SB1400 • 2026

Modifies the damages available for the unauthorized practice of law

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Trent, Curtis; House handler: N/A
Last action: 2026-01-27
Official status: Second Read and Referred S General Laws Committee
Effective date: 2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Modifies the damages available for the unauthorized practice of law

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1400 - This act provides that any person, association, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation who commits the unauthorized practice of law may be sued for treble the amount of actual damages resulting from the unauthorized practice by the person or entity paying for the service.

What This Bill Does

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1400 - This act provides that any person, association, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation who commits the unauthorized practice of law may be sued for treble the amount of actual damages resulting from the unauthorized practice by the person or entity paying for the service.
KATIE O'BRIEN

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-27 S245
Second Read and Referred S General Laws Committee
2026-01-07 S88
S First Read
2025-12-03 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Prefiled

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SB 1400 - This act provides that any person, association, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation who commits the unauthorized practice of law may be sued for treble the amount of actual damages resulting from the unauthorized practice by the person or entity paying for the service.
KATIE O'BRIEN

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1400
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR TRENT.
5901S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To repeal section 484.020, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to damages
for the unauthorized practice of law, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 484.020, RSMo, is repealed and one new 1
section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 484.020, 2
to read as follows:3
484.020. 1. No person shall engage in the practice of 1
law or do law business, as defined in section 484.010, or 2
both, unless he shall have been duly licensed therefor and 3
while his license therefor is in full force and effect, nor 4
shall any association, partnership, limited liability 5
company, or corporation, except a professional corporation 6
organized pursuant to the provisions of chapter 356, a 7
limited liability company organized and registered pursuant 8
to the provisions of chapter 347, or a limited liability 9
partnership organized or registered pursuant to the 10
provisions of chapter 358, engage in the practice of the law 11
or do law business as defined in section 484.010, or both. 12
2. Any person, association, partnership, limited 13
liability company, or corporation who shall violate the 14
foregoing prohibition of this section shall be guilty of a 15
misdemeanor and upon conviction therefor shall be punished 16
by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars and costs of 17
SB 1400 2
prosecution and shall be subject to be sued for treble the 18
amount which shall have been paid him or it for any service 19
rendered in violation [hereof] of this section or treble the 20
amount of actual damages resulting from the service rendered 21
in violation of this section by the person, firm, 22
association, partnership, limited liability company, or 23
corporation paying [the same] for the service within two 24
years from the date the same shall have been paid and if 25
within said time such person, firm, association, 26
partnership, limited liability company, or corporation shall 27
neglect and fail to sue for or recover such treble amount, 28
then the state of Missouri shall have the right to and shall 29
sue for such treble amount and recover the same and upon the 30
recovery thereof such treble amount shall be paid into the 31
treasury of the state of Missouri. 32
3. It is hereby made the duty of the attorney general 33
of the state of Missouri or the prosecuting attorney of any 34
county or city in which service of process may be had upon 35
the person, firm, association, partnership, limited 36
liability company, or corporation liable hereunder, to 37
institute all suits necessary for the recovery by the state 38
of Missouri of such amounts in the name and on behalf of the 39
state. 40
✓