St. Charles Divorce Lawyer Blog
With the prevalence of private grade schools and high schools in the St. Louis area, family law attorneys and judges are often faced with the question of how to pay for the costs associated with these schools when one or both parents decide to send their child to private school. In today’s blog we cover how this can impact a parent’s child support obligation.
If you assumed that St. Louis has a larger than average percentage of students attending private grade schools and high schools as compared to other large metropolitan areas, you would be correct. In a recent study by the real estate company Trulia, of the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the United States, St. Louis ranked 10th overall in a measurement of the largest percentage of students enrolled in private school.
Whether it be in a divorce situation or in a case where the mother and father were never married, the Missouri family court is often faced with a decision as to whether to assign these costs to either parent.
In the context of Missouri family law, there are many misconceptions as to what a legal separation is and when it is an appropriate remedy.
In some Missouri family court cases, it is necessary for the Court to appoint a guardian ad litem. A guardian ad litem (“GAL”) is usually an attorney and can be appointed in divorce, paternity and custody modification cases to represent the best interests of the children involved in the domestic matter. A GAL must be appointed in child order of protection cases, or in any case where abuse or neglect is alleged by either parent, but can also be requested by either party to assist the furthering of the children’s best interest in the family court case. The best interests of the children are determined by