Legal Articles

Retroactive Child Support Orders

During several divorce, paternity or child support cases, a long period of time can elapse between the filing of the petition and when the court enters its final judgment and order. It is quite common for cases to last 18+ months, particularly in contested cases. Knowing this, parties will often string a case out as…

Child Custody Modification/Changes

Judicial child custody orders can be modified if the Court finds that a changs has occurred in the circumstances of the child or his/her custodian and that modification is necessary to serve the child’s best interests. Section 452.410.1. Before a custody can be modified, there must be a significant or substantial change in circumstances. Kinner v….

Custody Modification: Military

Child custody orders are very difficult when one party is in the military and on active service. Section 452.412 sets a number of limits on child custody modifications when a parent is in the military and deployed out of state: A party’s absence, relocation […] shall not, by itself, be sufficient to justify a modification of…

Paternity

A pre-requisite to an order of child support or child custody is that a parent-child relationship exists. Under Missouri Statute 210.819, a parent child-relationship is established in one of three ways. One of the more common ways it is established is through paternity proceedings. Missouri Statutes set up a scheme whereby there is either a…

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