Columbia Family Court Records

Columbia family court records are filed through the 13th Judicial Circuit in Boone County. As the county seat and home to the University of Missouri, Columbia has a busy court system that handles a wide range of family law cases. You can search Columbia family court records online using Case.net at no cost. Divorce filings, custody disputes, child support orders, and paternity cases are all part of the public record. The Boone County Circuit Clerk's office in Columbia can help you track down specific documents and get copies of court filings for your case.

Columbia Court Cases in Boone County

Family court matters for Columbia residents go through Boone County and the 13th Judicial Circuit. The Boone County Circuit Clerk is Cheryl Whitmarsh. Her office is at 705 E. Walnut Street, Columbia, MO 65201. You can reach them at (573) 886-4000. Staff at the clerk's office handle all filings, assign case numbers, and keep records for family court cases in Columbia.

The Boone County courthouse in Columbia is where family court hearings take place. Judges in the 13th Circuit hear dissolution of marriage cases, child custody disputes, paternity actions, child support matters, and requests to modify existing orders. The court follows Missouri law under RSMo Chapter 452 for all family law decisions. This statute sets out the rules for dividing property, awarding custody, and calculating support in Columbia cases.

The clerk's office also provides certified copies of judgments and decrees from Columbia family court cases. If you need an official copy of a divorce decree or custody order, this is where you go. The staff can pull the file and make copies during business hours. They can also explain how to request records by mail if you cannot visit in person.

Searching Columbia Family Court Records

Use Case.net to search Columbia family court records online. Select Boone County from the court list. Set the case type to Family/Domestic. Enter a name, case number, or date range. The system returns docket entries, party names, judgments, and hearing dates for Columbia cases. There is no fee. The system runs 24 hours a day.

Public court documents filed on or after July 1, 2023 are now viewable from your device on Case.net. Before that date, you had to go to the courthouse to read full documents. This change helps Columbia residents access family court records without a trip to the Boone County clerk's office. Older documents still need an in-person visit to view the full text, though the docket information is always visible online.

The Boone County Circuit Clerk's office is your go-to for Columbia family court records that you cannot find online. Staff can help you search by party name, case number, or date. They also handle requests for certified copies of divorce decrees, custody orders, and support judgments from Columbia cases.

Columbia Family Court Case Types

Family court records in Columbia cover multiple case types. Dissolution of marriage is the most common filing. These records include the petition, response, temporary orders, parenting plans, and the final judgment. Custody records show how the court divided physical and legal custody between parents. Missouri law presumes equal or near-equal parenting time is best for the child. The court weighs factors like each parent's wishes, the child's adjustment to home and community, and everyone's physical and mental health.

Paternity cases are also filed in Columbia family court. These set up a legal father-child relationship and often lead to custody and support orders. Child support cases use state guidelines to set payment amounts based on both parents' incomes and the child's needs. Modification cases allow someone to change an existing order when circumstances change. Each modification adds new records to the original case. Under Missouri's Sunshine Law in RSMo Chapter 610, most Columbia family court records are public. Adoption records and juvenile matters are sealed.

Columbia Municipal Court

The City of Columbia runs a municipal court for ordinance violations. This court is separate from the family court system. Traffic tickets, code violations, and some misdemeanor charges go through municipal court. It does not handle divorce, custody, or support cases. Those stay with the 13th Circuit. But if a Columbia domestic violence case starts as a municipal charge, related records could appear in both court systems.

Municipal court records in Columbia cover a different set of cases than family court. If you need to check both, start with Case.net for family court and contact the Columbia municipal court clerk for city-level records. The two systems do not share a database, so you will need to search each one separately for a full picture of Columbia court records.

Note: The Columbia municipal court clerk can direct you to the Boone County Circuit Clerk if you are looking for family court records rather than city ordinance matters.

Getting Copies of Columbia Court Records

Visit the Boone County Circuit Clerk at 705 E. Walnut Street in Columbia to get copies of family court records. Bring a valid photo ID. Standard copies cost $0.25 to $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost more, with an added fee per document. The clerk can make copies on the spot during regular hours. You can also mail a request with the case number, party names, date range, and document type. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by money order.

For a state-level record of a Columbia dissolution of marriage, contact the Missouri Department of Health Bureau of Vital Records at (573) 751-6387. Under RSMo Chapter 193, the court sends a report to the state after every divorce. The bureau can issue a Statement of Dissolution for Columbia cases. This is a separate record from what the Boone County clerk maintains.

Columbia Legal Aid and Help

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri has a Columbia office that serves Boone County residents. They provide free legal help with divorce, custody, child support, and protection order cases for people who qualify based on income. Staff can help you read and understand Columbia family court records, fill out forms, and navigate the court process.

Missouri's self-representation resources include form packets for dissolution, paternity, custody modifications, and support changes. These forms are available through the state courts website and work for Columbia cases in the 13th Circuit. The Boone County clerk can point you to the correct forms, but cannot fill them out or offer legal advice. For child support enforcement in Columbia, the Missouri Family Support Division can be reached at 1-800-225-0530. They help with wage garnishment, payment tracking, and enforcement actions when a parent does not pay what the court ordered.