St. Louis Divorce & Family Law Blog by Stange Law Firm, PC

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Friday, October 11, 2019. For divorcing couples in Missouri, the family home is usually a major asset. One option that couples have is to sell the home and then split the profits. Another option is for one person to continue living in the home, especially if there are children, and buy their soon-to-be ex-spouse’s share. For a buyout to occur during a divorce, the couple needs to know the value of the house. They can hire appraisers to get the current fair market value of the house. Both

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Thursday, September 26, 2019. Most Missouri couples don’t plan to get a divorce. However, almost half of all first marriages come to an end, and the ensuing period can be challenging emotionally, practically and financially. Divorce can be difficult even for spouses unhappy in their marriages over a long period of time or for those who have reached a largely amicable resolution. Many people may experience depression and other health concerns in the period surrounding their divorce. They may withdraw from family and friends and pick up unhealthy

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. Couples in Missouri may wonder if it is true that marital satisfaction will steadily decline in the years after the couple exchanges vows. A common idea is that marriage will begin with hearts full of happiness, but that happiness and excitement will cool off as the years pass. It is common for researchers to refer to this as the honeymoon-is-over effect. This perspective is being called into question thanks to new research. Recent studies are showing that it is actually quite common for spouses

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Thursday, August 29, 2019. Missouri residents may be familiar with the stereotype of the wealthy husband trying to hide his assets in offshore accounts so that his soon-to-be ex-wife will not get her hands on his money. It is true that as long as there are laws that require a spouse to potentially lose some of their assets during a divorce, spouses might try to hide money. In recent decades, though, it has not just been the husband who has tried to hide away marital assets. There are

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Tuesday, August 13, 2019. Researchers who surveyed more than 2,300 divorced people say that emotional and not behavioral issues dominate the top reasons that people give for splitting up. Instead of marriages ending because of addiction or violence, researchers found that people separated because they no longer respected their spouses or grew apart. In an paper that appeared in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, researchers said their findings suggested that ideas about marriage are shifting and that people in Missouri and around the country are more

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Monday, July 29, 2019. People in Missouri who are going through a relatively amicable divorce might want to talk to a spouse about how they will announce the split on social media. If the divorce is not amicable, they should resist the temptation to vent about it even to friends. Avoiding talking about the divorce is usually the best policy, and people may want to check their privacy settings and block anyone who might cause drama during the process. One reason for using discretion before and during a

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Thursday, July 18, 2019. When Missouri couples are planning their wedding celebrations, they usually don’t think about divorce. However, paying for the occasion and going into debt over it can result in couples considering ending their marriages. According to a study by LendingTree, going into debt over wedding expenses can have a significant impact on what happens after the wedding between the newlyweds. The study was conducted online by Qualtrics for LendingTree and surveyed 506 people ages 18 to 53 who had gotten married in the last two

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Friday, July 5, 2019. Couples in Missouri who are considering divorce may be more likely to file in August or March. A study by University of Washington researchers that was presented at the American Sociological Association examined filings in the state from 2001 to 2015 and identified the pattern. Some divorce attorneys also say there are increases in January. Whatever the time of year, people who are considering divorce may want to take several factors into account. First, they should think about what going through a divorce will

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Wednesday, June 19, 2019. Child support issues can be contentious for divorced parents in Missouri and nationwide. A study conducted by Custody X Change, a smartphone app that aims to help parents manage child custody and visitation schedules, reveals that support payments can vary widely depending on the state in which the parents live. The potential recalculation of child support may be a significant factor if parents are thinking about relocating. While national statistics can vary widely, Missouri’s average payments are in the second-lowest of four tiers. There

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Monday, June 3, 2019. For business owners in Missouri, divorce can come with unique concerns and issues. This is especially true on the financial level, where changes that emerge from divorce can have long-term effects that remain after the emotional and practical issues have been settled. Because business owners often combine their income and their assets and both spouses may be involved in the company, divorce presents a different challenge. However, entrepreneurs can take steps to help protect their companies and emerge successfully from the process. In many

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Friday, May 24, 2019. Divorce in Chicago is a difficult process, but it can be more complicated when it is a high asset divorce and involves two prominent people. Regardless of the financial circumstances and if the case is a topic in the media, it is always important for the spouses to have legal assistance with their case. A recent divorce filing between a professional baseball player and his professional singer wife is an example of the complex nature of these situations. Chicago Cubs player Ben Zobrist and

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Thursday, May 9, 2019. Parents in Missouri and elsewhere who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may need to enter a child support agreement to obtain benefits. This was according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture memo encouraging state leaders to enforce such a rule. There are roughly 40 million Americans who participate in the program, and many of them are children who live in homes with a single parent. Often, these children live in poverty because noncustodial parents don’t pay child support. By

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Families in Missouri with a stay-at-home mother may have unique concerns during a divorce. Approximately 25 percent of American mothers raise children at home, compared to 7 percent of American fathers. These include around 10 percent of mothers with a master’s degree or more who have left the workplace in order to raise their children. In general, becoming a stay-at-home mother is a family decision that both parents feel is better for their child. The support of a spouse at home can help the

On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in Family Law on Wednesday, April 10, 2019. When Missouri parents decide to divorce, many fathers may worry about losing their relationship with their children afterwards. However, an increasing number of family courts favor shared parenting and joint physical custody as a way to protect the kids’ relationship with both parents. While in the past, courts tended to give physical custody to the mothers, this has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. Child development experts and family courts understand that the involvement of both parents can be particularly important for healthy