Lawyers in St. Louis, MO

Finding a lawyer in St. Louis

St. Louis is an independent city, not part of any Missouri county, with its own circuit court that hears the civil and criminal cases arising within city limits; the separate St. Louis County surrounds it and has its own circuit court for the suburbs. That split matters when you are choosing a lawyer, since firms often concentrate their court experience on one side of the city-county line or the other.

St. Louis has one of Missouri's two largest legal markets, alongside Kansas City, and its firms cover the full range of practice areas, from personal injury and criminal defense to business and medical malpractice tied to the city's hospital systems.

This page lists St. Louis law firms by practice area. Open a listing to see where the firm is based and what it handles, then contact the office directly.

Practice areas people search for in St. Louis

• Personal Injury and Car Accident — crash and premises claims decided under Missouri's comparative fault rule, usually on a contingency fee.
• Criminal Defense and DUI & DWI — defense in the St. Louis circuit court, including DWI cases and their separate license process.
• Family & Divorce — dissolution of marriage, custody, child support and maintenance.
• Medical Malpractice — claims against the city's hospital and health systems.
• Workers' Compensation — job-injury claims under the Missouri workers' compensation system.
• Business — company formation and commercial disputes.
• Estate Planning & Probate — wills, trusts and estate administration through the probate division.

How to choose a lawyer in St. Louis

Confirm the attorney's license through The Missouri Bar's public directory, which shows active, good-standing status; discipline is handled separately by the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel.

Ask how often the firm appears in the St. Louis circuit court for cases like yours, and who at the firm will handle your file. Settle the fee arrangement in writing before work begins — contingency for most injury claims, hourly or flat fee for family and business matters.

Free and low-cost help

Legal aid programs serving the St. Louis area provide free civil representation to low-income residents in housing, family and benefits matters, and the metropolitan bar association runs a lawyer referral service for a low-cost first consultation. Law schools in the city, including Saint Louis University and Washington University, operate clinics staffed by supervised students.

For a closer look, see personal injury lawyers in St. Louis, or compare with lawyers in Kansas City.

See also Lawyers in Missouri for the rest of the state.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different — talk to a licensed Missouri attorney about your situation.