Divorce is a difficult, often messy process that requires many tough decisions. Who will get which assets? Who will be responsible for which debts? Where will the children live, and how often will they see the other parent? The list of questions goes…
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Recent case: Uncommon alternating year parenting schedule approved for military family
Mother appeals the judgment of the circuit court granting the motion of Father, which modified the schedule of physical custody (parenting time) and which modifi…
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Missouri statute allows custody in persons not biologically related to a child but having a familial bond. The Petitioner for third party custody must rebut a presumption of parental fitness or prove that the child’s welfare requires custody in pet…
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Recent Decision from the Missouri Supreme Court:
Overview: A mother appeals a circuit court’s judgment awarding third-party custody of a child to her stepfather in the mother and stepfather’s proceeding to dissolve their marriage. In a decision w…
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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…
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Recent Case from the Court of Appeals: States have continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over their custody judgments until released by the rendering state.
The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act conditions authority of any State t…
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Recent Case from the Missouri Court of Appeals:
Father appeals from a judgment denying his motion to modify child support. Grandparents appeal from the same judgment which also denied their petition seeking grandparent visitation.
The Grandmother did…
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Recent Case: When a custody order contains restricted visitation, those restrictions must not be lifted, or even phased out, until a subsequent hearing to determine whether removal of the restrictions is in the child’s best interest.
Evidence…
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Governor Jay Nixon signed House bill 1550 into law on July 1, 2016, which takes effect August 28, 2016. This law has been dubbed as an equal custody law, or 50/50 custody law, but that is not an entirely accurate description. Rather than specific…
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Recent Missouri Case: Parent responsible for violating the court order when child refuses to visit the other parent as required in the court ordered parenting plan
Appellant D.R.P. (“Mother”) appeals the judgment of the Circuit Co…
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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 has handled thousands of Missouri divorce and family cases and has practiced extensi…
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