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.
Case number 2616-FC01057 stands in the Family Court Division of the Circuit Court of Jackson County at Independence. There, Nathan A. Van Vleck has asked that his marriage to Jessika F. Bunker be dissolved. The affidavit bears a 2026 jurat, and the petition was filed February 11, 2026.
The pleading states that both parties have been residents of Missouri for more than ninety days preceding the commencement of the proceeding. They were married June 13, 2020, the marriage registered in Jackson County. A separation is alleged to have occurred on or about February 15, 2024. Neither party is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or its allies on active duty.
The petition identifies one child born of the marriage and asserts that the child has resided continuously in Missouri for at least six months preceding the commencement of the action. It states that no other custody litigation is pending in this or any other state and that no other person claims custody or visitation rights. The parties have no agreement regarding custody, visitation, or support. The petitioner asks that joint legal and joint physical custody be ordered in accordance with a parenting plan approved by the court, with his address designated for mailing and education purposes.
The filing further recites that the parties accumulated property and obligations during the marriage. It requests that any marital settlement agreement be found not unconscionable or, absent such agreement, that marital property and debts be divided in a fair and equitable manner. The petition asserts there is no reasonable likelihood the marriage can be preserved and that it is irretrievably broken. It also asks the court to approve any agreement regarding child support or, if none is reached, to order support consistent with Missouri law.
In mid-February, when the calendar year is still new and prior events remain close at hand, such petitions reduce years to a sequence of dates and statutory references. The court’s role is defined by those references: to determine custody, support, and division under established standards. What follows will be governed not by recollection but by findings and orders entered into the public record.
Please contact VowBreakers for access to documents related to the case.
