Divorce Lawyers in Lee's Summit, MO

Alimony, also known as spousal support or maintenance, is an important negotiation point for divorce. Alimony is typically made in periodic payments or any other basis determined by the court or agreed upon by the parties. Any award of alimony is an avenue for correcting an economic imbalance as a result of a divorce. Our divorce attorneys will discuss your alimony needs throughout the divorce process.

Spousal support is referred to as maintenance in Missouri. When determining whether a maintenance award is appropriate, the court will examine a variety of factors, including the ability of the party seeking maintenance to meet his or her needs independently, the earning capacity of each spouse, the standard of living established during the marriage, the obligations and assets of each party, the length of the marriage, and the educational and employment history of the parties.

The timeline for each divorce is unique to the specific facts and circumstances of that particular divorce. The process can take longer if spouses struggle to come to agreement on all aspects of a divorce including, but not limited to, property division, child support, child custody, visitation rights, and more. However, our divorce lawyers strive to complete divorce cases within six months whenever feasible and possible.

No. Missouri is an “equitable distribution” state, meaning marital property, debts, and assets are “equitably” divided rather than split 50/50. The court determines the equitable division based upon a variety of factors such as economic circumstances, age of each spouse, contribution of each spouse to acquisition of property, value of nonmarital property, and many others.

Unlike a divorce or dissolution of marriage, a legal separation does not formally end a marriage. When a judgment is issued, the parties are still married. A legal separation may be appropriate if there is a likelihood of reconciliation or there are other factors such as religion, insurance, etc. For a legal separation, many of the same factors are considered as for a divorce such as division of property, child custody, child support, and others. Our divorce attorneys can help you determine if a legal separation is more appropriate for your unique situation.

It is important that you take early action, even if you do not expect to file for divorce right away. Create a file that includes information about bank accounts, credit card invoices, investment account summaries, retirement assets, etc., so that your attorney will have a clear picture of the assets and debts to be divided. If you have children, you should not involve them in disputes related to the divorce. Divorce creates a period of difficult transition for children. Both you and your spouse should work hard to ensure that the divorce does not create unnecessary disruption in the lives of your children.