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How to Avoid Will Contests in Kansas City, KS Estate Planning

An estate plan can manage a person’s assets and their end-of-life care and ensure their heirs and beneficiaries are provided for after their death. One of the important documents in an estate plan is a will. Your will names an executor to distribute your estate, names the heirs who will receive those assets, and lists other wishes, such as a guardian for minor children. A will can give individuals a sense of certainty about how things will be handled after their passing. Unfortunately, this may not always be the case. After your death, interested parties may be able to contest

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Establishing and Revoking Paternity Rights in Kansas City

In Missouri, there is a legal presumption of parentage when a child is born to married parents. The parents are considered to be the biological and legal parents. When parents are unmarried and have children, the state only considers the parent who gave birth to the child to be the legal and biological parent. Parents who want to establish paternity rights of both parents must take certain steps to do so. Why Is It Important to Establish Paternity? Establishing paternity of a child allows both parents to have legal parental rights and responsibilities. This includes the right to make legal

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The Discovery Process in a Contested Kansas City Divorce

During a divorce, one essential aspect is the division of property. To divide property between parties fairly, both spouses must provide information about their assets, property, and debts. This exchange of information is called discovery. When spouses are getting an uncontested divorce, this may be information they give to each other voluntarily to make negotiation or mediation go more smoothly. In some uncontested and in all contested divorces, discovery is a formal and court-ordered process. Contested vs. Uncontested Divorces A divorce is made up of several types of family law cases, including: Division of property Determining alimony Calculating child support

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How Does Child Support Work in Kansas City, MO?

Determination of child support in a divorce or separation case can be potentially contentious. The paying parent often feels as if they’re being forced to pay more than necessary, while the receiving parent may feel like they are unable to meet their children’s financial needs. Missouri law requires both parents to equally contribute to a child’s upbringing. When one parent has greater custody over their children, the other parent usually must pay child support. If you and your co-parent are dealing with custody and child support, it’s essential to understand how child support is calculated and enforced in Kansas City.

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What Is a Material Change in Circumstances for Order Modification?

During a divorce or separation of parents, the family judge sets several court orders that outline child custody, child support, and spousal maintenance. A court order is legally binding and needs to be followed. This is true whether the court order was created through litigation or a court-approved mediated agreement. If life circumstances change after a divorce or separation, there are ways to alter these court orders. Both parents and children go through changes that may require different support or custody. Kansas courts understand that every family goes through changes in life and works to ensure that family court orders

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The Importance of Estate Planning

Estate planning allows you to provide for your family’s future, plan out your end-of-life care, and ensure your assets go where you want them to. A comprehensive and enforceable estate plan is essential to secure these plans and limit the issues your family and loved ones have after your death. The Main Components of a Kansas City Estate Plan A comprehensive estate plan includes: A Will: This allows you to state the individual and entity inheritors to your assets and properties. A Trust: This document explains the beneficiaries of your estate. Assets in a trust stay out of probate court,

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What to Avoid in a High Net Worth Divorce

Any divorce involves unique challenges and difficult proceedings, but high-asset divorces are particularly complicated. Legal and financial issues get more complex, and emotions tend to run higher as a result. The basic aspects that make up divorce proceedings remain the same, such as spousal support, property division, and child custody. However, couples who have a high number of assets and finances need to take special care to avoid the common issues and lengthy discussions that can hold up divorce proceedings. Here are some things to avoid in your high-asset divorce: Hiding Assets It’s a big mistake to intentionally hide assets

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Understanding Marital Agreements in Kansas City

Marital agreements, including prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, are useful for wealth protection and asset division. They’re commonly associated with wealthy couples who want to protect their assets from a potential divorce or shape inheritance rights. Marital agreements can be useful in any marriage and can effectively divide assets if the couple divorces. Understanding a Prenuptial Agreement A prenuptial agreement is a marital agreement entered into by a couple who is not yet married. It lays out each person’s right to shared and personal property. It also determines how property is divided in the event of divorce. This agreement only comes

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How Social Media Can Harm Your Divorce Case

During times of transition, many people reach out to family, friends, and loved ones for support. In the modern age, this support may come from social media outlets and apps. Although these platforms are generally beneficial, they can be a severe detriment to your divorce case. Because your entire future depends on your divorce case, it is important to follow strict guidelines on social media while going through the divorce process. Our attorneys are passionate about providing reliable information and resources to those navigating family law issues. Deactivation Your spouse’s attorney can use a significant amount of information from your

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Are You Missing Out on Spousal Support?

When most couples get married, divorce is the farthest thing from their minds. In fact, couples often build their entire lives around the belief that they will be married to their spouse until they die. However, a significant percentage of couples do not make it that far and seek divorce. This leaves individuals to deal with the decisions they made under very different circumstances. Putting one’s career on hold to raise children, care for the home, or pursue passion projects is a choice that many people make when they get married. Unfortunately, it can leave one in a state of

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