fbpx

Family Law Appeals

Family Law Appeals

Whether you want to appeal a custody judgment after a divorce or you believe the division of property was unfair, you may be wondering whether or not you can appeal the court’s initial decision. Appeals are a complicated area of family law, and an appellate attorney’s knowledge and experience are critical to success. Stange Law Firm, PC, has the skill to explain your rights and options and to help you pursue a positive resolution.
 
Stange Law Firm, PC, can handle a wide range of family law appeals throughout Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Indiana including appeals involving:  
 

Submitting or Defending an Appeal in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Indiana

Hiring a lawyer is necessary in order to file, pursue or defend your appeal and there are timelines that are critical to ensure that appeal rights are preserved. Stange Law Firm, PC can gather all vital information, order and prepare transcripts, write the brief, and present an oral argument before the appellate court.

Experienced Attorneys Fighting to Protect Your Rights

In addition to maintaining a strong commitment to client service, our lawyers have an in-depth understanding of how to handle the family law appeals process correctly from start to finish. Stange Law Firm, PC, obtained a reported reversal of a maintenance award in the Missouri Court of Appeals in Atchley v. Atchley. Stange Law Firm, PC, also received a reported reversal of a child support award in the Missouri Court of Appeals in Steinberg v. Steinberg. You can read more on the topic of appeals (with some examples) in articles titled Appeals Court: Judge could have acted differently in a custody case and International child custody dispute involving Illinois boy twists.

Contact a Multi-State Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Indiana Appellate Attorney

Contact us online or by phone to schedule a confidential consultation at any of our convenient locations in St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, Wichita, Topeka, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Omaha, Lincoln, and beyond.

Wishes of the Children in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska Child Custody Matters

When a divorce or child custody case is taking place, some may tell their attorney that their child wants to reside with them. Wrongly, they then sometimes assume that they have an easy case. The truth s that child custody is determined by looking at the best interests of the child in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. In deciding what is in the best interests of the child, judges are to look at the statutory factors. There are different factors look at from their health and safety; their emotional needs; the co-parenting skills of the parents; the need for interaction with siblings and other relatives; the child’s adjustment to home and school; and other factors. It is true that the wishes of the child is one of the factors that the court can consider in determining what is in their best interests. However, there are many other factors that the court can consider as well. In sum, kids do not get to pick where they get to live. On the other hand, a court can certainly consider the wishes of the child. In doing so, they have to determine whether their desire is based on legitimate reasons or not. If the reasons make sense, like they will have a more stable home with one parent, can get a better education and/or emotional support in one parent’s home versus the other, a judge may find this persuasive. The age of the children can also come into play as well in terms of the weight the judge place’s on their wishes. The older the child is, the more likely a judge may be to put weight on their wishes. Conversely, a judge could put little weight on the wishes of the child where the reasons are not convincing. This could be the case where a child wants to live with one parent because they can do what they want at a particular parent’s house; do not have to do their homework; can drink or do drugs; or other improper reasons. There are also extreme cases where a child could suffer from parental alienation.

Guardian ad Litems and Child Custody Evaluations Can Sometimes Help

A guardian ad litem can also work to understand the desires of the child to determine whether they are proper. A child custody evaluation can also be helpful in some cases as well. In either instance, the judge can sometimes be advised of the wishes of the child without them having to testify in court. In the final analysis, the wishes of a child is one factor that the court can consider in determining custody. But it does not mean that the court has to do what the child desires at the same time.

Child Custody Lawyers Focusing on the Best Interests of the Child in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska

If you are going through a child custody case, Stange Law Firm, PC can help. You can contact us online or at the numbers below. We have locations in St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, Springfield, Columbia, Wichita, Topeka, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Omaha, Lincoln and beyond.

