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To use a lawyer’s typical answer to any legal question: it depends. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the amount one will spend on a divorce, such as whether the divorce is contested or uncontested, whether other professionals are required, such as a Guardian ad Litem, custody evaluator, business appraiser, etc., and how long the divorce process itself takes. If a divorce is uncontested, the process should be relatively quick without substantial legal costs. However, if the divorce is contested, the process will likely take more than a few months and involve substantial costs. Lawyers typically [...]

A common question clients ask when beginning a divorce is, “How long is this going to take?” While there is a range of possibilities and no definitive timeline for all divorces, there are some factors that will have a definite impact on the timeline. Contested or Uncontested Divorce When spouses have reached an agreement on the substantive aspects of their divorce, they will likely not need much intervention from their attorneys, the court, or outside parties to aid in negotiation. It is much quicker to memorialize an agreement and process it through the Court than to have to negotiate [...]

While most people understand the nature of divorce, confusion abounds over the concept of an annulment. Whereas divorce declares a marriage terminated as of the date of a divorce decree, an annulment declares that the marriage was invalid from its very beginning. Essentially, when a judge grants an annulment, it is a finding that a valid marriage never existed. (There is also a difference between an annulment granted by a religious institution and a civil annulment, but this article only concerns the latter). In Missouri, there is a strong presumption all marriages are valid, which makes it tougher to [...]