Family Legal Services in Missouri

• What are some Divorce Terms?
  • Client- the person for whom the lawyer works
  • Custody- care of children
  • Contest- to argue
  • Annul- to cancel
  • Spouse- a husband or a wife
  • Dissolution- another name for divorce
  • Petition- a paper from the court asking for a divorce
  • File- to give a paper to the court
  • Summons- the order from the court that tells you to respond to the petition
  • Support- money paid to a wife, husband or for children

A divorce can take place if a court decides that a marriage cannot be saved. A judge without a jury decides the case. In Missouri, either the husband or the wife must have lived in the state for 90 days before the divorce can be filed.

• What is Dissolution?
  It is another name for divorce. It is a legal ending of the marriage, so that both spouses become single again. Neither spouse may marry within 40 days after the divorce because the court may change the decision. The wife’s lawyer may ask that her name be changed back to her maiden name. Learn More

• Does Missouri Have a No-Fault Divorce Law?
  Yes and no. Generally, one person doesn’t have to prove that the other one is at fault in order to get a divorce. But sometimes fault must be proven to help the court decide child custody, support or who gets property. Learn More

• What is Annulment?
  A decision by the court that the marriage was not legal from the beginning.
• How is the Property Divided?
The judge thinks about: how to divide the property fairly; how much each spouse has helped to get the property; and what the spouse who has custody of the children will need to give them a good home.

The husband and wife may write an agreement on their support and the support and custody of the children, and an agreement about allowing the children to visit the other parent. The judge must approve this agreement.

• What is Joint Custody?
  It is a plan in which parents get court permission to share the decision-making responsibilities and sometimes also share the physical custody of the children. One parent will usually still have a duty to support the children. Learn More

• What is Support/Maintenance?
  Before the judge decides how much support is needed for either spouse, he will think about: how long the husband and wife have been married; the ages of the husband and wife; their health; their work and what they earn; and what money or property they have. (This was formerly known as alimony.) Learn More

If you or someone you know in Missouri is in need of Family Law Legal Services, please contact Family Lawyer Alan W. Cohen at (314)863-8800 or via the contact form in right column for prompt and considerate attention.

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