Missouri Court Types

Circuit Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases and typically handle all cases beyond the jurisdiction of Municipal Courts.

Circuit Courts are generally organized into divisions based on case type, such as Associate Circuit, Family Court, Juvenile Court, Probate Court, Small Claims Court, Municipal Court and Traffic Court.

Associate Circuit. Within a Circuit Court, associate judges have jurisdiction over certain types of cases, such as misdemeanor criminal cases and infractions.

Family Court. A Family Court division has exclusive jurisdiction over certain types of cases. Cases heard by a Family Court division include dissolution of marriage (divorce), legal separation, annulment, maintenance (alimony), child custody, adoption, juvenile proceedings, child support, adult abuse prevention, child protection and petitions for name changes.

Juvenile Court. If no Family Court division exists in a particular Circuit Court, there may be a Juvenile Court division with jurisdiction over certain types of cases. Cases heard by a Juvenile Court division include children alleged to be in need of care and treatment, children alleged to be beyond the control of their parents, juvenile delinquency, truancy, adoption and guardianships.

Probate Court. Every Circuit Court has a Probate Court division with general equitable jurisdiction for all probate matters, such as the probate of wills, the determination of heirs, the administration of trusts and most guardianship cases.

Small Claims Court. Every Circuit Court has a Small Claims Court division that offers a simplified procedure for most general civil claims for less than $3,000, exclusive of interest or costs. A defendant may bring a counterclaim in excess of $3,000, although part or all of the case may be transferred to another court division.

Municipal Court and Traffic Court. If a county municipal court does not exist in the area, a Circuit Court may have a Municipal Court or Traffic Court division with jurisdiction over violations of municipal ordinances. Some areas may also have administrative tribunals that operate under the supervision of the Circuit Court and hear cases related to violations of parking and traffic ordinances for a municipality.

Municipal Courts have limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving violations of municipal ordinances.

Missouri has created several different types of specialized court divisions to handle certain types of cases. A Circuit Court may have specialized “problem-solving” divisions such as a Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Teen Court or Truancy Court.

Drug Court divisions create alternative ways of responding to certain crimes related to drug use and may offer a way for sentences and charges to be reduced, modified or dismissed.

Mental Health Court divisions focus on the mental health and disability-related needs of people involved in the criminal justice system.

Teen Court is designed as an alternative to the juvenile justice system for certain misdemeanor cases, and may offer a participant the ability to engage in restorative justice.

Truancy Court is designed to focus on the needs of children, from elementary school through high school, who are chronically absent from school but not yet charged with juvenile delinquency.