Rule 130.06 Designation of Location of Hearings

Judges in the circuit decide together where family court commissioners will hold hearings. All the judges in the circuit, both circuit and associate circuit judges, meet and issue an order that sets the specific location or locations for these hearings within their court's geographic area.

This means the hearing location is not left up to individual judges or commissioners to decide on their own. Instead, it is a group decision made by the full court and put into writing as an official order. This helps keep hearing locations consistent and predictable for everyone involved in juvenile and family court cases.

The rule also says this must follow section 487.040 of Missouri state law. That law sets additional rules about how family courts operate, so the judges' decision on hearing locations has to fit within those legal requirements.