Property Not Owned by Spouses Cannot Be Divided in Divorce

The Circuit Court does not have authority to divide assets that are not owned by either spouse in a dissolution of marriage. In a recent Missouri case, the trial court entered a judgment that divided certain trusts where the children were the sole be… Read More
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When Attorney Fees Can Be Awarded in Divorce/Family Litigation

While Missouri courts normally follow the “American Rule” regarding legal fees – that each party is responsible for his or her own costs – Missouri dissolution of Marriage statutes give the court the discretion to order one party to contribut… Read More
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Order Requiring Parents to Share in Unlimited Expenses is Unenforcable

A dispute that Missouri family law attorneys see on a regular basis is the sharing of children’s extracurricular activity expenses. Under Missouri law, the Court can require parents to share certain expenses, over and above the monthly child suppor… Read More
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Child Neglect Shown in recent Decision

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… Read More
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Case Law Update: No contempt found when action was not intentional and contumacious - standards for custody modification

The Circuit court ordered re-financing of the house after divorce. At the hearing on a subsequent contempt action, the circuit court found that failure to comply was not contemptuous because party did not have the financial ability to comply with the… Read More
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Missouri no fault divorce - what it does and does not mean

Similar to other states, Missouri is a modified no-fault divorce state. However, there is some misconception out there about what this actually means for divorcing parties in Missouri. Modified no-fault divorce means that a party does not have to pro… Read More
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Missouri Divorce and Family Law Blog listed as top 50 Divorce Blog

The Missouri Divorce and Family Law Blog was just recently listed as a top 50 divorce blog by mastersincounseling.com. Abby Nelson, at the site, posted a great compilation of blogs, covering divorce and family law areas such as: Her side, his side, s… Read More
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Court clarifies confusing child support statute pertaining to college course requirements:

The Missouri statute that mandates the continuation of child support after age 18 if the child attends college was amended in 2007, and provisions were added that are somewhat contradictory. In a recent ruling by the Missouri Court of Appeals, the Co… Read More
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Grossly disproportionate division of property and debts in a divorce proceeding reversed

In a recent ruling by the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Southern District, a division of property and debt where the Wife received 93% of the assets and 27% of the debts, and the Husband received 7% of the assets and 73% of the debt was reversed… Read More
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If you pay child support per a Missouri judicial or administrative order and your income is reduced or lost - A Motion to Modify is required.

In today’s turbulent economic climate, where job losses or reductions in income are frequent, it is critical to immediately deal with a child support order upon any significant change in income. Failure to act quickly can lead to an even greater fi… Read More
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