Title XXX, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

452.605. Court shall order parties to action and may order children to attend, when. — In an action for dissolution of marriage or legal separation involving minor children, or in a postjudgment proceeding wherein custody of minor children is to be determined by the court, the co…

452.607. Confidentiality of facts obtained at sessions not considered in adjudication, exception. — The facts adduced at any educational session resulting from a referral pursuant to the provisions of sections 452.600 to 452.610 shall not be considered in the adjudication of a pe…

452.610. Cost of educational session, amount. — The fees or costs of educational sessions under sections 452.600 to 452.610 shall be less than seventy-five dollars per person and shall be borne by the parties as deemed equitable. ­­-------- (L. 1993 H.B. 353 § 1 subsec. 4, A.L. 1…

452.700. Short title. — Sections 452.700 to 452.930 may be cited as the "Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act". ­­-------- (L. 2009 H.B. 481)

452.705. Definitions. — As used in sections 452.700 to 452.930: (1) "Abandoned" means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision; (2) "Child" means an individual who has not attained eighteen years of age; (3) "Child custody determination" means a jud…

452.710. Proceedings governed by other law. — Sections 452.700 to 452.930 shall not govern: (1) An adoption proceeding; or (2) A proceeding pertaining to the authorization of emergency medical care for a child. ­­-------- (L. 2009 H.B. 481)

452.715. Application to Indian tribes. — 1. A child custody proceeding that pertains to an Indian child, as defined in the Indian Child Welfare Act, 25 U.S.C. Section 1901, et seq., is not subject to sections 452.700 to 452.930 to the extent that it is governed by the Indian Chil…

452.720. International application of act. — 1. A court of this state shall treat a foreign country as a state of the United States for purposes of applying sections 452.700 to 452.785. 2. A child custody determination made in a foreign country under factual circumstances in subs…

452.725. Appearance and limited immunity. — 1. A party to a child custody proceeding who is not subject to personal jurisdiction in this state and is a responding party under sections 452.740 to 452.785, a party in a proceeding to modify a child custody determination under sectio…

452.730. Communication between courts. — 1. A court of this state may communicate with a court in another state concerning a proceeding arising under sections 452.700 to 452.930. 2. The court may allow the parties to participate in the communication. If the parties are not able t…

452.735. Cooperation between courts — preservation of records. — 1. A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to: (1) Hold an evidentiary hearing; (2) Order a person to produce or give evidence under procedures of that state; (3) Order that an evalu…

452.740. Initial child custody jurisdiction. — 1. Except as otherwise provided in section 452.755, a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial child custody determination only if: (1) This state is the home state of the child on the date of the commencement of the p…

452.745. Exclusive, continuing jurisdiction. — 1. Except as otherwise provided in section 452.755, a court of this state that has made a child custody determination consistent with section 452.740 or 452.750 has exclusive continuing jurisdiction over the determination until: (1) …

452.747. Verified petition — service of process. — 1. Any petition for modification of child custody decrees filed under the provisions of section 452.410 or sections 452.700 to 452.930 shall be verified and, if the original proceeding originated in the state of Missouri, shall b…

452.750. Jurisdiction to modify determination. — Except as otherwise provided in section 452.755, a court of this state shall not modify a child custody determination made by a court of another state unless a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial determination u…

452.755. Temporary emergency jurisdiction. — 1. A court of this state has temporary emergency jurisdiction if the child is present in this state and the child has been abandoned, or it is necessary in an emergency to protect the child because the child, or a sibling or parent of …

452.760. Notice — opportunity to be heard — joinder. — 1. Before a child custody determination is made under sections 452.700 to 452.930, notice and an opportunity to be heard in accordance with the standards of section 452.762 shall be given to: (1) All persons entitled to notic…

452.762. Notice for exercise of jurisdiction. — 1. Notice required for the exercise of jurisdiction when a person is outside this state may be given in a manner prescribed by the law of this state for the service of process or by the law of the state in which the service is made.…

452.765. Simultaneous proceedings. — 1. Except as otherwise provided in section 452.755, a court of this state shall not exercise its jurisdiction under sections 452.740 to 452.785 if, at the time of the commencement of the proceeding, a proceeding concerning the custody of the c…

452.770. Inconvenient forum. — 1. A court of this state that has jurisdiction under sections 452.700 to 452.930 to make a child custody determination may decline to exercise its jurisdiction at any time if the court determines that it is an inconvenient forum under the circumstan…

452.775. Jurisdiction declined by reason of conduct. — 1. Except as otherwise provided in section 452.755, if a court of this state has jurisdiction under sections 452.700 to 452.930 because a person invoking the jurisdiction has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the court shall …

452.780. Information to be submitted to court. — 1. Subject to local law providing for the confidentiality of procedures, addresses, and other identifying information, in a child custody proceeding each party, in its first pleading or in an attached affidavit, shall give informat…

