In Missouri, divorcing couples with minor children are required to file a parenting plan. Whether the plan is filed jointly or separately, the child support and custody agreements must be filed no later than 30 days after receiving a summons. Your parenting plan must demonstrate how you and your spouse will contribute to the child’s care and contain detailed information regarding visitation, decision-making responsibilities, expenses and other matters.
Creating a successful agreement can be challenging, especially if your spouse does not wish to cooperate with you. A family law attorney can make the process easier to handle. Discuss your parenting time agreement with Scott Hamblin, who can provide advice specific to your family’s needs.
The parenting plan outlines how future parent-child relationships will be structured, and ideally, both parents will play an active role in supporting the child’s wellbeing. Parents that cooperate can share responsibilities and decisions for their child’s care, but if this isn’t possible, one parent may have sole or majority of the responsibility. An attorney can help you determine what your specific plan may look like.
Custody refers to where the child will be physically living and which parent will take care of them. If a parent has custody, the child will live with that designated parent. A custodial parent is responsible for the everyday care and supervision of the child. If an emergency occurs and involves immediate decision-making, the other parent will need to be notified at the soonest opportunity. When a parent has sole custody, the child will spend most of their time with that parent. For a joint custody arrangement, the child lives alternately with both parents.
There are several ways to structure a joint custody arrangement. Traditionally, the child divides their time between each parent’s household. In other cases, the child remains in the family home and the parents are the ones who switch places to live with the child. The agreement should also include a location where the child is picked up when exchanged between households. A joint child custody agreement provides both parents with significant amounts of time spent with their child, and the amount of time is divided differently based on the exact arrangements needed.
A parenting plan also addresses legal custody, which includes the ability to make decisions and handle responsibilities that concern the child’s education, health and welfare. When a parent has sole custody, they are provided the responsibility of making important legal decisions for that child. Joint custody allows both parents to make different decisions as outlined, such as choices related to religious affiliation, special talents, childcare and schooling.
Both parents have a responsibility to financially support the child. These may be done through child support payments to ensure the child has shelter, food, clothing, medical care and education. Whenever possible, all expenses should be listed in the parenting plan to maintain the right amount of child support, if applicable.
Creating an effective parenting plan is easier when you understand what an effective plan should include. As your family’s needs continue to change, an attorney can assist you with modifications to the original decree. Contact Scott Hamblin today to discuss your child custody case.
A Jefferson City man faced DUI charges following a field sobriety test. Charges against the defendant were dropped after Scott successfully maintained the client’s claims that the test results were inaccurate. While the client initially appeared to be in a difficult situation, Scott was able to push investigators to determine the sobriety test results as invalid, so the charges were dismissed.
A mother was seeking sole custody of her children following a divorce. The father refused to cooperate, leaving the client in a difficult situation as she felt as though her children didn’t have a voice. Scott recognized her need for an advocate and carefully listened to the children’s wishes, which conclusively helped the client achieve sole custody of her children and protected their best interests.
A client from Fulton was accused of drug possession as a result of a home search. While drug charges may potentially be filed as a Class C felony involving severe consequences, Scott was able to help the client receive a reduced sentence. Ultimately, the client faced significantly smaller penalties compared to the initial charges.
Scott assisted a defendant in a particularly challenging divorce case in which the other spouse was not cooperating. Scott was able to help the client avoid court through an aggressive legal approach to resolve all outstanding disagreements while maintaining the client’s long-term needs.
One client sought legal assistance after an altercation with another individual in Jefferson City. The client was arrested on assault charges despite allegedly not starting the fight. Since an arrest can lead to life-altering penalties such as being terminated from employment and serving jail time, Scott was able to build a solid legal defense in the client’s favor and argued in favor of the client’s innocence.
A grandparent sought visitation rights to his grandchild after the parent tried to block him. Scott takes grandparents’ rights very seriously, and so he devised a strategy to help the grandparent set a visitation schedule. Scott developed a strategy to show that the child’s best interests were fulfilled through the grandparent’s ability to visit the child, helping push the case towards a resolution in the client’s favor.
Scott assisted a client who was injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence. The defendant claimed that the opposing party using their phone at the time of the crash, and Scott emphasized this claim to show that the other driver was at fault for the client’s injuries. The case concluded with the client receiving the necessary compensation for medical bills following a long hospital stay due to injuries.
Scott was honest, he was straightforward, and the best of all he was good at what he does. He's very knowledgeable and practices his craft well. I had a 10/10 experience with Scott and will trust no other attorney to handle my case.
Scott Hamblin is a great attorney. Between Scott and his legal assistant Madasyn, I felt like all my questions were answered promptly and thoroughly. Scott is very knowledgeable and was very well prepared for trial. I would recommend Scott to anyone needing an attorney.
Can't say enough good things about Mr. Hamblin and his team. They're responsive, treat your case like it's their own, and are personable as can be. Court can be daunting, but they are there to help you through every step of the tough process. Madasyn is part of this team and deserves to be recognized too, as she was friendly and encouraging from beginning to end. They handle it all with ease and you won't regret coming to them for help and advice along your journey.
10/10 recommend Mr. Scott Hamblin. Mr. Hamblin and his legal assistant Madasyn have been wonderful throughout my whole case and very prompt, and helpful the whole time. He was very thorough and left nothing missed during my whole case. Questions were answered quickly throughout the process whether through email, phone or in person. As well as the whole process was explained step by step. I highly recommend Mr Hamblin for any family law matters! I couldn’t of asked for better representation for my case.
I came across Scott Hamblin on the internet and read his bio and was very impressed. I have not been disappointed with his knowledge and understanding. If you are in need of a great lawyer, this is the call to make. You will not regret hiring him. Thank you, Scott.
Scott recently provided outstanding representation for my divorce. He was well-prepared throughout the course of the litigation and trial, resulting in a very favorable outcome for me. Scott is a very bright attorney who takes pride in his work, and it shows. He is truly in a league of his own.
Scott is a phenomenal attorney, no sugar-coating straightforward and to the point. As an older man I found myself in a custody case, and had little hope of any outcomes in my favor. This guy knows his law and his business, and is about it. His personality is soothing and his office is always on point. To say I’m ecstatic with his ability is an understatement.
Scott is the best attorney, hands down! My husband had a fairly difficult case, he had little hope that he’d be able to receive anything he was asking for and Scott helped him achieve everything, very quickly. He’s very professional, compassionate and understanding and works hard to help you achieve the best possible outcome. We are very thankful.
Scott came highly recommended by an attorney friend of mine after I received an unfavorable outcome working with a different lawyer in the area. Scott was smart, pleasant to work with, and achieved the best possible outcome for me. I only wish I would have used him sooner.
We had a very unique case. It was confusing and complicated. Scott stepped in, helped and guided us on our journey. He was knowledgeable, professional and very honest with us. I highly recommend him if you are put in a circumstance where you need an attorney. His integrity is amazing. The entire firm was wonderful to us.
For accessible and experienced representation, contact attorney Scott Hamblin today.