When facing a divorce, you want a competent divorce lawyer who understands Missouri divorce laws and is familiar with local judges and court procedures.
Haefner Law Office, LLC focuses exclusively on family law, primarily on divorce and custody issues. The firm’s founder and lead St. Louis divorce attorney, Mark Haefner, is committed to providing compassionate, affordable, and effective family law services for individuals and families throughout the St. Louis, MO, metropolitan area. Whether your divorce is amicable or highly contentious, we’ve covered you.
The decisions made in your divorce will affect every aspect of your life. Here are just some of the conflicts we can help you resolve:
If you are contemplating a divorce or your spouse has asked for a divorce, contact our office at 314-200-6101 to schedule an appointment to discuss your legal options.
Haefner Law Office, LLC isn’t your typical law firm. Instead of following the traditional billable hours model, we believe our clients should know the cost of the services they are paying for upfront. That’s why we developed a flat rate pricing system that puts you in the driver’s seat.
We provide a menu of options that lets you choose which services you need at affordable prices. Haefner Law understands that a “one size fits all” price structure isn’t realistic — every case is different, and every client has specific needs.
Missouri laws state that to file a divorce petition, the following requirements must be met:
If you meet the above requirements, you can file a petition in the county where you or your spouse live. A minimum of 30 days must pass before the court grants a dissolution of marriage.
An uncontested divorce means that you and your spouse are in mutual agreement about the terms of your separation. You are willing to meet each other halfway to resolve all of the issues required to dissolve the marriage.
A divorce that is uncontested will save you time, money, and unwanted stress. Couples that prefer uncontested divorces are usually those with few assets and no children. However, there are also those who have substantial assets and children but want a hassle-free divorce.
Even if you and your spouse have reached a compromise on all the issues, it’s important to have a skilled St. Louis divorce lawyer to properly draft and file all the necessary paperwork with the court. This will expedite the process and ensure that your rights are protected and procedural rules and laws are being upheld or followed.
Haefner Law Office can:
In an uncontested divorce, there is always the chance that what began as civil can turn contentious. At that point, the court may recommend that you and your spouse engage in mediation — a settlement negotiation process facilitated by an unbiased mediator to help you reach a compromise on remaining disputes.
If you have a dedicated divorce lawyer with you from the outset, you’ll be in a better position to handle the unexpected.
Haefner Law Office strongly advocates for uncontested divorces but recognizes that it’s not always the best option for everyone. Sometimes it’s just not possible for couples to reach agreement on all issues. If you expect your divorce to be contentious, you can be assured that St. Louis divorce lawyer Mark Haefner will aggressively fight to protect your future and your children’s future.
To commence the contested divorce process, we will file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the Court outlining your wishes regarding marital assets, child custody and support, spousal maintenance, and any other relevant issues.
We can also engage in a process called Discovery, which will require your spouse to provide full financial disclosure, revealing any of his/her financial assets and debt. During this time, we can also request temporary orders for child custody and spousal maintenance or alimony if applicable.
In addition, Haefner Law works with an outside network of vocational experts, family psychologists, and accountants who can help provide additional expertise and perspective on your case.
When a contested divorce goes to trial, we do our due diligence to ensure we have a winning argument.
Spousal maintenance, also known as alimony, can be awarded to either spouse in a divorce. The spouse seeking maintenance must be able to demonstrate that they:
Once it is determined that a spouse is eligible for maintenance, the court will then look at the finances of the would be payer spouse to determine if they have enough disposable income to assist the needs of the recipient.
The court will weigh additional factors before ordering maintenance, including:
Maintenance can be temporary or permanent. If the maintenance order does not have a termination date and is modifiable, it can be decreased, increased, extended, or terminated based on changing circumstances.
In order to get the best maintenance order possible, it’s essential to have a knowledgeable St. Louis divorce attorney by your side who can present a clear picture to the court of your finances, skills, and what you need to fulfill your obligations.
Child custody has typically been the most sensitive and contentious issue in a divorce. As a parent, there is nothing you wouldn’t do for your child. The thought of not seeing them every day can be extremely distressing.
In Missouri, child custody is categorized by legal and physical custody. Legal custody refers to who will be making the major decisions for your children concerning their upbringing. Where will they go to school? What doctor will they see? Missouri courts advocate in favor of joint legal custody or shared parental responsibility for making decisions that affect the overall welfare of your kids.
Physical custody refers to where the children will live and how much time each parent will have with the children. In May 2016, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill aimed at giving divorced parents more equal custody over their children or joint physical custody. Previously, mothers were given more rights than fathers, but the new legislation, which will go into effect on August 28, 2016, is designed to level the playing field.
Having said that, the court can and will make adjustments if it is not in the best interests of the children to share time with each parent.
Relevant factors that may affect child custody include:
Whether through negotiation or at trial, a child custody lawyer at Haefner Law can protect your parental rights and counsel you in securing the parenting time you need.
Missouri law requires parents to submit a parenting plan to the court to serve as a blueprint for how you will co-parent your children after the divorce. A parenting plan is meant to lay out specific guidelines that will lead to creating a stable and healthy environment for your kids.
A typical parenting plan should address such issues as
St. Louis divorce attorney Mike Haefner can help you craft a parenting plan that is tailored to the needs of your children and considered acceptable by the court.
As parents, you and your spouse are legally obligated to support your children financially. In a divorce, child support is typically payable from the non-custodial parent to the parent with primary physical custody of the child. The exception is if both parents share equal time with the children and have similar incomes.
To calculate child support, the Missouri Supreme Court issues guidelines or a chart identifying basic child-rearing costs in the state. These costs are inputted into “Form 14,” a worksheet that calculates a child support amount.
In addition to basic costs, the following are also considered in arriving at an award amount:
Calculating child support is very complex, which makes it necessary to have a skilled child support lawyer who has extensive knowledge in calculating child support payments.
At Haefner Law, we ensure that child support is fair and reasonable and meets the needs of the parents and children. We also handle modifications in child support when circumstances materially change.
If you are facing a divorce or another family law issue, the Haefner Law Firm is here to help.
