What are the Grounds for Divorce in Missouri?
In days past, most states required that there be some bad act, or some significant factor in order for one spouse to file for a divorce, or dissolution as we call here in Missouri. This is what is meant by “grounds for divorce”. While many have moved away from this requirement, there are a few states that still hold on to this notion. The requirement, while well-intended to preserve the sanctity of marriage, led to some pretty creative fabrications while spouses tried to meet that burden when all they really wanted was to get a simple divorce without delay; hence, the no-fault divorce came into effect.
Missouri has adopted this concept of a modified “no-fault” dissolution of marriage, 
making it generally unnecessary to prove insanity, cruelty, adultery, etc., in order to obtain a dissolution of marriage. The regular reason or “ground” is to show the Court that the marriage of the parties is “irretrievably broken”, and that there is no reasonable likelihood that the marriage can be preserved, because of discord or conflicts of personality that destroy the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation.
Irretrievably broken is an advanced case of the parties not getting along with each other and an acknowledgment that change in this not getting along is on the horizon. In some cases, it may be appropriate to allege other grounds, though generally, it’s just not necessary and quite frankly, leads to unnecessary litigation.
Having proper grounds is more or less a requirement that has gone away in recent times, though the allegation of “irretrievable broken” must still be pled, meaning it’s part of the initial documentation that is provided to the court. Without that language, the court will likely reject your request. Navigating through the nuances of divorce litigation is an art form, don’t try to stumble through what’s important alone.
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