You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase men’s rights or father’s rights, but what actually is men’s rights? The Men’s Rights Movement (MRM), also called Men’s Rights Activism (MRA), is a movement supporting various causes benefiting men originated in the 1970s. Men’s Rights Activists focus on societal issues which disproportionately affect men, including homelessness, addiction, suicide and various types of perceived discrimination toward men. For our purposes, which is the rig

Johnny Depp has been a superstar actor for nearly 4 decades. From his jump to stardom on the police drama 21 Jump Street, to his breakout box office role in Edward Scissorhands, to the uber popular 6 Pirates of the Caribbean movies, you undoubtedly know who Johnny Depp is. Several years ago, on the tv and internet, there was no shortage of clips of Johnny Depp’s defamation trial with Amber Heard. Johnny Depp first met Amber Heard while filming The Rum Diary, an unheralded

a parent does have the option to petition the court to modify the original judgment of dissolution or child custody by filing a motion to modify.

Missouri law has long recognized a trial court’s discretion to impute income in family law cases

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Unfortunately, all too often in representing men in divorce and child custody disputes, our office hears from men whose children are being wrongfully withheld from them. Now, without a doubt there are times when children should be protected from their fathers, such as when Dad has abused the children, acted inappropriately toward the children, or has an addiction or substance use disorder which potentially puts the children in jeopardy when they are around him. However, when

Employability thwarts maintenance (aka "alimony") Traditionally, in past decades, most women did not formerly “work” at a job, but rather stayed at home as homemakers, taking care of the home and the children. Although as anyone who has raised children will attest to, it is undoubtedly a lot of work. In the sense of this classic example, when spouses separated or divorced, it was only fair that the man help support his ex-wife, who typically had little to no ear

When it comes to child custody and parenting time determinations, Missouri law recommends joint custody according to Missouri State Statute RSMo § 452.375 . Judges in Missouri are urged by the statute to award custody in accordance with what is in the best interests of the child. What is joint custody? There are two types of child custody, legal custody and physical custody. In joint legal custody, both parents share the decision-making authority when it comes to matters

It’s an unfortunate reality that substance abuse and addiction play a paramount role in the demise of families and relationships. Addiction causes people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do, and behave in ways they otherwise would not. Often, when those with harmful addictions recover, relationships can begin to mend, and families can begin to heal. Unfortunately, many addictions do not have happy outcomes. In Missouri divorce and child custody cases, courts take evidenc

C ourts in Missouri are not required by law to divide marital assets equally, but rather only equitably, thus making Missouri an “equitable distribution state.” The State Statute concerning property division in dissolution of marriage (divorce) is Mo. Rev. Stat. § 452.330 “Disposition of property and debts, factors to be considered.” According to the statute , a Judge shall divide the marital assets and marital debts in such proportions as the Judge deems just after consi

Traditionally, during the 1950’s through the 1980's when divorce became more common, and for a variety of reasons, courts favored mothers when it came to child custody and child support because during this time period most fathers worked and supported the family while the mother stayed at home and raised the children. Because society often changes faster than state legislatures and court opinions, more recently men who have desired to be a bigger part of their children’s live

Uncontested divorces present fewer challenges than contested divorces. Yet, issues can and do still arise and when they do, they can cause extended delays and in some circumstances the case can morph from uncontested to contested.

When it comes to the legal avenues a grandparent can pursue when raising grandchildren, generally there are three options: guardianship, custody and adoption.

It’s no secret that marriages in the U.S have a high failure rate, and that rate increases when the parties are not in their first marriage. According to Psychology Today, slightly less than half of all marriages end in divorce in the United States, but for subsequent marriages the failure rate is 67% and for third marriages the likelihood of divorce is 73%. Further, according to a survey conducted by the the U.S Census Bureau in 36% of weddings at least one party had been

new children cannot be used as a “sword” to reduce the amount of previously ordered child support.

Filing for erroneous orders of protection against one parent can be a form of parental alienation

All too often parents let the emotions of a divorce or child custody battle as well as their feelings toward their ex, lead them to...

Falsely filed orders of protection are a serious problem affecting predominantly male fathers. The enacting of legislation to protect...

While not always one of my clients’ favorite topics of discussion, paying child support is a legal and moral obligation (if the father is...

Father's rights attorneys fight for fathers' opportunities to be physically involved with raising their children