St. Louis Divorce Records

St. Louis divorce records are maintained by the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court, which serves St. Louis City exclusively. Unlike most Missouri cities, St. Louis operates as an independent city separate from any county. This means the city has its own circuit court and its own clerk who keeps all divorce filings and decrees. You can search St. Louis divorce records online through Case.net or request copies at the Cahill Courts Building downtown. The Family Court Division 30 handles all dissolution of marriage cases for St. Louis City residents.

St. Louis Divorce Court Location

The 22nd Judicial Circuit Court handles every divorce case filed in St. Louis City. The main courthouse is the Clyde S. Cahill Courts Building at the corner of Market Street and Tucker Boulevard in downtown St. Louis. This is where you go to file a new divorce case, check on an existing one, or get copies of St. Louis divorce records. The building also houses the Mel Carnahan Courthouse, which handles additional civil and criminal matters.

Family Court Division 30 is located at 920 North Vandeventer Avenue, Courtroom 3. This division focuses on divorce, child custody, child support, and related family law matters in St. Louis. The courtroom clerk for Family Court can be reached at (314) 552-2032. If your case involves children, you will likely appear at this Vandeventer Avenue location for hearings rather than the main Cahill building.

It is important to understand that St. Louis City and St. Louis County are completely separate jurisdictions. If you live in the city, your divorce goes through the 22nd Circuit. If you live in St. Louis County (places like Clayton, Chesterfield, or Kirkwood), your case goes through the 21st Circuit instead. Make sure you file in the right place. Filing in the wrong court can delay your St. Louis divorce case.

How to Search St. Louis Divorce Records

The fastest way to look up St. Louis divorce records is through Missouri Case.net. This free online portal covers all Missouri courts, including the 22nd Circuit. Search by name or case number and select "City of St. Louis" as the location. You will find basic case information like the filing date, case type, parties involved, case status, and docket entries.

Case.net has records going back to the mid-2000s for most circuits. Older St. Louis divorce cases may not appear online. For those, you need to contact the Circuit Clerk at (314) 641-8040 and ask about archived records. The clerk can search older case indexes and pull files from storage. Copies of documents cost $1.00 per page, with additional certification fees if you need an official copy. The courtrooms at the Cahill Courts Building are also open to the public during business hours, so you can observe proceedings if needed.

For a St. Louis divorce record search, you should have:

• Full name of at least one spouse
• Approximate year of the divorce filing
• Case number if available

Note: Sealed or expunged records in St. Louis will not show up in any public search.

St. Louis Divorce Records Online

Missouri's statewide court records system gives St. Louis residents multiple options for looking up divorce case information. The Case.net portal shows docket entries, scheduled hearings, and basic party information for cases across all circuits.

Keep in mind that Case.net shows case information but does not let you download actual documents. For the full divorce decree with all terms of property division, custody arrangements, and support orders, you must get copies from the 22nd Circuit Clerk in person or by mail. The decree is the legal document that matters for proving your divorce or enforcing its terms. A case summary from Case.net is useful for research but is not a legal substitute for the official St. Louis divorce decree.

Filing for Divorce in St. Louis

St. Louis residents follow the same Missouri divorce statutes as the rest of the state. Under RSMo 452.305, one spouse must have been a Missouri resident for at least 90 days before filing. You file the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage at the 22nd Circuit Court. Missouri is a no-fault state, so the only ground for divorce is that the marriage is irretrievably broken under RSMo 452.320.

The court requires specific forms. You can get them from the Missouri Courts website. The packet includes the petition, income and expense statements, property statements, and parenting plan forms if children are involved. Every self-represented party in St. Louis must use Supreme Court-approved forms. Local rules for the 22nd Circuit may add extra requirements, so check with the clerk before you file.

After filing, the other spouse must be served with the petition. Missouri law then requires a 30-day waiting period before the court can finalize the divorce. During this time, the judge may issue temporary orders for custody, support, or use of the marital home. Property gets divided under Missouri's equitable distribution rules in RSMo 452.330. Uncontested St. Louis divorces where both sides agree can move through fairly quickly once that 30-day period passes. Contested cases take longer and may require trial.

Divorce Statements from Vital Records

The Missouri Bureau of Vital Records in Jefferson City can issue a Certified Statement Relating to Divorce. This is a short document showing the names of both spouses, the date of divorce, and the county or city where it was recorded. It costs $15 per statement. This is not the same as the actual divorce decree. You cannot get a decree from the state office.

The Bureau has divorce records from July 1, 1948 to present. For St. Louis divorces before that date, you need to contact the 22nd Circuit Clerk directly. Mail-in requests to the Bureau require a notarized application and take about 4 to 8 weeks to process. If you visit the Bureau's office at 930 Wildwood Drive in Jefferson City, walk-in service is available Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM by appointment. The statement can be helpful when you are not sure if the divorce was filed in St. Louis City or St. Louis County.

Legal Help in St. Louis

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri provides free legal assistance to low-income St. Louis residents. They handle family law matters including divorce, custody, and protective orders. If you qualify based on income, they may represent you or help you fill out court forms. This is one of the most valuable resources for St. Louis residents who cannot afford a private attorney for their divorce case.

Legal Services of Missouri also serves the St. Louis area with free civil legal help. Their hotline number is 1-800-829-4128. The Missouri Bar Association runs a lawyer referral program and a Modest Means Program for people who need affordable representation. The 22nd Circuit Court has a self-help center that can assist people who are representing themselves in St. Louis divorce cases. Staff there can answer basic procedural questions, though they cannot give legal advice.

The Missouri State Archives may also be useful for historical St. Louis divorce records. The Archives maintains older court records and can help with genealogical research. If you are looking for a divorce that took place decades ago in St. Louis, the Archives is worth checking. The St. Louis Mercantile Library and St. Louis Public Library also maintain historical records and indexes that may reference old court cases.

Nearby Cities

This nearby Missouri city also has a divorce records page:

• Florissant