Mo. Rev. Stat. § 512.050
When an appeal is permitted by law from a trial court and within the time prescribed, a party or his agent may appeal from a judgment or order by filing with the clerk of the trial court a notice of appeal. No such appeal shall be effective unless the notice of appeal shall be filed not later than ten days after the judgment or order appealed from becomes final. All charges due to the court reporter for preparation of the transcript of the record of the trial court shall be paid within ten days of the ordering of the transcript. In the event that actual charges due for the preparation of the transcript cannot be readily determined, a deposit in the amount of the estimated charges due for preparation of the transcript shall be paid within ten days of the written notification by the court reporter of the amount of such estimated charges. The court reporter shall provide such written notification within ten days of any request for transcript. After a timely filing of such notice of appeal, failure of the appellant to take any of the further steps to secure the review of the judgment or order appealed from does not affect the validity of the appeal, but is ground for such action as the appellate court deems appropriate, which may include dismissal of the appeal.
§ 512.050, RSMo