MISSOURI — A Missouri lawmaker introduced a bill that may give judges the right to finalize a divorce even if one spouse is pregnant.
A similar proposal was first introduced during the last legislative session by Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Platte County, but never made it past the House. Now, Rep. Raychel Proudie, D-North St. Louis County, aims to reintroduce the proposal in House Bill 280.
Since the 1970s, Missouri has barred couples from finalizing a divorce if the married woman was pregnant, but Missouri law does not prevent couples from starting the process during pregnancy.
Nevada Smith, a St. Charles, Missouri, lawyer, told the Associated Press last year that a judge will not finalize a divorce because an unborn child will impact the custody and child support terms of the divorce.
According to House Bill 280, “pregnancy status shall not prevent the court from entering a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation.”
When Aune first introduced the bill in 2024, it was aimed at supporting domestic violence victims and even men who were stuck married to a wife pregnant by another man, according to the Associated Press.