St. Louis Divorce Lawyers

Our Divorce Law Services

Our legal practice is focused exclusively on family law. Our staff of experienced professionals has immense knowledge of all legal issues that can arise during a divorce. We have assisted hundreds of clients with:

• Mediation services
• Child custody, visitation, and support
• Alimony and spousal support
• Division of joint assets
• Complex property division
• Uncontested divorce

Filing for Divorce in St. Louis

Missouri Residency Requirements

For a divorce petition to be heard in a St. Louis court, at least one of the parties named must be a resident of Missouri. Armed services personnel must be stationed in the state for at least 90 days before the divorce may be filed.

Grounds for Divorce

The petitioner in a St. Louis divorce proceeding must also cite the grounds for seeking a dissolution of the marriage. The grounds for the divorce request will be that the marriage has been irretrievably broken and that there is no reason to believe it can be preserved any longer. You may have heard of this also being referred to as irreconcilable differences.

If both parties agree that the marriage is indeed irretrievably broken, the judge presiding over the proceedings will accept that as grounds and grant the petition. If the other spouse disagrees, the petitioner may be asked to prove that the marriage has been irretrievably broken and there is no chance of reconciliation between the two parties. In this case, the petitioner can present evidence of any of the following circumstances:

• Adultery
• Abandonment
• Voluntary Separation of One Year
• Involuntary Separation of Two Years
• Incompatibility

Our team of experienced divorce attorneys and aides assists our clients with these difficult decisions and helps them choose the most relevant grounds for their case. Amid so much emotional upheaval, it can be difficult for the petitioner to face these choices. Our team of considerate attorneys will be there to help see you through these rough times.

Protecting Children During Divorce

The pending break-up of parents is particularly hard on the children who are still living at home. Our experienced family law team understands your family’s emotional challenges during this transition. We help parents create solutions prioritizing their children’s well-being while protecting parental rights, ensuring every decision puts your children’s needs first.

Understanding Child Custody in Missouri

Before finalizing your divorce, Missouri law requires the court to approve a comprehensive parenting plan. This crucial document will shape your children’s daily lives and relationships with both parents. Understanding the different types of custody arrangements is essential for making informed decisions about your children’s future.

Physical Custody Arrangements

Physical custody determines where your child lives and how time is divided between parents. The parenting plan will control your time with your children through specific schedules and arrangements, including:

• Weekend and holiday schedules
• Overnight arrangements
• Vacation time distribution
• Day-to-day care responsibilities

Joint Physical Custody

When parents can share time effectively, courts often award Joint Physical Custody. This arrangement works best when:

• Both parents live reasonably close to each other
• Parents can maintain cooperative communication
• Schedules allow for meaningful time with both parents
• Children can maintain stability between homes

Sole Physical Custody

In some cases, Sole Physical Custody may be more appropriate, particularly when parents live far apart, or other circumstances make equal time-sharing impractical. Even in sole custody arrangements, the other parent typically maintains regular visitation rights to ensure ongoing relationships with their children.

Legal Custody and Decision-Making

Legal custody addresses how parents make important decisions about their children’s upbringing. Missouri courts strongly favor Joint Legal Custody, which requires parents to collaborate on major decisions affecting their children.

Legal custody covers crucial decisions, including:

Medical Decisions

• Selection of primary care physician
• Mental health evaluations and treatment
• Decisions about ADHD testing and treatment
• Approval for medical procedures

Educational Choices

• School selection and enrollment
• Decisions about Advanced Placement courses
• Special education services if needed
• Extracurricular activity participation

Types of Legal Custody

Joint Legal Custody

The courts strongly prefer this arrangement, where both parents share decision-making responsibilities. This requires:

• Regular communication between parents
• Mutual agreement on major decisions
• Ability to cooperate on children’s behalf
• Shared responsibility for important choices

Sole Legal Custody

When parents struggle to communicate effectively, Sole Legal Custody might be necessary. In these cases:

• One parent receives primary decision-making authority
• The other parent maintains the right to stay informed
• Non-custodial parent receives updates about grades, medical appointments, and important events
• Information sharing remains required even without decision-making authority

Creating an Effective Parenting Plan

Developing a comprehensive parenting plan requires careful consideration of your children’s needs and practical realities. While these decisions can be challenging, reaching agreement between parents typically leads to better outcomes than leaving decisions to the judge.

Your parenting plan should address the following:

• Detailed time-sharing schedules
• Holiday and vacation arrangements
• Communication protocols
• Decision-making processes
• Financial responsibilities
• Emergency procedures

Working Together for Your Children’s Future

Our family law team brings legal experience and genuine compassion to your custody case. We focus on reducing conflict while protecting your parental rights, helping you create arrangements that work for everyone involved. We aim to help you build a strong foundation for co-parenting that will serve your family well in the years ahead.

St. Louis Divorce Attorneys At Work

Hundreds of questions come to mind as the stark reality of divorce settles in. As a firm, we aim to help you find the answers to those questions and begin the next phase of your life as easily as possible. We are dedicated to providing our clients and their families with kind, personalized, and professional legal representation throughout the divorce process.

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