All practice areas
St. Louis Family Law Attorney
The Betz Law Firm practices family law and nothing else. Below is every matter the firm handles for St. Louis County, St. Louis City, and the surrounding metro, each with a page that explains the process in plain language.
Divorce
Divorce and the issues that come with it
Most clients come to us for a divorce in St. Louis County or St. Louis City. The matters below are usually decided inside that case, and each has its own page.
Divorce
Contested or uncontested, with children or without. Understanding your options, protecting what matters, and building a plan that fits your family and Missouri law.
St. Louis divorce lawyer →
Legal Separation
Court orders for property, support, and parenting while the marriage stays legally intact. Sometimes a first step toward divorce, sometimes the destination.
Legal separation →
Spousal Support
Maintenance in Missouri: whether it may apply, how long it could last, and the factors a court weighs when setting the amount.
Spousal support →
Property & Debt Division
Missouri divides marital property fairly, not automatically in half. The house, retirement accounts, a business, and the debts that come with them.
Property and debt division →
Contempt & Enforcement
When a former spouse or co-parent does not follow a court order for support, parenting time, or property, the court has tools to enforce it.
Contempt and enforcement →Resolving matters by agreement
Uncontested divorce, mediation, and name changes
Many family law matters can be resolved without a contested hearing. These three services are built around a defined process and a predictable timeline.
Uncontested Divorce
When you and your spouse agree on the major issues, an uncontested divorce may be a simpler and lower-cost path. We prepare the filings and keep the case moving.
Uncontested divorce →
Divorce Mediation
A neutral process for couples and co-parents who want to reach their own agreement. David is on the St. Louis County Family Court’s Court Approved Mediator List.
Mediation →
Name Change
Adult and minor name changes in Missouri, handled start to finish: the petition, the hearing, and the paperwork that follows.
Missouri name change →Custody and parenting
Matters involving your children
Missouri courts decide these matters on the child’s best interests. David is regularly appointed by St. Louis area courts as Guardian ad Litem, so he has written the recommendation a judge reads in cases like yours.
Child Custody & Parenting Plans
Legal and physical custody, parenting time, and a parenting plan specific enough to work on school nights, holidays, and the hard weeks.
Custody and parenting plans →
Child Support
How support is calculated under Missouri’s Form 14, when a court may deviate from it, and how an existing order can be modified.
Child support →
Paternity
Establishing legal parentage for unmarried parents, and the custody, parenting time, and support orders that follow from it.
Paternity →
Relocation
Moving with a child after a custody order requires notice and, often, court approval. We represent parents who want to move and parents who object.
Relocation →
Orders of Protection
Seeking or responding to an order of protection in St. Louis, and how it can affect a pending custody or divorce case.
Protection orders →
Emancipation
When a child is considered emancipated under Missouri law and what that means for an existing child support obligation.
Emancipation →
Who handles your case
One attorney, family law only
Every matter on this page is handled by David S. Betz, who founded the firm in 2012 and has practiced family law exclusively for 25 years. He serves on the approved Guardian ad Litem lists for the St. Louis County and St. Louis City family courts and on the St. Louis County Family Court’s Court Approved Mediator List.
If you are not sure which practice area your situation falls under, that is normal. Call or request a confidential consultation and we will sort it out together.
Not sure where to start? Start with a conversation.
Tell us what is happening in your family and we will explain which process applies, what it usually involves, and what your next step could be.
This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on specific facts and circumstances.