Ballwin Family Lawyer

Family law attorneys work with people during life’s saddest and most stressful times. Family law cases usually involve a lot of emotion, making it essential to have an attorney you can trust by your side.

At Jones Family Law Group, LLC, our Ballwin family lawyers combine a thorough knowledge of the law with a calm, reassuring demeanor. Whatever your family law matter, you can rest assured that our team will treat you with the respect and consideration you deserve. To discuss your unique situation with a compassionate legal professional, do not hesitate to contact our firm today.

Marital Agreements

While it may be difficult to have frank conversations about the future with your fiancé or spouse, it could save you time, money, and emotional anguish in the long run. An attorney serving Ballwin could help you negotiate sensitive marital issues, such as prenups or separation agreements, and document them in a formal settlement.

Pre-marital Agreements (Prenups)

A perception exists that a prenup means you do not believe in your marriage. This could not be farther from the truth; today, couples from all walks of life see the value in having a premarital agreement. These contracts can spell out which property each partner wants to preserve for themselves and not share as marital property. The premarital agreement could also address issues like how you plan to handle your joint finances while married and how you will handle property division and alimony if your marriage does end.

Post-Marriage Agreements (Postnups)

If you and your spouse are having problems but are not ready to end your marriage, a postnuptial or post-marriage agreement might be the best solution. Like prenups, ‘postnups’ address what happens to property, debts and spousal support should your marriage head for divorce. They can also address finances during the marriage.

Divorce

Many people believe that a divorce means a bitter court battle, but this does not have to be the case. Many divorces proceed relatively peacefully, and almost all divorcing couples can avoid a trial. A Ballwin family law practitioner from our firm could negotiate with your spouse’s attorney to resolve many issues. In other cases, mediation could be the best way for you and your spouse to settle your differences.

When you and your spouse settle all major issues before filing for divorce or while the matter is pending, the judge will usually accept your agreements, and you can avoid a trial. A negotiated settlement is always the best result because it allows you to have control over the final agreement rather than leave private issues to a judge’s discretion. If you have children, negotiated divorces are much less stressful for them.

Issues Regarding Children

Marital discord, separation, and divorce can profoundly impact children. The law attempts to mitigate disruption to the children’s lives by requiring judges to apply the best interests of the child standard to any decision directly affecting a child.

Missouri Revised Statute §452.375 defines the elements a court must consider when making a custody or support determination. They include, in part, the:

Parents’ wishes
Children’s relationships with siblings, extended family members, and other members of each parent’s household
Parent’s relationship with each child and their ability and willingness to parent
Parent’s ability to support and nurture the other parent’s relationships with the children
Mental and physical health of each of the parties, including the children

Courts also may consider the child’s wishes when making these decisions.

Parents sometimes need help separating their preferences from their child’s best interests. Understandably, parents sometimes conflate the two, but a court will not. A family law attorney serving Ballwin could explain how a court must view the matter and assist you in reaching your goals consistent with the children’s best interests.

Trust Your Private Issues to a Ballwin Family Attorney

When you are going through a lot in your personal life, help from a knowledgeable and experienced source can be invaluable. A Ballwin family lawyer from Jones Family Law Group, LLC, is ready to assist you, whatever your issue might be.