St. Louis County & Midwest Family Law Blog

Family law matters can get emotional and complex. Child custody disputes can get heated quickly. Each parent thinks they know what is best for their child, and most children are too young to really know what furthers their best interests. This means that when there is a dispute about a child custody or visitation arrangement, then the parents will have to bring forth evidence to support why their proposed plan is best suited to meet and further those best interests.

Oftentimes, this means that the parties to a child custody dispute will dig deep into each other's personal lives to show a judge how the other parent's time with the child should be restricted in some way. In some cases, there isn't much to discover, but in other cases, there are a multitude of issues in a parent's home that threaten the child's best interests. Amongst these issues is domestic violence.

There's no doubt that raising a child is expensive. Daycare, food and clothing costs alone can be enough to leave a family on unsteady financial footing. It can be even harder to make ends meet when a custodial parent is left to raise a child on his or her own. In these situations, the cost of raising a child can be even more overwhelming. Fortunately, these custodial parents have the right to seek child support from their child's other parent, which can actually be a pretty broad and far-reaching type of support.

While child support is meant to help cover a portion of a child's day-to-day expenses, including childcare and food, it can also cover other costs such as those pertaining to medical care. But the list doesn't end there. In fact, in Missouri, a child support obligation may continue even after a child enters college. Under this circumstance, the support obligation can last up until the time the child graduates or he or she reaches the age of 21.

There are a variety of resources available to families to help ensure child support obligations are enforced. Child support enforcement tools at the disposal of authorities can include: income withholding or wage garnishment; federal or tax refund interception; liens on property; suspension of professional licenses or a driver's license; denial of a passport; and even jail time, in some circumstances.

When there is a valid child support order in place, it is important for the paying parent to make required payments or they may be subject to enforcement options available to authorities.

Marriage isn't easy. It often takes a lot of time and effort to ensure that a marital relationship stays strong, and it may be a task that lasts for years or even decades. Many Missouri residents go to these great lengths to avoid divorce, but the truth of the matter is that they may have another option available to them.

In Missouri and other states in the Midwest, legal separation is recognized. This legal action is sort of a middle ground between divorce and remaining with a spouse under the same roof. While those who are legally separated are technically still married to each other, they can live apart from one another and address many of the same legal issues confronted by divorcing couples. For example, legally separated couples may address property division, child custody, child support and alimony when they decide to live apart.