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Missouri Custody

Missouri custody is simple once you understand how the system really works.

And that's too bad, because what the politicians in Tallahassee tell you about child custody in Missouri isn't necessarily accurate.

The fairness of the system isn't what they lead you to believe.

When you look at child custody guidelines in Missouri, you'll see references to "primary caretaker" and "more qualified" parent.

In none of the official guidelines will you find the intangible criteria used to determine child custody in the real world.

And that means if you and your spouse are unable to establish a child custody arrangement, the state will decide where your children live.

The determination of child custody begins with the filing of a motion at your local county family law courthouse.

At some point, the county assigns a Missouri custody evaluator to meet with all the parties involved; including the school, doctors, etc.

The county will conduct an evaluation to establish which of the two of you is the best parent for your children.

The process begins with an evaluation performed by an assigned evaluator.

Even better, you'll probably be subjected to a psychological profile and at the end of the process, the custody evaluator will write and submit their report to family court.

And you'll receive a copy of this evaluation report as well.

Most people think custody is determined by the judge, well, the fact is custody is established by the evaluator, not a judge.

The judge will simply read the evaluators report and rubber stamp it, because the judge knows very little about you, your spouse, your children, or your family setting.

The evaluator on the other hand has conducted extensive research and issues a report, so there's no way the judge is going to overrule the evaluators recommendation.

In a highly contested dispute, a judge will order the guardian ad litem to protect the children's interests during the custody evaluation.

This person doesn't decide on custody, they only act as a advocate for the children to make sure their interests are protected while you and your spouse argue about custody.

Guardians can be lawyers or social workers as long as they are approved by the court and there are private guardian ad litems as well as public ones employed by your local Missouri county.

Regarding fee's, private guardians charge from $50 per hour to up to $400, where public guardians generally charge less.

Typically the cost of the guardian ad litem is shared by each spouse.

If the cost of a guardian ad litem is an issue for you, one can be provided free of change.

If you want your Missouri custody case executed properly, Matt O'Connell's divorce guide is the ultimate resource for you. Matt O'Connell is the leading expert on the Internet and has been providing divorce advice in Missouri since 2005.

Matt is the leading expert on the Internet and has been providing divorce advice since 2005.

In his guide, he details the entire divorce process and common pitfalls.

Even if you're using a attorney, his advice will still save you thousands and get you a better result.

So Click Here to give Matt's advice a try.