452.782. Joinder of a party. — If the court learns from information furnished by the parties under section 452.800 or from other sources that a person not a party to the custody proceeding has physical custody of the child or claims to have custody or visitation rights with respe…

452.785. Appearance of parties and child. — 1. The court may order any party to the proceeding who is in this state to appear before the court personally. If the court finds the physical presence of the child to be in the best interest of the child, the court may order that the p…

452.790. Effect of child custody determination. — A child custody determination made by a court of this state that had jurisdiction under sections 452.700 to 452.930 binds all persons who have been served in accordance with the laws of this state or notified in accordance with se…

452.795. Full faith and credit. — A court of this state shall accord full faith and credit to an order made consistently with sections 452.700 to 452.930 which enforces a child custody determination by a court of another state unless the order has been vacated, stayed, or modifie…

452.800. Modification of another court's determination. — Except as otherwise provided in section 452.755, a court of this state may not modify a child custody determination made by a court of another state unless a court of this state has jurisdiction to make an initial determin…

452.805. Filing of certified copy of custody decree. — 1. A certified copy of a custody decree of another state may be filed in the office of the clerk of any circuit court of this state. The clerk shall treat the decree in the same manner as a custody decree of the circuit court…

452.810. Registration of child custody determination. — 1. A child custody determination issued by a court of another state may be registered in this state, with or without a simultaneous request for enforcement, by sending to the appropriate court in this state: (1) A letter or …

452.815. Forwarding copies of decrees. — The clerk of the circuit court of this state, at the request of the court of another state or at the request of any person who is affected by or has a legitimate interest in a custody decree, may, upon payment therefor, certify and forward…

452.820. Testimony of witnesses. — 1. In addition to other procedures available to a party, a party to a child custody proceeding may offer testimony of witnesses who are located in another state, including testimony of the parties and the child, by deposition or other means allo…

452.825. Request for another court to hold hearing. — 1. A court of this state may request the appropriate court of another state to hold a hearing to obtain evidence, to order persons within that state to produce or give evidence under other procedures of that state, or to have …

452.830. Appearance at hearing. — 1. Upon request of the court of another state, the courts of this state which are competent to hear custody matters may order a person in this state to appear at a hearing to obtain evidence or to produce or give evidence under other procedures a…

452.835. Preservation of documents. — A court of this state shall preserve the pleadings, orders, decrees, records of hearings, evaluations, and other pertinent records with respect to a child custody proceeding until the child reaches eighteen years of age. Upon appropriate requ…

452.840. Transfer of transcripts and documents. — If a custody decree has been rendered in another state concerning a child involved in a custody proceeding pending in a court of this state, the court of this state, upon taking jurisdiction of the case, shall request of the court…

452.845. Priority of jurisdictional question. — If a question of existence or exercise of jurisdiction under sections 452.700 to 452.930 is raised in a child custody proceeding, the question, upon request of a party, must be given priority on the calendar and handled expeditiousl…

452.850. Definitions. — As used in sections 452.850 to 452.915: (1) "Petitioner" means a person who seeks enforcement of a child custody determination or enforcement of an order for the return of the child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abd…

452.855. Temporary visitation. — 1. Sections 452.850 to 452.915 may be invoked to enforce: (1) A child custody determination; and (2) An order for the return of the child made under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. 2. A court of this sta…

452.860. Enforcement of registered determination. — 1. A court of this state may grant any relief normally available under the provisions of the laws of this state to enforce a registered child custody determination made by a court of another state. 2. A court of this state shall…

452.865. Simultaneous proceeding. — If a proceeding for enforcement under sections 452.850 to 452.915 has been or is commenced in this state and a court of this state determines that a proceeding to modify the determination has been commenced in another state having jurisdiction …

452.870. Expedited enforcement of child custody determination. — 1. A petition under sections 452.850 to 452.915 shall be verified. Certified copies of all orders sought to be enforced and of the order confirming registration, if any, shall be attached to the petition. A copy of …

452.875. Service of petition and order. — Except as otherwise provided in section 452.885, the petition and order shall be served by any method authorized by the laws of this state upon the respondent and any person who has physical custody of the child. ­­-------- (L. 2009 H.B. …

452.880. Hearing and order. — 1. Unless the court enters a temporary emergency order under section 452.755, upon a finding that a petitioner is entitled to the physical custody of the child immediately, the court shall order the child delivered to the petitioner unless the respon…

452.885. Warrant to take physical custody of child. — 1. Upon the filing of a petition seeking enforcement of a child custody determination, the petitioner may file a verified application for the issuance of a warrant to take physical custody of the child if the child is likely t…

452.890. Costs, fees, and expenses. — 1. The court shall award the prevailing party, including a state, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by or on behalf of the party, including costs, communication expenses, attorney's fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, t…

452.895. Recognition and enforcement. — A court of this state shall accord full faith and credit to an order made consistently with sections 452.700 to 452.930 which enforces a child custody determination by a court of another state unless the order has been vacated, stayed or mo…