ABOUT

Representing Clients in Divorce & Family Matters

We also handle many other family law matters, including but not limited to:

Dissolution of Marriage
Unfortunately, there are times when a marriage is irretrievably broken and a divorce is the only option. We can help with your uncontested, contested, simple or complex divorce case.
Legal Separation
There are some instances where married parties are separated, but are unsure whether their marriage can be reconciled or may later need to be dissolved. We can help with a legal separation if this is the case.
Annulment
In certain circumstances, a party may be able to seek an annulment if there are circumstances that led to a party being fraudulently induced into entering a marriage.
Family Law
Unfortunately, there are times when a marriage is irretrievably broken and a divorce is the only option. We can help with your uncontested, contested, simple or complex divorce case.
Collaborative Law/Mediation
If you are looking for an amicable resolution to your divorce or family law matter, we have attorneys who can help you with a collaborative family law case or mediation.
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
These agreements help couples make critical decisions about their relationships, just in case. While prenuptial agreements are drafted before a marriage, postnuptial agreements are drafted during the marriage, usually when circumstances change.
Paternity Law/Mediation
With approximately forty-percent of all children being born out of wedlock, we represent numerous unmarried parents in child custody and child support disputes. These cases are the twenty-first century divorce and extremely common.
Guardianships and conservatorships
We also represent clients in matters of guardianships and conservatorships, helping them protect the people they love — especially when those people can no longer care for themselves. Our work in this area often involves people facing physical and mental illnesses, alcoholism and addiction.
Surrogacy Agreements
We can help clients negotiate surrogacy agreements, drafting and executing all related documents as well as resolving any conflicts that may arise.
Step-parent adoption
We represent parents in step-parent adoptions, which usually occur when a parent marries or remarries after the birth of a biological child. Step-parent adoptions help bring families closer together by creating a solid family unit.
Name Change
If you are seeking to legally change your name, we can help.
Orders of Protection
We can help you in legal proceedings involving restraining orders.
Adoption
We are honored to represent clients who wish to adopt a child into their family.
Minor emancipation
In some cases, minors do best when they are given the rights and responsibilities of adults. We assist in minor emancipation, representing both teens and their parents.
Grandparents' rights
Lawyers at our firm also handle grandparents' rights issues such as child custody, guardianship and grandparent adoption.
Appeals
We represent parties in appeals of adverse family court judgments, including divorce, child custody, child support, maintenance and grandparent visitation.
Child Support
We represent clients in matters involving child support.
Child Custody
We represent parents in child custody disputes.
Juvenile Matters
We represent parties in juvenile matters involving the Division of Family Law Services.
Modifications
We assist clients in modifying prior child custody and child support judgments when the facts call for it.
Contempt
We help clients in contempt of court matters as well as family access motions.
Military Divorce
We are proud to represent service members in divorce and family law matters.
SLF Icon
Serving the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Wichita, Topeka, Tulsa and Beyond in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma

From our webpage, you can also read articles about family law, view informational videos, seminar videos, listen to our podcast, download our mobile application or view support calculators for MissouriIllinois and Kansas.

If you are looking to find and hire a child custody lawyer, contact us online or by phone to schedule a consultation at any of our convenient locations.

book-prenup-1

Prenuptial Agreements Line by Line

Aspatore Books from Thomson Reuters Westlaw
book-military-1

Strategies For Family Law Illinois

Aspatore Books from Thomson Reuters Westlaw
book-family-1

Strategies For Military Family Law

Aspatore Books from Thomson Reuters Westlaw

Protect Yourself By Understanding Your Options and Knowing Your Rights

GET HELP NOW

SLF Icon

MAIN OFFICE LOCATION

Stange Law Firm, PC

120 S. Central Avenue, Suite 450

St. Louis (Clayton), Missouri 63105

Toll Free: 855-805-0595
Fax: 314-963-9191
Group 144

DIVORCE HEADQUATERS APP

Contact Our Team

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Family Law Legal Services At Your Fingertips

FEATURED ARTICLES FROM THE STANGE LAW TEAM

When you choose us, you don’t have to sacrifice quality or service. You get the resources of a large divorce and family law firm AND the attentive service of a local attorney.