Aug. 20, 2025
Minor Marriage: A Major Problem for States
This year, Missouri joined the (surprisingly short) list of fifteen states to completely ban child marriage. This legislation marks an update from the 2018 amendments to Missouri law, which allowed children between sixteen and eighteen years old to marry with parental consent. Prior to 2018, many considered Missouri a “destination” state for child marriage, with individuals coming from both coasts to marry fifteen-year-old girls. This Note explores the history and attitudes behind child marriage and the fairly recent wave of states to adopt full child marriage bans while also considering the implications of child marriage on parental rights, especially for divorced parents.
