Many Missouri fans of 1950s pop music have been keeping their eyes on Paul Anka's custody battle. On July 3, Anka was officially awarded sole custody of his 11-year-old son Ethan in a California court.
Paul Anka awarded sole custody of his son
How parental rights are terminated in Missouri
If a Missouri resident wishes to petition the court to have another person's parental rights terminated, a juvenile officer must be notified. The officer will look into the information provided and conduct an initial investigation. If the information does not warrant further proceedings, the individual will be notified that the petition will not be filed with the court. The person who filed then has 30 days to take further action.
What a parent can do if denied visitation
Some Missouri custodial parents might want to deny visitation to the other parent because that parent has not paid child support, because of issues with transportation or because the visitation schedule is inconvenient. They might also do so because they are concerned about the child's safety or the other parent's relationships. The child might no longer want to visit the parent.
Common falsehoods about child custody
There are many misconceptions about child custody of which Missouri parents should be aware. It is important that parents who have to go to court regarding child custody issues know the facts.
About interstate child custody
Missouri divorced parents who have children whose other parent resides outside of the state should be aware of the interstate child custody issues that could arise. They should first know of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act that establishes the standards courts use to make determinations regarding custody and when to defer to an existing ruling from another state. The only state that as of early 2017 has not adopted the law is Massachusetts.
Why remote parents should buckle down and negotiate responsibly
After a marriage ends in Missouri, the couple may not live in the same city forever. Although it's possible to raise children responsibly when former spouses live in separate regions, experts say that doing so requires additional diligence, effort and planning. Some of these divorced parents even find it beneficial to go through mediation.
Ongoing custody battle between Nicole Curtis, child's father
Missouri fans of the HGTV show "Rehab Addict" may have followed the custody battle of its star, Nicole Curtis, with her ex-boyfriend Shane Maguire. The two have a 1-year-old child together, Harper, and their court battle began with a paternity complaint from Maguire after Harper's birth. Curtis had sole custody at the time. She asked for birthing expenses, child care costs and child support.
Gaining third-party child custody
When people think of child custody, they often think about parents who are divorcing, but in some cases, a third party may wish to gain custody of a child. Often, this may be the grandparents, but it could be someone else as well. People in Missouri who are considering petitioning for third-party custody should keep several things in mind.
Do you want a jury handling your child custody determination?
For most families in Columbia who have to undergo the divorce process, minimizing the strife and contentiousness of the proceeding is an important goal. If you have children, unless one of the parents is found "unfit," you will have to maintain some type of relationship with your former spouse. You will likely have some form of joint custody arrangement, sharing legal and physical custody with your former spouse and that will be easier if you part on civil terms.
Bill mandating shared parenting awaits action by Missouri's Nixon
The Missouri legislature passed a bill that would make shared parenting the default presumption in all Missouri divorce cases involving children. The bill is now on Governor Nixon's desk. He has 45 days from when it was passed to either sign it or veto it.
