(a) Civil Actions by Minors, Prosecuted by Whom. Civil actions by minors may be commenced and prosecuted only by a duly appointed guardian of such minor or, if there is no such guardian, by a next friend appointed in such civil action; if asserted by counterclaim, cross-claim or third party pleadings, such civil action may only be prosecuted by a duly appointed guardian of such minor or, if there is no such guardian, by a guardian ad litem appointed for such civil action.
Rule 52.02.Civil Actions By and Against Minors and Mentally or Physically Infirm.
Part I · Rule 52: Parties · Last amended January 1, 1994 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceRule 52.02 governs how minors and people who are mentally or physically unable to manage their own litigation sue or are sued, through a next friend or guardian ad litem, and it fixes the procedures for appointing, bonding, and paying the costs of those representatives.
Full Text of Rule 52.02
(b) Next Friend, by Whom Appointed. The appointment of a next friend for a minor shall be made by the judge of the court in which the civil action is intended to be brought, or by the clerk thereof.
(c) How Appointed. Such appointment shall be made on the petition in writing of such minor if of the age of fourteen years and the written consent of the person proposed to be next friend. If such minor be under the age of fourteen years, the appointment of a next friend may be made upon the written application of a relative or friend of the minor, in which case a notice thereof must be given to the person with whom such minor resides.
(d) Petition and Appointment to be Filed Before Further Proceedings. The petition for the appointment of a next friend, the written consent of the person proposed to be next friend, and the order of appointment, shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court where the civil action is proposed to be brought before any proceedings shall be had in the cause.
(e) Civil Actions Against Minors Not to Proceed Without Guardian. After the commencement of a civil action against a minor defendant, and the service of process upon him, the civil action shall not be prosecuted any further until a guardian or guardian ad litem for such minor defendant be appointed, except for such discovery proceedings as may be necessary to determine whether a defendant is a minor or has a duly appointed guardian.
(f) Appointment of Guardian Ad Litem. The appointment of a guardian ad litem shall be made by the court in which the civil action is pending upon the written request of the minor defendant, if of the age of fourteen years or more, or, if such minor be under said age, on the written request of a relative or friend of the minor, and on the written consent of any competent person proposed as guardian ad litem. Such request shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the court before any answer by such minor shall be filed.
(g) Guardian Ad Litem, When Appointed. If such minor defendant neglect, for one day after the expiration of the time within which the minor defendant is summoned to appear to the suit to procure the appointment of a guardian ad litem to defend the civil action, the court shall appoint some competent person to be guardian ad litem for such minor in the defense of such civil action.
(h) Next Friend or Guardian Ad Litem to Give Bond.
1. Before a next friend or guardian ad litem can receive a receipt for any money or property, personal or real, and before the next friend or guardian ad litem can acknowledge satisfaction or discharge of any judgment, the next friend or guardian ad litem must execute a bond to such minor; except that no bond shall be required if: (i) the total value of the property or money, exclusive of expenses and fees approved by the court, is not in excess of ten thousand dollars and all of the money or property is to be turned over to the minor or the minor’s parent or (ii) a sufficiently bonded guardian files a receipt approved by the court for such money or property. The bond must be approved by the court and shall be conditioned that the next friend or guardian ad litem shall account to such minor for all money or property of such minor that has or does come into the next friend or guardian ad litem’s hands, less only those expenses and attorney fees the payment of which has been approved by order of the court. The bond shall be in an amount equal to the value of said money or property if the surety is a corporate bonding, surety or insurance company and in an amount double the value of said money or property if the surety is not a corporate bonding, surety or insurance company, in which event there shall be two sureties. In either event, the surety or sureties shall be approved by the court before the bond can be approved.
2. Failure to execute such approved bond with approved surety or sureties when required under the provisions of subsection 1 shall, upon receipt by a next friend or guardian ad litem of any money or property for or on behalf of such minor, immediately render such next friend or guardian ad litem personally liable to such minor for a penal sum in an amount double the value of such money or property and also shall render absolutely void and of no effect any release, receipt or acknowledgment of satisfaction or discharge of any judgment which has been or is in the future made or executed by the next friend or guardian ad litem.
3. The duties of the next friend or guardian ad litem and the obligations under such bond shall continue until discharged by order of the court.
(i) Guardian and Next Friend Liable for Costs. The guardian or next friend of any minor who commences or prosecutes a civil action shall be responsible for the costs thereof, unless such minor be permitted by the court to sue as a poor person, as provided by law.
(j) Guardian Ad Litem Liable for Costs in Case of Misconduct. No person appointed guardian ad litem for a minor, for the purpose of defending a civil action against such minor, shall be personally liable for the costs of such civil action, unless specially charged by the order of the court for some personal misconduct in said cause.
(k) Next Friend or Guardian Ad Litem for Mentally or Physically Infirm. Whenever it shall be suggested or affirmatively appear to the court that any person not having a duly appointed guardian is incapable by reason of mental or physical infirmity of instituting suit or of properly caring for the person’s own interests in any litigation brought by or against such person, the court shall inquire into the person’s mental or physical condition for the purpose of the particular litigation and shall hear and determine such issue. If it is found to be proper for the protection of the person, the court may appoint a next friend or guardian ad litem for said person for the purpose of the particular litigation.
l Next Friend to Defend Counterclaim. A next friend shall also defend any counterclaim asserted against such minor or mentally or physically infirm person, except, upon application, the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem to defend such counterclaim.
(m) Failure to Appoint Next Friend or Guardian Ad Litem. Failure to appoint a next friend or guardian ad litem for a minor or a mentally or physically infirm person shall not invalidate the proceedings if the court finds that the interests of the minor or the mentally or physically infirm person were adequately protected.
