When you realize your marriage has reached the end of the road, it can be difficult to make informed decisions at the start. You may be feeling emotional, devastated, and confused about what to do next. That’s why it’s important to reach out to an experienced Kansas City divorce lawyer for help.

The last thing you want is to unknowingly make a lot of wrong decisions due to your heightened emotions. It’s important to start adjusting to a new normal and make peace with what’s to come. Stange Law Firm can help make this large life adjustment easier for you.

Getting Divorced in Missouri

There’s nothing glamorous or enjoyable about divorce. Regardless of whether your divorce is contested or uncontested, you are looking at a tumultuous situation that will affect every aspect of your life, as well as the lives of your friends and family. You may not be fully prepared to handle the emotional fallout of your decision, and it can take time to truly heal. The divorce process can be a lot to handle on your own, which is why you should talk to a lawyer.

You don’t want to end up trapped in confusing litigation or owing a lot of money to your spouse in the form of spousal support. It’s reasonable to feel hurt, betrayed, and even scared about your future. However, it’s important that you never lose sight of your goal here. Your marriage is over, and either you or your spouse has deemed it irreparable.

The most important thing you can do is continue moving forward and make sure you take the necessary steps to protect yourself, your finances, and your children, if you have any.

Protecting yourself begins with hiring the right divorce lawyer to represent your interests and make sure you don’t get taken advantage of by your spouse’s legal team.

Depending on whether you are the one serving the papers or the one being served, you may be totally unprepared for a divorce. You may not know what to do once divorce proceedings begin. If your divorce is contested, you are going to want legal help, as you will be dealing with significant emotional fallout throughout.

According to information gathered by the CDC, the divorce rate is considerably higher in Missouri, especially when compared to the national rate. As of 2022, the divorce rate in Missouri was approximately 2.7 per 1,000 residents. Additionally, the marriage rate in Missouri hovered around 5.8 per 1,000 residents that same year, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

If you are struggling with your divorce, you may want to talk to a local support group that focuses on helping people cope with divorce, such as DivorceCare. Having someone to talk to about what you’re going through can be more beneficial than you initially think.

Things to Consider in Your Divorce

A divorce can be an all-consuming situation that prevents you from doing much else until it’s over. It’s important to resist the downward momentum that divorce can pull you into and to consistently focus on the things that matter to you the most, such as your children and your independence. Make time to prioritize your own mental and emotional health. Here are some things to consider when it comes to taking care of yourself during your divorce:

  • Asking for help is not a weakness. Nobody can get through life entirely on their own, and that’s especially true for the big, difficult moments like a divorce. This may end up being traumatic for you. Surround yourself with love and support from friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and more. You may even want to find comfort in local support groups composed of people going through the same thing you are.

  • Establish boundaries clearly. Even after a divorce, your former spouse may still try to contact you or involve themselves in your life to some degree. You don’t have to entertain that behavior. Don’t forget that once you are divorced, you no longer have any responsibility towards them as a partner.

    If you have kids together, you should be a civil co-parent, but that’s all you are required to do. Make your boundaries clear and enforce them.

FAQs

Q: Is a Divorce Lawyer Really Necessary?

A: While you are not technically required to hire a lawyer to represent your interests in your divorce, it is still highly recommended. In a contested divorce, you will want someone to take charge of your case while you focus on recovering from the emotional trauma of your divorce. If your divorce is uncontested, you may not need a lawyer’s help entirely, but it can still be good to have someone on your side who understands the process.

Q: How Are Assets Divided in a Missouri Divorce?

A: In a Missouri divorce, assets are divided through a process of equitable distribution. Through this method, the court attempts to separate marital assets as fairly as possible, ensuring that each spouse receives an amount the court feels they deserve. Fair and equal don’t always mean the same thing. Many different factors are considered, including the length of the marriage and each spouse’s overall contribution to it.

Q: How Is Child Custody Determined in Missouri?

A: Child custody is determined in Missouri by the family court, which ultimately has to do what’s right for the child in question. That’s the top priority for the court. To do what’s right for the child, they may have to refuse your or your spouse’s custody requests. They must ensure the child is put in a loving and stable environment. Your spouse, however, may try to fight for joint custody, which provides each parent an equal responsibility in parenting.

Q: Is Divorce the Right Decision for Me?

A: Only you can answer this. Everybody gets divorced for their own personal reasons, which may be completely different from someone else’s. Everybody has a different line that they refuse to allow to be crossed. If you feel that your marriage has reached a point of no return, only you and your spouse can decide to divorce. A good lawyer can give you advice, but nobody can tell you what you should do except you.

Contact Us Today

At Stange Law Firm, we can help you figure out the right course of action. Contact us to learn more about what we can do for you.