A Missouri Escrow Agreement is a legal contract between two parties, the Escrow Agent and the Escrow Principal. The Escrow Agent holds funds and/or documents in trust for the Escrow Principal until certain conditions of the agreement are met. The agreement outlines the duties and responsibilities of both parties, the terms of the escrow, and the conditions of release of the funds and/or documents. There are two types of Missouri Escrow Agreement: a Standard Escrow Agreement and a Special Escrow Agreement. The Standard Escrow Agreement is used for the most common escrow transactions and is the simpler of the two. The Special Escrow Agreement is used for more complex transactions and includes specific instructions that must be followed in order for the agreement to be valid.