree caselaw search for Missouri — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Missouri
Missouri adverse possession: 10 years under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.010. Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Missouri opinions.
- A Working Guide to Expungement in Missouri
Missouri expungement begins with Mo. Rev. Stat. § 610.140, expunging certain criminal records. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Missouri? Does Fault Matter?
Missouri car accident lawsuits and fault: pure comparative fault (recovery reduced by your share of fault, with no percentage bar) under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 537.765, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (5 years — Mo. Rev. Stat. § 516.120(4)).
- Castle Doctrine in Missouri: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Missouri castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 563.031), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Missouri
How Missouri courts decide custody and parenting time under Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 452.375 to 452.411, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- DUI Penalties in Missouri
Missouri DUI penalties under Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 577.010, 577.012: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- How Does Bond Work in Missouri? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Missouri bail and bond explained: cash, surety, and ROR. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Missouri opinions under Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 544.455–544.677.
- How Does Eviction Work in Missouri?
Missouri eviction / rent and possession / unlawful detainer under Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 535.010 to 535.300; Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 534.030 to 534.350: notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Missouri?
To make a valid will under Missouri law, the will must be: In writing; Signed by the testator or by another person at the testator’s direction and in the testator’s presence; Signed and attested by two competent witnesses The require…
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Missouri: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Missouri guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a petition; how service and Missouri eFiling / Case.net registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Missouri
Missouri divorce filing guide: At least one party must have been a Missouri resident for 90 days before filing. equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Missouri
Paths to shorten or correct a Missouri prison sentence under Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 29.15: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Missouri opinions.
- How to Modify Child Support in Missouri
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Missouri child support order under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.370(2), (4); Form 14 guidelines: what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Maintenance in Missouri
Step-by-step guide to modifying maintenance in Missouri under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.370(1): changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Is Abortion Legal in Missouri?
Missouri abortion law after Dobbs: protected access. Reproductive freedom protected until fetal viability. Linked statutes and Missouri opinions.
- Is it Worth it to Claim Unclaimed Property?
It is common for many people to have unclaimed property held by the State. Unclaimed property can result from dormant back accounts, unclaimed dividends, and life insurance policies. Many times after someone dies, family members will check …
- Missouri Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Missouri calculates child support under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.340; Missouri Supreme Court Form 14 Directions, including the income shares (form 14), deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Missouri Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Missouri evidence law under the Missouri Rules of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Missouri Maintenance: Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Missouri courts award maintenance under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.335: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Missouri Supreme Court: No Excusable Neglect For Surviving Spouse Who Disregarded Probate Court’s Orders To Obtain Appointment As Personal Representative
In Holmes v. Holmes , a March 2021 opinion from the Missouri Supreme Court, the Court reviewed a probate court’s ruling finding no excusable neglect and barring a surviving spouse’s petition to file an amended petition to pursue a wrongful …
- Security Deposit Return in Missouri
How Missouri landlords must handle residential security deposits under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Missouri
Missouri stand-your-ground overview (statutory stand-your-ground): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Missouri
Surviving spouses have important rights (also called widow's rights) under Missouri law, including: Intestate Share Elective Share Exempt Property Surviving Spouse Rights in Missouri If There Is No Valid Will When a decedent dies without a …
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Missouri?
Missouri implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 577.020, 577.041, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next Of Kin In Missouri?
The term “next of kin” under Missouri law generally means those that would inherit from a decedent if the decedent died intestate (without a will). Unless a contrary intent is shown, “next of kin” is used synonymously with heirs at law, par…
- Who Can Serve as Personal Representative Of a Missouri Estate?
In order to serve as the personal representative of a Missouri probate estate, the person must be: At least 18 years old; and, Of sound mind. See Mo. Rev. Stat. § 473.117 . Who Cannot Serve As a Personal Representative In Missouri? The foll…