Adoption is the legal process of creating a legal parent-child status between those who lack the biological parent-child relationship. Once an adoption is finalized, the adoptive parent and child have the same rights and obligations as if the child was born if him/her. Continue reading “Striving for a Stepparent Adoption”
In a child custody case, a Guardian ad Litem (“GAL”) is an attorney with special training and skills who has been appointed by the court to represent the best interest of your children. To become a certified Guardian ad Litem, a lawyer is required to complete an initial 8 hours of specialized training followed by 3 hours of training annually. Continue reading “Role of the Guardian ad Litem in your Custody Case”
Everyone has a different story of their divorce. Maybe you had been married for decades. Maybe you have children. Maybe the divorce was your idea and maybe it was forced upon you. Maybe you and your (former) spouse agreed that separation was best. Maybe you are relieved, maybe you are heartbroken, or maybe you feel both emotions at the same time.
No matter how you got here, divorce can be one of the toughest events you will face during your lifetime. The process can be long, stressful, and emotionally draining. No matter the length of your marriage, you need time to mourn and transition into your new life. Below are some encouraging guidelines for newly single parents to help ease this transition: Continue reading “Post-Divorce Life – Guidelines for Newly Single Parents”
When getting a divorce, the word property becomes critical. This is because, in order to divide all of a family’s property at the time of dissolution, the court requires each party to list what it is that he/she owns and then classify the listed property as either marital or separate property. This document that is filed with the court is called a Statement of Property.
The property that needs to be disclosed in a divorce includes real property (such as a house or vacation condominium), personal property (such as cars, household furniture, collectibles, jewelry, clothing, farming equipment), and intangible property (such as retirement accounts, investments, bank accounts, pensions, life insurance policies). Continue reading “Property in a Missouri Divorce: Separate vs. Marital”
The process of separating from a spouse and seeking a dissolution of marriage is often overwhelming. This is especially true in situations where one unsuspecting spouse has been abruptly served divorce papers. We often see clients overlook the following three issues when going through their divorce cases: Continue reading “Three Tips When Separating From Your Spouse”