While it is not mandatory in Missouri that a divorced mother and father contribute to their children’s college expenses, Missouri family courts may order either parent to contribute to the cost of their children’s continuing education. This can be done after a contested trial, or it can become an order…
As we have discussed in previous blogs, the method to calculate the presumed child support amount in Missouri Family Courts is dictated by Missouri Supreme Court Rule and through the use of the “Form 14”. Effective July 1, 2017 a new version of the Form 14 will take effect. In…
In Part I of our blog on The Missouri Division of Child Support Enforcement (Division) we discussed their role in establishing orders of paternity and child support and the importance of legal representation in this process. In Part II we discuss the tools that the Division uses to enforce support…
The Missouri Division of Child Support Enforcement (Division) is a state government agency that is part of the Missouri Department Of Social Services working in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Family Services whose objectives include the establishment and enforcement of child support orders. Despite this clear mission, as defined…
In Missouri, child support “abatement” is a process whereby a paying parent’s obligation to pay child support on a monthly basis tolls or stops, even temporarily. This most commonly occurs when the custodial parent voluntarily relinquishes custody of the child to the paying parent for a period in excess of…
For parents who are either paying or are receiving child support, knowing how long the financial responsibility of child support continues is critical to the financial planning of their family. The answer to the question of how long this obligation continues depends upon multiple factors related to your child. Family…
This is a very common question presented to Missouri family law practitioners. Most parties either paying or receiving child support understand that the amount of money in their court order can be modified or changed by an order of their family court judge. But, in order for a family law…
In our last post, we discussed the use of a Form 14 to determine child support amounts in family court cases in Missouri, as well as some situations where a Form 14 is not used. Since a Form 14 is the predominant way of determining child support here in Missouri,…
Whether you are going through a divorce, a paternity matter, or a modification of child support, the issue of child support is often one of the principle issues in a Missouri family law case. Determining child support in Missouri can be a challenging task, however it is usually calculated according…
In Missouri, there are traditionally three ways through which child support is paid to a receiving parent. These three methods include payments made: (1) through direct payment by the paying parent to the receiving parent; (2) through the Family Support Payment Center; or, (3) through a wage withholding on the…