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.

January has a way of telling the truth plainly. While the last days of December often carry filings made in haste—marriages closed out like unfinished business before the year runs out—a petition filed at the year’s start feels steadier, as if the decision has been lived with and finally spoken aloud. That is the quiet tone of the petition filed January 6, 2026, in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, Family Court Division at Independence, by Jennifer Leigh-Daly Roll against Michael Kevin Roll.

The marriage began far from Missouri, on November 2, 2007, in Tucson, Arizona, and over the years found its way here, where the parties now remain under the same roof despite having separated emotionally. The petition states that irreconcilable differences have led to an irretrievable breakdown, leaving no reasonable likelihood the marriage can be preserved. One child was born of the marriage, and the filing turns carefully toward the future of that child, asking the court to grant sole legal custody to Jennifer Roll while the parties share joint physical custody, with her residence designated for mailing and educational purposes under a proposed parenting plan.

Filed through her attorney, David A. Kelly of Kelly & Jansen, LLC, the petition seeks a full accounting of what remains to be settled. Jennifer Roll asks for child support calculated under Missouri law, appropriate health insurance coverage for the child, and shared responsibility for uninsured medical and related expenses. She also requests maintenance, an equitable division of marital property and debts—or approval of any marital settlement agreement—along with the setting aside of each party’s separate property. The petition further seeks restoration of her maiden name, Jennifer Leigh Daly, an award of attorney’s fees and costs, and any other relief the court deems just and proper.

In the first week of the year, the filing does not rush. It pauses, then moves forward, carrying with it the weight of what has been and the careful hope of what must now be decided.

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