Tools for St. Louis Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the St. Louis families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in St. Louis move through the Family Court of St. Louis County, 21st Judicial Circuit, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Area covered: St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis.

Court for custody cases: Family Court of St. Louis County, 21st Judicial Circuit.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Depends on the county or judge.

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge.

State family law: Missouri Revised Statutes Chapter 452 - Dissolution of Marriage.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in St. Louis

In Missouri, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

For therapists and counselors in St. Louis

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in St. Louis, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in St. Louis

In Missouri, custody mediation is set county by county. The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in St. Louis. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Family court programs in St. Louis

Custody cases in St. Louis are heard in the Family Court of St. Louis County, 21st Judicial Circuit. The wider area takes in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, and a case is heard by the court for the county or city where it is filed. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

St. Louis County Family Court mandatory education class: The Family Court of St. Louis County has a mandatory education class in family cases and posts the notice form for it.

St. Louis County Family Court mediator list: The Family Court of St. Louis County keeps a list of mediators who meet its qualifications for custody, parenting and property issues in divorce, paternity and modification cases.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in St. Louis, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in St. Louis: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

St. Louis: Missouri Litigant Awareness Program. Free required online program explaining the risks of representing yourself in a Missouri family law case.

St. Louis legal aid: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, (800) 444-0514.

St. Louis City: Represent Myself - St. Louis City Circuit Court, (314) 622-4500. Court guidance and the required awareness program for St. Louis City residents handling a case without a lawyer.

St. Louis City legal aid: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, (800) 444-0514.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in St. Louis?

Divorce, paternity and custody cases from St. Louis County are heard by the Family Court of St. Louis County, part of the 21st Judicial Circuit. The City of St. Louis is a separate court system, and its cases go to the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

Where can parents in St. Louis get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer includes Missouri Litigant Awareness Program and Represent Myself - St. Louis City Circuit Court. Free legal aid: Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in St. Louis?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a St. Louis custody case?

In Missouri custody cases, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem when custody, visitation or support of a child is contested, and must appoint one when child abuse or neglect is alleged. The guardian ad litem is the child's legal representative at the hearing and interviews people who know the child to learn the child's wishes. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in RSMo 452.423. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Missouri?

Missouri Supreme Court Rule 88 lets each judicial circuit set up a mediation program for contested issues such as custody and parenting time, and lets the court order mediation of those issues. Whether mediation is required, and for how long, depends on the local rules of each circuit.

Do parents in Missouri have to take a parenting class?

Missouri law has each circuit court set up educational sessions for parents in divorce and custody cases, covering how divorce affects children and the benefits of mediation, or name a similar class run by another provider. Unless a local rule says otherwise, the court orders parents with minor children to attend, except for good cause.