What should parents do – and avoid doing – to help their kids cope with the stressful changes of divorce? In a program called Children of Divorce and Changing Families, children ages 10 to 12 were asked to create a set of rules they wish parents would follow. According to the article If Your Kids…
DetailsAs a recent twist on an old saying goes, “Dance like nobody’s watching, and text like your messages will be read in court someday.” In family court, parties frequently have to prove what information has been exchanged between spouses. Texting is a popular means of communication; according to reports, in 2018, 81 percent of American…
DetailsCustody can be complex, even after arrangements have been finalized. Whether you are the custodial parent or the non-custodial parent, it’s important to be aware of factors that could affect the negotiated agreement. One is the visitation credit. In Missouri, the parent who pays child support claim a visitation credit against their monthly child support…
DetailsIf you legally changed your last name when you married, getting a divorce raises the question of whether and how to change it back. Along with the tradition of women giving up their maiden names when they marry, over the past few decades both men and women have opted to hyphenate or otherwise combine their…
DetailsLike many divorced parents, you may be struggling to respond to inflammatory messages from your former spouse. Last week, I covered several ways to filter out irrelevant communications and focus instead on child-related concerns. We can’t control what others say, but we can control how we respond. That’s easier said than done, however. Getting a…
DetailsDo you have a co-parent who regularly rants? Angry texts and tearful telephone calls are upsetting, and it’s easy to feel trapped in exhausting old patterns with your former spouse. Fighting is intimate, says psychotherapist and divorce expert Kate Scharff, and that’s important to keep in mind. As she points out in her article End…
DetailsAfter parents’ divorce, coordinating shared custody can be a recurring source of conflict. Online co-parenting tools help prevent stressful mix-ups and misunderstandings — and help parents avoid using their children as messengers. Here are three co-parenting sites to consider. 2houses The 2houses website and app features a calendar of the custody schedule, appointments, and events.…
DetailsDivorced individuals filing for Social Security benefits are often unaware that they may qualify for benefits based on marriage to an ex-spouse, even after divorce. Because the strict guidelines and rules for eligibility may be overlooked by divorce attorneys, divorced individuals need to understand what benefits they are eligible for when they file for Social…
DetailsIn the process of your divorce proceedings, you may be required to participate in a deposition. It’s part of what the law calls “discovery,” which allows attorneys the opportunity to ask you questions. If your spouse’s attorney schedules a deposition, it will be a very important part of your case. Most people have never had…
DetailsWe are often asked whether it is illegal in Missouri to access your spouse’s email account. Like our previous discussion of the potential consequences of tracking your spouse’s actions via spy software, there is a lot of legal gray area surrounding this action; getting into your spouse’s e-mail could both negatively affect the outcome of…
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