Custody And Parenting Time
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.375 — best interests, with a presumption of equal or about equal time
Equal time is presumed. A Missouri court decides custody by the child's best interests, with a rebuttable presumption that equal or approximately equal parenting time with each parent is in those interests.
- The parents' wishes and their proposed parenting plans.
- The child's need for a frequent, continuing and meaningful relationship with both parents.
- The child's relationships with parents, siblings and others.
- Which parent is more likely to allow frequent, meaningful contact with the other.
- The child's adjustment to home, school and community.
- Everyone's mental and physical health, including any history of abuse.
- Either parent's intention to relocate the child's principal residence.
- The child's own input, free of coercion and manipulation.
Those are the factors the court weighs, among all relevant ones.
Sources for this section (1)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.375 — Custody
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.