St. Charles Child Custody and Visitation Matters lawyers
For many families, there comes a time when issues of visitation must be handled with the help of the legal system. At Stange Law Firm LLC, many of our clients ask us to guide them through the process of handling visitation issues related to a divorce or paternity action.
Our Missouri law firm is well equipped to offer efficient and effective solutions to clients throughout the greater St. Louis metropolitan area. We believe in common sense actions, but we also believe in acting forcefully to achieve the best possible results. Our team of enthusiastic attorneys will prepare your visitation case completely and effectively, fighting hard so that your voice is heard in court.
Missouri Child Custody and Visitation Laws
Missouri laws have changed. Courts now recognized a presumption of joint custody. This presumption means that parents share physical custody of their children. Usually, on parent is identified as the residential parent for school and mailing purposes. Visitation is shared according to a detailed parenting plan.
If courts award sole physical custody, the parent with custody is automatically considered to be the residential parent. Sole custody is often awarded in situations involving a history of family violence, mental instability, drug addition or alcohol abuse.
When these factors are present, courts often require supervised visitation, which takes place in the presence of a responsible adult appointed by the court for the protection of the child. It can be difficult to terminate supervised visitation because parents wishing to do so must show proof of treatment and rehabilitation. This can be challenging to demonstrate.
For this reason, it is critical to take supervised visitation seriously. At Stange Law Firm LLC, we talk with our clients about their options and advocate forcefully for them. Whether we are protecting children from potential abuse or protecting the relationships between parents and their children, we work hard to achieve the best possible results.
St. Louis Visitation Lawyer Handling Child Support Matters
Under the Missouri child support guidelines, non-custodial parents receive a "visitation credit" for the amount of overnight visitation they handle. Certain numbers of overnights can help to reduce the child support obligation.
Because of this child support is often a factor to be considered when divorcing parents are determining child custody and visitation. At Stange Law Firm LLC, we take everything into account when we handle your child support case. Our work includes implementing successful legal strategies, like making sure that the amount of parenting time you receive is right for you and your children. If you have already received an adverse child custody judgment, Stange Law Firm can represent you in the filing of an appeal.
Grandparent Visitation
Grandparents often face an uphill battle to gain visitation with their grandchildren. The court will grant grandparent visitation only if it is in the child's best interest. A court will deny grandparent visitation if the visits will endanger the child's physical health or impair the child's emotional development.
Like with other custody cases, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem to help determine the best interest of the child. A guardian ad litem is an attorney appointed by the court to represent the child. The recommendation of the guardian is often key in these cases.
At Stange Law Firm LLC, founding attorney Paola Stange is a trained guardian ad litem who uses her in-depth knowledge of guardians' actions to help you achieve the best possible results in grandparents' rights cases.
Contact a St. Louis Child Visitation Lawyer
To learn more about visitation, contact us online or by phone to schedule a free and confidential hour consultation at any of our convenient locations throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area, in St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson County and St. Louis City, Missouri, and Belleville, Illinois.
Saint Louis County Office: 314-219-1865 Click to learn more about this location.
Jefferson County (Arnold) Office: 636-333-0396 Click to learn more about this location.
St. Charles Office: 636-674-8118 Click to learn more about this location.
Belleville Office: 618-505-4643 Click to learn more about this location
Saint Louis City Office: 314-499-8340 Click to learn more about this location.
