Belleville and Edwardsville Divorce Law Blog

Fathers in Missouri who were not married when their child was born will need to file a petition to establish paternity to enjoy the same rights as fathers who were married to a child's mother when the child was born. This is true even if a father's name is on the birth certificate and there is no doubt that he is the father of the child.

A father who wants to establish his paternity rights will either need to take a DNA test to prove that he is the biological father, or both he and the biological mother can sign an affidavit acknowledging paternity. Signing an acknowledgement and obtaining a court order is the fastest way to establish paternity.

When two working parents in Missouri decide to divorce or separate, child support can be a serious and contentious issue. One of the most significant costs of child-raising is often day care, and many parents may wonder how they will continue to pay childcare costs after divorcing. If you are divorcing while your child is in daycare, a child support and family law attorney can help you to seek a fair solution that reflects these costs in the child support formula.

Under state law in both Missouri and Kansas, daycare and other childcare costs can often be included in the overall child support formula. While the most basic child support calculations reflect primarily the income of each parent and the number of children requiring support by both, other factors can also be taken into account by the court. Those other factors include additional expenses involved in caring for the child. Most commonly, this provision applies to childcare costs like daycare fees, preschool costs or nannies' wages. Many family law judges will allocate childcare costs between the two parties based on comparative shares of their net income.

Missouri fans of Ewan McGregor may be aware that the actor and his wife of 22 years, Eve Mavrakis, announced in October 2017 that their marriage was at an end. It later emerged that the two had separated in May. Later that same year, a relationship between McGregor and actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead became public.

According to court documents, McGregor and Mavrakis are now in a dispute over spousal and child support payments. McGregor has been making support payments to Mavrakis since January, but there are no formal spousal or child support orders in place. McGregor says he wants credit or reimbursement for what he has paid, which is more than he would have paid in child or spousal support with a court order. Mavrakis is claiming that the amount is insufficient. In addition to a 22-year-old daughter, they have three other children, two 16-year-olds and a 7-year-old.

Parents in Missouri who must go through child custody proceedings might wonder what to expect. The courtroom for a child custody hearing is usually smaller than other types of courtrooms, and fewer people will be present. It is important for parents to dress appropriately for a court appearance.

Parents should also prepare for questions such as what kind of living arrangements are in place for the child and what kind of emotional support the parent can offer. An attorney can help a parent with this preparation. A judge makes the decision about child custody based on the best interests of the child, so there may be additional questions related to the child's well-being. For example, a judge may ask a working parent about child care arrangements when the child is not in school or may ask about sleeping arrangements if the parent lives in a small apartment.