The Courts in Missouri typically require every litigant in a custody case to attend a co-parenting class. The class is approximately two hours long, and the litigant will be provided with a certificate of attendance after it is over, which will need to be filed with the Court. The central topic of the required co-parenting [..]
Supervised visitation is a surprisingly common request in an initial parenting plan. However, there are very few cases in which it actually applies. Supervised visitation for a parent may be ordered by the Court in cases in which a parent’s addiction has placed the child(ren) in harm’s way. This can include drug addiction or alcohol [..]
Many co-parents now use an online app to aid in communication regarding their minor children. There are several available, including, but not limited to, Our Family Wizard, Talking Parents, AppClose, and 2houses. Some of these are free, while others have an annual fee. Typically the fee is around $99 to $120 per year per user. [..]
Just as you now divide your child’s regular weekday and weekend time, you will now need to divide your holiday time with your child. Most typically, this is done using a Holiday Group A/Holiday Group B plan that will rotate each year and divide all of the major holidays. However, some people prefer to design [..]
Attempting to co-parent children with a person that you are no longer romantically involved with can be incredibly challenging. Some people actually manage to be friends after a divorce or separation, but those people are rare. Typically, there are a lot of bitter feelings left on one or both sides that prohibit this. To co-parent [..]
Child custody and child support (and maintenance in the case of a divorce) will be subject to modification after the judgment based upon a substantial and continuing change of circumstances and the best interests of the children. However, a party should carefully consider his/her options prior to filing a motion to modify, which often turns [..]
A common question that I hear in my office is, “how long will my case take?” The unfortunate answer to this is that it varies. In Missouri, there is a waiting period of 30 days after filing for divorce. Most, if not all, counties have a local rule requiring 30 days after service. Therefore, the [..]
People are often confused by the term “paternity action.” When I use the term paternity, I am often met with, “there’s no question about paternity.” A paternity action refers to an action to determine child custody and child support for a child who is born to parents who were never married. Even when there is [..]
One of the most common questions that I get asked is what age a child has to be in order to choose who he/she lives with. The short answer to this in the State of Missouri is 18. There seems to be a common myth that a child gets to choose at a particular age. [..]
Many people are unaware that there are two different categories of custody in Missouri and both must be included in a custody judgment. I have many people who come into my office, either as clients, parents in a case in which I am Guardian ad Litem, or as a case that I am mediating, who [..]
