St. Louis Lawyer

Why You Should Choose Our St. Louis Family Law Firm:

• Confidential consultations
• 50+ years of legal experience
• Every legal matter is handled personally
• One-on-one attention for each and every client

Read our lawyer reviews to see why clients choose our law firm when they need the best family lawyer in St. Louis.

You Deserve Personalized Attention from our Experienced St. Louis Family Law Attorneys

Through our experience, we have discovered legal matters involving families are best handled with a compassionate and personalized approach, combined with zealous legal representation inside and outside the family courtroom. If you are looking for an attorney who can provide caring customer service along with dedicated legal counsel, consider Cavanagh & Associates.

We represent clients in these areas of family law:

• Adoption
• Divorce (dissolution of marriage)
• Marital misconduct
• Mediated and collaborative divorce
• Prenuptial agreements
• Paternity proceedings
• Child custody
• Child support
• Spousal support (alimony)
• Post-divorce modifications and enforcement
• Paternity and custody counsel for unmarried parents
• Division of property, debt, and assets
• Child protection orders

We also offer a pre-divorce consultation to provide invaluable insight before you file for divorce. This can help you make the right initial approach to ending your marriage and can save you time, money, and stress.

What Is Family Law?

When you get married or have a child, you must sign legal documents. If any issues arise within these relationships, the documents may have to change. Family law is the field in which these changes take place. The changes also take place in a special court, known as family court. Family law attorneys, judges, and other professionals work within this field.

A good family lawyer will be compassionate about your situation and help you get through legal processes such as divorce, adoption, and child custody. Family courts always act in the best interests of children, but they can also help couples without children divide property or help establish legal parentage via paternity suits and other processes.

Family law can also intersect with other practice areas, including criminal defense in domestic violence and child abuse cases, estate planning, immigration, and even business law.

What Do You Need to Prepare for Divorce?

If you are considering divorce in Missouri, there are a few things you should do to prepare yourself.

First, it's important to understand the laws related to divorce in Missouri. The state has specific regulations on residency requirements, division of assets and liabilities, spousal support, alimony, and more that must be followed for a valid divorce.

Once you've familiarized yourself with the laws governing your case, you'll need to collect financial information about yourself and your spouse. This includes records such as income tax returns from the past three years; bank statements; credit card statements; real estate documents; retirement accounts; life insurance policies; pay stubs; loan documents; deeds of trust or mortgages; car titles/registration; and any other documents that show what assets you have.

It is also important to start planning for your post-divorce life, including looking into different types of housing and creating a budget based on your expected income. You may want to speak with financial advisors or lawyers who can help you make decisions about how best to manage your finances during the divorce process.

How Long Does a Divorce Take to Finalize in Missouri?

In Missouri, the amount of time it takes to finalize a divorce depends on several factors.

In most cases, the process should be completed within 30 to 90 days from when the filing spouse serves their partner with the petition for dissolution of marriage. However, if there is significant disagreement or complexity in your case, the timeline may be longer, perhaps months or even years.

Some issues that could prolong a divorce include: child custody disputes, division of assets or debts, spousal maintenance (alimony), and paternity. If you are unable to reach an uncontested agreement with your spouse on matters related to your divorce, you may need to go through mediation or receive a court ruling.

As with many legal processes, the best way to ensure your Missouri divorce is finalized in a timely manner is to be prepared and organized. Gathering all of the necessary paperwork, understanding what matters need to be discussed and decided upon, and having access to an experienced attorney can help make the process run as smoothly as possible.

Ultimately, how long it takes for your divorce to be finalized depends on how cooperative you and your spouse are during this difficult time.

How is Child Custody Decided in Missouri?

Child custody is determined in a variety of ways in Missouri. If parents are able to agree on an arrangement outside of court, they can do so through a written agreement called a parenting plan. This plan should detail the rights and responsibilities that each parent has regarding the child's care and welfare.

If parents are unable to come to an agreement before going to court, then it is up to the judge to decide what arrangement works best for the child. The court will consider several factors when making this decision, including: each parent’s fitness as a custodial parent; any history of domestic violence or abuse; the child’s relationship with both parents; and any special needs of the child. Ultimately, though, courts will always seek to make a decision that serves the best interests of the child.