» Adoption and Guardianship
Second Parent Adoptions: What Missouri Same-Sex Parents Need to Know
July 24th, 2024
If you’re in a same-sex marriage and would like to protect your relationship with your partner’s biological child, you may be wondering what legal measures you can take. It’s important for same-sex couples to understand that when a non-biologic…
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Guardianship of children approved upon showing of unfitness and inability to parent
August 19th, 2017
Recent Case from the Court of Appeals: Letters of Guardianship Affirmed Mother appeals from the trial court’s judgment, which appointed Petitioners as guardians over two minor children. The trial court’s judgment found the children’s parents (M…
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Child support paid by third party does not equal child neglect; Proposed Judgments prepared by counsel should not be signed verbatim.
February 6th, 2017
The Constitution protects the fundamental right of a parent to custody of their child even though child’s best interests are the goal of statutes governing adoption. An action for adoption without parental consent terminates, without a separate act…
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Case Law Update: No Child Abandonment Without Knowledge
March 4th, 2012
Recent Ruling: Termination of parental rights requires proof of statutory grounds by clear, convincing and cogent evidence, and proof of child’s best interest by a preponderance of the evidence. In an action to terminate parental rights, the statut…
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Categories: Adoption and Guardianship, Child Abuse, Custody and Visitation, Divorce, Domestic Abuse, Paternity
Child Neglect Shown in recent Decision
February 5th, 2011
In a recent decision by the Missouri Court of Appeals, clear, cogent and convincing evidence supported a finding of neglect in protecting the child, maintaining the household, and supervising the child. “If a parent is unable to pay for all of…
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Case Law Update: Grandparent Visitation Cannot Be Granted By A Probate Judge
January 21st, 2008
In the Matter of D.C.O. and A.D.O., Bill Hitt and Brenda Hitt, Appellants v. Mark S. Odom, Respondent, No. 28163 (Mo. App. S.D., December 7, 2007), Parrish, P.J. The father of two minor children filed a motion to modify a prior judgment granting gran…
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Mark A. Wortman
Kansas City family law attorney Mark A. Wortman handles only divorce and family law matters, and practices only in the State of Missouri. Due to this specialty, Mark Wortman has handled thousands of Missouri divorce and family cases and has practiced… Read More
