Temporary Residence, Custody and Support Arrangements

The process involved to acquire a final divorce, child custody and child and spousal support judgment and order can take many months and in some cases over a year. The time between the initial filing and entry of a final parenting plan and support award can be a time of uncertainty and extreme financial difficulty. In these instances your Missouri divorce attorney and Missouri child custody attorney can take action to acquire a temporary orders, including orders of child custody and financial support.

Much like the final custody award, when a Missouri family Court judge considers a temporary custody award, the same statutory considerations are made, including the wishes of the parents, wishes of the child, the child’s emotional needs, the mental and physical well-being of each party involved, and any history of abuse or neglect. In such circumstances, a judge will also weigh heavily the temporary living arrangements of the parents while the divorce or child custody case is pending until completion.

If there are allegations of abuse or neglect committed by a parent or other household member against a child, your Missouri child custody attorney should bring this to the Judge’s attention very early on in the legal process. This will most likely lead to the appointment of a guardian ad litem to represent the interest of the child. These allegations and the input of a guardian ad litem will be factors that will likely weigh heavily in the formation of temporary custody order.

In addition to a temporary custody arrangement, a Missouri family Court judge can enter an order regarding the temporary financial support for children and families while the legal action is pending before them. In a Missouri divorce action, in addition to temporary child support a family court judge can issue orders that specifically address the payment of mortgages, household bills, car payments and the issuance of a temporary maintenance award, among others. An experienced Missouri attorney should be vigilant on behalf of his client to assist in protecting his client from a financial crisis that can occur during a pending divorce if one of the parties elects to no longer financially contribute to the family’s critical monetary obligations.

The attorneys at the Bellon Law Group take the responsibility to protect the parenting rights and financial interest of their client’s very seriously. They understand that it is critical for a client’s interests that they work with him or her at the beginning of the process, to make sure they understand all relevant factors in a potential temporary custody order. Likewise, it is very important that early on in the legal process there is an understanding of the client’s family financial obligations, including the obligations associated with supporting their minor children and what funds are relied upon to meet these obligations. When these funds are outside of a client’s direct control, seeking a temporary order compelling the payment of funds is appropriate.

For more information temporary orders contact The Bellon Law Group today to schedule free a consultation.