Virtual Coffee Break
Your place on the web to read and learn more about a variety of legal topics from the comfort of your own office chair. And we’ve kept each topic concise enough that it can be covered in the time it takes to break for coffee!
Parenting Plan for Parents Who Cannot Co-Parent
I got this form Parenting Plan from a colleague many years ago for use in extreme cases where the parents are completely unable to co-parent and instead have the act in parallel. It provides the excruciating level of detail required in these extreme cases. It is not...
CALL TO ACTION: MISSOURI MUST ADOPT THE 2017 AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT (“UPA”)
A lot has changed in Missouri since 1987. For me personally, I had been graduated from law school the year before and was enjoying my first job as a real lawyer, as a clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals. I now have been in private practice for more than 30 years....
WHERE CAN YOU FILE FOR DIVORCE IN MISSOURI
I read an interesting blog post earlier this week posted by a colleague whom I hold in high regard, although I disagree with her on this point. She answered the above question by saying, in part, that the dissolution of marriage action or divorce must be filed in the...
NEW CHANGES TO CHILD SUPPORT IN MISSOURI STARTING NOVEMBER 4, 2021
In Missouri, the starting point for the amount of child support that will be paid begins with a calculation of the presumed amount of child support calculated using the Form 14. The Form 14 is periodically modified and the most recent iteration of the Form 14, use of...
WHAT IS A DEPOSITION ANYWAY?
In Missouri, a deposition is an event where one person appears virtually or live, swears an oath (or recites an affirmation) to tell the truth and is asked questions by an attorney. The questions by the attorney and the answers by the witness (or deponent) are...
DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE THE DIVORCE
A case was recently handed down by the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District (where St. Louis County and surrounding counties are located) that serves to remind us all that the time to make certain that you know the balances on your credit cards is before the...
Grandparents and child support
Especially in these troubled times, grandparents often contribute to the support of their grandchildren: subsidizing or paying outright for their education or extracurricular activities or providing for such amenities as vacation or club memberships. The...
WHAT IS YOUR BURDEN OF PROOF IN A MOTION TO MODIFY CHILD CUSTODY IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY
The law contains a very slight – but possibly very significant – distinction between a modification seeking a change in visitation and a modification seeking a change in custody. For a modification of visitation, the party seeking the change must prove...
When Custody is 50/50 in St. Louis County, who pays child support? spoiler alert: there is no clear answer
In Missouri, the law sets forth a number of factors to be considered when determining what child support – if any – should be ordered. In addition, the Missouri Supreme Court has issued a Form 14, which is updated every three years or so. The Form 14 sets forth a...
PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED FOR FAILURE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT? YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HAVE YOUR CONVICTION EXPUNGED
Having a conviction expunged in Missouri means that legally the conviction never happened. You do not violate the law by failing to reveal an expunged conviction for non-support on a job application, and an expunged conviction will not appear on a background check....
Parenting Plan for Parents Who Cannot Co-Parent
I got this form Parenting Plan from a colleague many years ago for use in extreme cases where the parents are completely unable to co-parent and instead have the act in parallel. It provides the excruciating level of detail required in these extreme cases. It is not...
CALL TO ACTION: MISSOURI MUST ADOPT THE 2017 AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT (“UPA”)
A lot has changed in Missouri since 1987. For me personally, I had been graduated from law school the year before and was enjoying my first job as a real lawyer, as a clerk for the Missouri Court of Appeals. I now have been in private practice for more than 30 years....
WHERE CAN YOU FILE FOR DIVORCE IN MISSOURI
I read an interesting blog post earlier this week posted by a colleague whom I hold in high regard, although I disagree with her on this point. She answered the above question by saying, in part, that the dissolution of marriage action or divorce must be filed in the...
NEW CHANGES TO CHILD SUPPORT IN MISSOURI STARTING NOVEMBER 4, 2021
In Missouri, the starting point for the amount of child support that will be paid begins with a calculation of the presumed amount of child support calculated using the Form 14. The Form 14 is periodically modified and the most recent iteration of the Form 14, use of...
WHAT IS A DEPOSITION ANYWAY?
In Missouri, a deposition is an event where one person appears virtually or live, swears an oath (or recites an affirmation) to tell the truth and is asked questions by an attorney. The questions by the attorney and the answers by the witness (or deponent) are...
DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE THE DIVORCE
A case was recently handed down by the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District (where St. Louis County and surrounding counties are located) that serves to remind us all that the time to make certain that you know the balances on your credit cards is before the...
Grandparents and child support
Especially in these troubled times, grandparents often contribute to the support of their grandchildren: subsidizing or paying outright for their education or extracurricular activities or providing for such amenities as vacation or club memberships. The...
WHAT IS YOUR BURDEN OF PROOF IN A MOTION TO MODIFY CHILD CUSTODY IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY
The law contains a very slight – but possibly very significant – distinction between a modification seeking a change in visitation and a modification seeking a change in custody. For a modification of visitation, the party seeking the change must prove...
When Custody is 50/50 in St. Louis County, who pays child support? spoiler alert: there is no clear answer
In Missouri, the law sets forth a number of factors to be considered when determining what child support – if any – should be ordered. In addition, the Missouri Supreme Court has issued a Form 14, which is updated every three years or so. The Form 14 sets forth a...