(n) Statutes Governing Powers and Duties. The powers and duties of the next friend, guardian and guardian ad litem, and of the courts in respect to minors and incompetents shall be exercised in accordance with the provisions of the Revised Statutes of Missouri including, but not limited to, Sections 507.182, 507.184, 507.186 and 507.188.
Amendment History
Adopted April 21, 1972, eff. Dec. 1, 1972. Amended June 5, 1980, eff. Jan. 1, 1981; June 14, 1988, eff. Jan. 1, 1989; Sept. 28, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
Official Comment
Paragraph (a) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(a). Paragraph (b) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(b). Paragraphs (c) and (d) are substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(c), (d) and (g). The requirement that the consent of the next friend and guardian ad litem be acknowledged was eliminated. Paragraph (e) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(i) with the addition of the following: “. . . except for such discovery proceedings as may be necessary to determine whether a defendant is a minor or has a duly appointed guardian.” Paragraph (f) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(j). Paragraph (g) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(k). Paragraph (h) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(e) with the addition of the following: “. . . if a sufficiently bonded guardian files a receipt for such money or property which is approved by the court.” In addition a provision allowing the clerk to approve the bond was eliminated. Paragraph (i) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(h). Paragraph (j) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(l). Paragraph (k) is new. Paragraph (l) is new. Paragraph (m) is new. Paragraph (n) is substantially the same as prior Rule 52.02(m) with corrections made in cross references to statutes. Compare: Rule 17(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. “Minor” is a person who has not attained the age of 18 years. Laws 1976, S.B. No. 500, Sec. 1.
Plain-English Summary
A minor cannot bring or defend a civil action alone under Rule 52.02. When a minor brings an original claim, the minor needs a duly appointed guardian or, absent one, a next friend appointed for that case; when the minor's own claim is instead asserted by counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party pleading, a guardian or, absent one, a guardian ad litem prosecutes it in the minor's place. On the defense side, when a minor is sued, a guardian or guardian ad litem must be appointed before the case can proceed. How a next friend is appointed depends on the minor's age: a minor of fourteen or older can petition for the appointment with the written consent of the proposed next friend, while for a younger minor a relative or friend can apply, with notice going to whoever the minor lives with. The petition, consent, and appointment order all must be filed before the case proceeds further. When a minor is sued, the case cannot move forward — beyond limited discovery to confirm the minor's status or find an existing guardian — until a guardian or guardian ad litem is appointed to defend.
Before a next friend or guardian ad litem can accept money or property for the minor, or sign off on satisfaction of a judgment, that representative ordinarily must post a court-approved bond conditioned on accounting for everything received, less approved expenses and fees. The rule excuses the bond when the property involved is worth no more than ten thousand dollars and goes straight to the minor or a parent, or when an already-bonded guardian files a court-approved receipt. Skipping a required bond makes the representative personally liable to the minor for double the value of what was received, and it voids any release or satisfaction the representative signed.
Cost allocation runs in opposite directions depending on which side of the case the minor is on: a guardian or next friend who brings or prosecutes a case on a minor's behalf answers for the costs, unless the court lets the minor proceed as a poor person, while a guardian ad litem appointed to defend a minor is not personally on the hook for costs unless the court specially charges the guardian ad litem for personal misconduct in the case.
The same appointment machinery — next friend or guardian ad litem — extends to any person the court finds incapable, by reason of mental or physical infirmity, of bringing suit or protecting the person's own interests in litigation, and a next friend must likewise defend any counterclaim against a minor or infirm person unless the court appoints a guardian ad litem for that purpose. Failing to appoint a next friend or guardian ad litem does not by itself undo the proceedings if the court finds the person's interests were adequately protected. Beyond the rule's own text, the powers and duties of these representatives and of the courts overseeing them follow specific sections of the Revised Statutes of Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can bring a lawsuit on behalf of a minor under Rule 52.02?
A duly appointed guardian prosecutes the case if one exists. If there is no guardian, a next friend appointed specifically for that action does so instead.
What is the difference between a next friend and a guardian ad litem?
A next friend prosecutes a minor's original claim when there is no guardian, and also defends a counterclaim brought against the minor unless the court appoints a guardian ad litem for that purpose. A guardian ad litem defends a minor who is sued, and also prosecutes the minor's own claim when it is asserted by counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party pleading rather than an original petition and there is no guardian.
Can a lawsuit against a minor move forward before a guardian is appointed?
No, not in substance. Once a minor defendant is served, the case cannot proceed further until a guardian or guardian ad litem is appointed, except for discovery needed to determine whether the defendant is in fact a minor or already has a guardian.
Do a next friend or guardian ad litem have to post a bond?
Generally yes, before receiving money or property for the minor or signing a release or satisfaction of judgment. Rule 52.02 excuses the bond only when the property is worth no more than ten thousand dollars and goes directly to the minor or a parent, or when a bonded guardian files a court-approved receipt for it.
Who pays the costs of a case brought by or against a minor?
A guardian or next friend who commences or prosecutes a case for a minor answers for the costs, unless the court allows the minor to sue as a poor person. A guardian ad litem appointed to defend a minor is not personally liable for costs unless the court specially charges the guardian ad litem for personal misconduct.
Does Rule 52.02 apply only to minors?
No. It extends the same next-friend and guardian ad litem procedures to any person the court finds incapable, because of mental or physical infirmity, of bringing suit or looking after their own interests in a particular case.
What happens if a court forgets to appoint a next friend or guardian ad litem?
The omission does not by itself invalidate the proceedings. Rule 52.02 lets the court excuse the failure if it finds that the minor's or infirm person's interests were adequately protected anyway.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: next friendguardian ad litemminors civil actionssuits by and against minorsincompetent person representationguardian ad litem bond