Monthly Archives: May 2015

Withdrawing a Guilty Plea

If you have pled guilty to a crime and later wish to withdraw that guilty plea, you will have to show that your guilty plea was based on fraud, mistake, misapprehension, coercion, fear, persuasion, or the holding out of false … Continue reading

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Bankruptcy Filings are Down

When comparing the first quarter of 2015 with the first quarter of 2014, bankruptcy filings have dropped 12%.  Both personal bankruptcies and business bankruptcies have decreased from 2014 to 2015.  This could be a sign that the economy is getting … Continue reading

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Gay Marriage Does Not Terminate Alimony

Under Missouri law, a person who is paying alimony or maintenance to their former spouse can stop paying alimony once their former spouse re-marries.  However, because Missouri does not recognize gay marriages, if the former spouse enters into a gay … Continue reading

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Losing Your Rights as a Parent

A Missouri court took away the rights of a mother where she continued to lack stable housing, did not have stable employment, had issues visiting her children, tested positive for drugs, failed to update her address with the court, and … Continue reading

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Frivolous Appeals

Be careful of your actions if you decide to appeal a court case.  A Missouri appeals court has recently ruled that a frivolous appeal by someone can warrant a court sanction against the appealing party.  In the Ampleman v. Dish … Continue reading

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Divorce and Fake Income

During a divorce, a court can impute, or make-up, income for a person if they are unemployed or have retirement accounts.  There are very specific and complicated rules for when income should be imputed or not imputed, so if you … Continue reading

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DWIs and Asking for a Lawyer

When stopped for a DWI or DUI, if you refuse a chemical test, then you will be written up for a DUI refusal.  But, there is one exception to that rule.  Missouri law allows a driver twenty (20) minutes to … Continue reading

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Making Sure You Have a Valid Parenting Plan

  Missouri law requires that every parenting plan involving school-aged children to address school holidays. Parenting plans also must involve a dispute resolution provision to resolve any disputes between the parents.  If you have a parenting plan that does not … Continue reading

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The Low-Down on Credit Scores

Credit scores range from 350 to 850.  The higher the score, the better you look to creditors.  Your score is based on numerous factors, including: payment history, your income, the amount of total debt, past due balances, forgiven debts, lawsuits, … Continue reading

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Hiding Money from the IRS Offshore

The IRS views hiding money or assets in unreported offshore accounts as a tax scam.  However, the IRS offers an Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program to allow taxpayers to report their offshore money or assets in an attempt to avoid criminal … Continue reading

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