Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.130
When a person, without good cause, shall abandon his or her spouse, and refuse or neglect to maintain and provide for him or her, the circuit court, on his or her petition for that purpose, shall order and adjudge such support and maintenance to be provided and paid by such person for the spouse and the spouse's children, or any of them, by that marriage, out of his property, and for such time as the nature of the case and the circumstances of the parties shall require, and compel the person to give security for such maintenance, and from time to time make such further orders touching the same as shall be just, and enforce such judgment by execution, sequestration of property, or by such other lawful means as are in accordance with the practice of the court; and as long as said maintenance is continued, the person shall not be charged with the spouse's debts, contracted after the judgment for such maintenance.
§ 452.130, RSMo
RSMo 1939 § 3376, A.L. 2001 H.B. 537