The creation process for forms to be used by self-represented litigants in Missouri Family Courts begins in a sub-committee of the Missouri Supreme Court Committee on Access to Family Courts (CAFC). The current members of this sub-committee are Judge Theresa Burke, Richard Holtmeyer, Tricia Scaglia, Deanna Scott, Judge Leslie Schneider, and Judge Dennis Smith. After a form is created and discussed by the sub-committee, it is sent to the full Committee on Access to Family Courts for preliminary approval. Click here to see the current list of suggested forms.
All members of the Missouri Supreme Court Committee on Access to Family Courts (CAFC) then review and make changes to the suggested forms. The forms as approved by the full CAFC are then submitted to the Missouri Supreme Court Judicial Records Committee and the Missouri Supreme Court Family Court Committee for review. They make suggestions and recommendations to the CAFC concerning the forms. The full CAFC then considers this input and amends the forms when appropriate. The forms are then submitted to the Missouri Supreme Court for approval. Click here to see the current list of forms under review.
The Missouri Supreme Court reviews the forms and may suggest changes to the forms. The forms may then be approved by the Missouri Supreme Court. Once approved, Missouri Supreme Court Rule 88.09 requires the use of most of these forms by self-represented litigants. Click here to see the current list of forms that have been approved by the Missouri Supreme Court.
The Office of State Courts Administrator (OSCA) provides assistance to the CAFC in the dissemination and preparation of forms.
The offical site for the CAFC is located at www.selfrepresent.mo.gov. There is a large amount of additional information available at the CAFC site. Information concerning the mandatory litigant awareness program, limited scope representation and other topics can be found there.
Not all forms used in Missouri Family Courts are created in this manner. For example, Form 14 is the form used to calculate presumed child support amounts in the State of Missouri. This form is created by the Missouri Family Court Committee and is not formally reviewed by the CAFC. Another example is the Filing Information Sheet. This form is created by the State Judicial Records Committee and is not formally reviewed by the CAFC. The Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage is another example. It is created by the Missouri Division of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Vital Records. The CAFC has no input in the creation of this forms. All of these forms are included in some of the interactive versions of the approved forms.
Forms are then assembled into packages of forms and are programmed to be completed online. Click here for more information about creating “Smart” forms for use by self-represented litigants in Missouri Family Courts.