Disclaimer: All facts gleaned from the filings stated hereafter are only as truthful as the petitioner. The tone of this article expresses a style of writing historically employed by America’s greatest writers and, as such, is for opinion purposes only. No intentional harm is due. Do not read if the topic of divorce (even your own) causes you emotional distress. Continue at your own risk.
The filing in the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis unfolds with procedural precision that belies the long span of the marriage it records.
Risa N. Castaneda submitted her petition for dissolution of marriage to the court on February 2, 2026, asserting that she and Steve Holzer, both residents of the City of St. Louis for more than 90 days before the filing, were married on April 23, 1988, with that union registered in Cook County, Illinois. Although the parties continue to share a residence, the petition states they constructively separated on or about January 27, 2026, and that irreconcilable differences have led to an irretrievable breakdown with no reasonable likelihood the marriage can be preserved.
The document affirms that neither party is on active duty with the armed forces and that there are no unemancipated children from the marriage. Castaneda declares she is not now pregnant. It further states that she lacks sufficient property to meet her reasonable needs and requests an award of maintenance from Holzer; Holzer, it notes, is capable of providing for his own reasonable needs and is not in need of maintenance from her. Castaneda also asks the court to order Holzer to pay her reasonable and necessary attorney fees and litigation costs.
Beyond questions of maintenance and costs, the petition details that the parties have accumulated both assets and debts during the marriage. Castaneda asks that marital property and debts be equitably divided under Missouri statute, and that nonmarital property be set aside to each party as appropriate.
In a quiet February court filing, a marriage spanning decades becomes subject to statutory enumeration: residency affirmed, marriage date recorded, separation noted, and requests stipulated. The petition now enters the adjudicative process where rights, obligations, and the orderly division of shared interests will be resolved under the framework of Missouri family law.
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