Springfield Divorce & Family Law Blog

It has been detailed on this blog in the past that the awarding of alimony in divorce cases in Springfield is not automatic. Indeed, the court will take a very close look at both you and your ex-spouse to see where you might be financially as well as the circumstances of your marriage and subsequent divorce in order to determine if you should receive it (and for how long). Yet many of those that come to us here at The Stange Law Firm PC questioning whether there are truly any set criteria for the determination of spousal support, or whether the decision in each case is arbitrary. 

While the court does indeed consider the circumstances of each individual case, there are indeed certain circumstances which favor the awarding of alimony. These can be found in Section 452.335.1 of Missouri's Domestic Relations Code. The first fairly straightforward: if, after the awarding of your portion of your marital property, you still lack the resources needed to support yourself, then your chances of being awarded alimony may improve. Your alimony payments may be contingent on you trying to secure gainful employment, yet in some cases, that may not be possible. 

For a variety of reasons, such as a divorce, marriage, or a personal preference for a new name, people in Missouri may go through with a name change. Once this life-changing decision is fulfilled and you have a legally recognized new name, you may wonder what you should do next. To solidify your new identity, there are important steps you should take.

Per FindLaw, it is crucial to put your new name into practice. When you fill out applications and forms, put your new identity on them. When you make new acquaintances, friends, or enter into business arrangements, introduce yourself with your new name. Also let your existing friends and family know that you want them to refer to you by your new name.

If you are like many people in Missouri, you have probably heard references to how many marriages end in divorce. For some time now, many people have asserted that as many as one in every two couples who say, "I do" will eventually get divorced. However, this may not truly be what is happening today.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the reality of divorce in America may actually look different based on which generations you are factoring in. For people in their mid-60s and older, the rate of divorce had grown threefold between 1990 and 2015. Take one step down in age to those between 55 and 64 and the rate of divorce grew twofold in that same period of time. Jump back even further, however, and the story is quite different.

Among the most important elements to be considered during divorce proceedings in Springfield is ownership of the marital home. One might go into a divorce case thinking that retaining ownership is an issue they will not compromise on, yet a careful analysis should be made on the reasons for such a stance. Having a practical reason (e.g., remaining close to family and friends, not wanting to uproot the kids from the community) may be justifiable, yet if the main reason is due to a lingering sense of vindictiveness towards their ex-spouse, one might want reconsider their position. 

Why? Should one spouse insist on keeping the house, then that party will likely have to refinance it in order to take the ex-spouse's name off the mortgage. This amounts to essentially taking out a completely new mortgage, and as the personal finance site NerdWallet points out, that can be difficult following a divorce. The original mortgage was likely obtained based on a couple's combined income. Qualifying for a similar amount on only one income can be difficult.