Missouri is a no fault state, so you do not have to prove that anyone did anything wrong to end a marriage.
What you do have to satisfy is Section 452.305 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. It sets out every finding a judge must make before entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or a judgment of legal separation. The full statutory text is reproduced below, broken into sections, with the two timing rules that catch most people off guard pulled out first.
When a Missouri Court Can Grant a Dissolution of Marriage
Section 452.305.1, RSMo
The court shall enter a judgment of dissolution of marriage if:
(1) The court finds that one of the parties has been a resident of this state, or is a member of the armed services who has been stationed in this state, for ninety days immediately preceding the commencement of the proceeding and that thirty days have elapsed since the filing of the petition; and
(2) The court finds that there remains no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved and that therefore the marriage is irretrievably broken; and
(3) To the extent it has jurisdiction, the court has considered and made provision for child custody, the support of each child, the maintenance of either spouse and the disposition of property.
When a Missouri Court Can Grant a Legal Separation
Section 452.305.2, RSMo
The court shall enter a judgment of legal separation if:
(1) The court finds that one of the parties has been a resident of this state, or is a member of the armed services who has been stationed in this state, for ninety days immediately preceding the commencement of the proceeding and that thirty days have elapsed since the filing of the petition; and
(2) The court finds that there remains a reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved and that therefore the marriage is not irretrievably broken; and
(3) To the extent it has jurisdiction, the court has considered and made provision for the custody and the support of each child, the maintenance of either spouse and the disposition of property.
One phrase is the entire difference between the two.
Read the two sections side by side and almost nothing changes. A dissolution requires the court to find there is no reasonable likelihood the marriage can be preserved. A legal separation requires the opposite finding, that a reasonable likelihood still remains. The residency rule, the thirty day rule, and the requirement to resolve custody, support and property all work the same way in both.
Pregnancy will no longer hold up a Missouri divorce judgment.
House Bill 1908 amends Section 452.305 and takes effect on August 28, 2026. It adds a new subsection 3 to the statute.
“Pregnancy status shall not prevent the court from entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation.”
Before that date, Missouri courts have generally declined to finalize a dissolution while a spouse is pregnant. The Social Security number requirement shown below becomes subsection 4 on the same date.
Social Security Numbers in the Judgment
Section 452.305.3, RSMo
Any judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation shall include the last four digits of the Social Security numbers of the parties. The full Social Security number of each party and each child shall be retained in the manner required under section 509.520.
Statutory text reproduced from Section 452.305, Missouri Revised Statutes, current as of August 8, 2026. View the section on the Missouri Revisor of Statutes site.
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