About the firm · David S. Betz, Attorney
About The Betz Law Firm
The Betz Law Firm is a locally owned St. Louis family law practice founded in 2012 by David S. Betz. Divorce, custody, support, mediation, and name changes are the whole practice, and David handles every case himself from the first conversation to the final judgment.
Who you will work with
David S. Betz: St. Louis family law attorney, mediator, and Guardian ad Litem
Most law firm bios are a list of awards. This one is meant to answer a simpler question: who will actually be handling your case, and what has he spent his career doing?
Background
David S. Betz has been licensed to practice law in Missouri since 2001 and has practiced family law exclusively for 25 years. He earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2001 and a bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio in 1994. He founded The Betz Law Firm in 2012.
The practice is deliberately narrow. The firm does not take criminal, business, injury, or estate matters. Everything it does is a divorce, a custody or support case, a mediation, a name change, or an order of protection, in the circuit courts of St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and the surrounding St. Louis area.
In his own description, filed with the St. Louis County Family Court, David puts it this way: he leverages his background as an active Guardian ad Litem to help families resolve their custody and dissolution cases with compassion and pragmatism. That sentence is a fair summary of how the firm works.
Court appointments and recognition
- Licensed by The Missouri Bar since 2001 (Bar No. 50898)
- On the St. Louis County Family Court Approved Guardians ad Litem list
- On the St. Louis City Circuit Court Approved Guardian ad Litem list
- On the St. Louis County Court Approved Mediator List, with 50 hours of mediation training
- Selected to Super Lawyers in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, and 2026. Super Lawyers selects attorneys through peer nominations, independent research, and peer evaluation, and limits selection to five percent of the attorneys in a state each year.
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for family law every year since 2019
- Avvo rating of 8.4 (Excellent), with a peer endorsement
Each court list is maintained by the court itself, and the courts take no position on the relative skills of the attorneys on them. These are facts about where David has been appointed and recognized, not predictions about your case.
How the firm works
Calm and prepared by default, firm when the case requires it
Law firms, like people, have personalities. Some create conflict where none is needed and prolong cases that could be settled. Others avoid conflict at any cost. The Betz Law Firm tries to be neither.
Speak softly, carry a big stick
David often repeats that line, and it describes the approach. Most family law cases settle, and they often settle on better terms when the other side knows you are prepared to try the case if you have to. Preparation is quiet work: the financial disclosures, the parenting plan drafts, the witness list, the timeline. It is done early so that negotiation happens from a position of knowledge rather than hope.
Trust but verify
The second saying. Your account of the marriage is the starting point, and your spouse’s account will differ. Income gets documented, not assumed. Property gets valued, not estimated. The parenting history gets written down with dates. When a case does go to a hearing, the judge sees a record, not a story.
The case decides the approach
An uncontested divorce where both spouses agree is handled as a defined process with a flat fee and, often, no court appearance. A custody case involving an unsafe co-parent is handled very differently. The facts, the other attorney, and what you actually need at the end determine the strategy. There is no single playbook applied to every file.
A mediator both sides can accept
David is on the St. Louis County Court Approved Mediator List and regularly serves as a neutral for couples who want to settle their own terms. When he is your attorney, that same experience shapes how he prepares you for mediation and what he expects from the other side. He never serves as mediator and attorney in the same case.
The Guardian ad Litem seat
In custody cases David is regularly appointed by St. Louis area courts as Guardian ad Litem, the attorney who investigates and writes the recommendation the judge reads. Having written those reports, he knows what a judge weighs when parents disagree, and he prepares his own clients’ custody cases with that in mind.
Licensed in Missouri
Missouri Bar, in good standing, since 2001.
Years in family law only
Divorce, custody, support, and name changes. Nothing else.
Court GAL lists
Approved Guardian ad Litem for St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
Google rating
From 54 reviews by clients, co-parents, and opposing parties.
What to expect
What working with the firm looks like
Most people have never hired a lawyer before. Here is how it goes.
1
A confidential consultation
Call (314) 801-8488 or send the form. You talk with David about what is happening, what you want at the end, and what Missouri law allows. The conversation is confidential whether or not you hire the firm.
2
A plan in writing
If the firm is a fit, you get a written engagement that explains the fee, the first steps, and what we need from you. Uncontested divorces are quoted as a flat fee. For a contested matter, the plan explains what is likely to drive the cost.
3
Representation, mediation, or both
David handles the case personally. You hear from him directly, you see filings before they go out, and you decide which terms you are willing to accept. Where mediation makes sense, he tells you so.
Looking for a specific service? Divorce, uncontested divorce, mediation, name change, custody and parenting plans, child support, paternity, relocation, orders of protection, and enforcement. Every practice area is listed in one place.
Google reviews
What clients and co-parents say
The firm’s Google rating is 4.3 from 54 reviews. A note on the lower ones: in custody cases where David served as Guardian ad Litem, one parent sometimes disagrees with his recommendation to the court and says so online. Missouri ethics rules do not allow him to respond with the details of a case, so those reviews stand without reply. They are shown as they are.
Common questions
Questions people ask before they call
Will David handle my case himself?
Yes. The Betz Law Firm is built around one attorney. David takes the consultation, drafts the filings, appears at every hearing, and negotiates with the other side. Paralegal support handles scheduling and document preparation, but the legal judgment is his.
Which courts does the firm appear in?
The circuit courts of St. Louis City and St. Louis County, and the surrounding Missouri counties in the St. Louis area. David is on the approved Guardian ad Litem lists for both St. Louis City and St. Louis County and on the County’s approved mediator list.
What does the consultation involve?
A confidential conversation about your situation, by phone or at the office, with no obligation to hire the firm. David will tell you what Missouri law allows, what the realistic paths are, and what he would need from you. Call (314) 801-8488 or use the contact form.
Can David mediate my divorce and also represent me?
No. A mediator is a neutral who does not represent either spouse and does not give legal advice. If David serves as your mediator, he cannot later represent you or your spouse in the same case, and the reverse is also true. Which role fits depends on where you and your spouse are; the mediation page explains the difference.
What does a Guardian ad Litem do?
A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is an attorney appointed by the court to represent the best interests of a child in a custody case. The GAL interviews the parents and the child, reviews records, may visit each home, and writes a recommendation to the judge. The parents usually share the GAL’s fee. David is on the approved GAL lists for St. Louis City and St. Louis County and is regularly appointed.
One attorney, one practice area, since 2012.
If you are facing a divorce, a custody question, or a name change in the St. Louis area, the first step is a confidential conversation with the person who will actually handle it.
This page describes the attorney and the firm and provides general information only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Credentials and court list memberships are stated as of the date this page was last updated, and the courts take no position on the relative skills of listed attorneys. See the firm’s St. Louis divorce practice and all family law practice areas.