Harris Law, LLC: Your Trusted Divorce Attorney in Southwest

Child custody is often one of the most sensitive aspects of a divorce. In the majority of cases, parents are awarded joint legal and joint physical custody, reflecting the importance of maintaining meaningful relationships with both parents. At Harris Law, we recognize the significance of creating a parenting plan that meets the needs of your children while respecting the rights and responsibilities of both parents.

Factors Considered in Child Custody

Missouri courts consider a range of factors when determining child custody arrangements. These factors include:

1. Parental Wishes and Proposed Parenting Plan: Your input matters. We advocate for your preferences while crafting a comprehensive parenting plan.
2. Child's Relationship with Parents: Ensuring a consistent and meaningful relationship with both parents is crucial for the child's well-being.
3. Child's Social Connections: The child's interaction with parents, siblings, and significant others is taken into account.
4. Encouraging Contact: The parent who promotes frequent and meaningful contact between the child and the other parent is often favored.
5. Child's Adjustment: Stability in the child's home, school, and community environment is essential.
6. Health and Safety: The physical and mental health of all parties, as well as any history of abuse, are considered.
7. Relocation Plans: Any intention to relocate the child's residence is factored in.
8. Child's Wishes: Depending on the child's age and maturity, their preferences may be considered.

Navigating the tricky waters of the Greene and Christian County Family Court can seem impossible at times. Greene County is one of the select Courts in the State of Missouri to have a separate “Family Court” that is dedicated to hearing divorce, parentage (such as paternity), custody, and support matters. Christian County currently utilizes two Judges in its allocation of family law cases. Additionally, Greene and Christian Counties were one of the first Courts in Missouri to move to an e-file system that creates a paperless file or e-file designed to reduce paper, and increase efficiency. Not only has the staff at Harris Law been trained in this system, but Springfield / Nixa Missouri Family Law Attorney, Joel Harris, has maintained paperless archives at his own office since 2009 and has become entirely paperless a full year prior to the Court’s transition in 2013.

Technicalities aside, Greene and Christian County Family Law is not an area of law that just any attorney can be successful in, and it is virtually impossible to handle the matters on your own with any type of confidence as to the firmness and completeness of your matter. Missouri Courts have taken exhaustive lengths to assist individuals in representing themselves, but the problem is simple, the law is constantly changing and generic forms don’t even get close to addressing all of the issues.

Never-the-less, I am often times asked the same question, “Can I represent myself?” The answer is yes, but the better questions may be, “Do you feel comfortable representing yourself?”; “Do you feel confident that the outcome you receive is the best you can do?”; “Do you feel informed enough to walk into that Courtroom and address the Court?” For many the answer is no. However, you shouldn’t feel lost; the team at Harris Law will walk you through every step of the process and ensure you are taken care of.

Uncontested Divorce Attorney in Nixa

Uncontested Divorce Attorney in Ozark

Uncontested Divorce Attorney in Springfield

An uncontested divorce is a divorce proceeding in which the parties agree to the terms of the divorce, and simply need an attorney to process the paperwork. Springfield / Nixa Missouri Uncontested Divorce Attorney Joel Harris makes this process fast, simple, and inexpensive. By law, all proceedings must be on file for at least thirty (30) days before the Court may issue a Judgment. Beyond that, the process can be completed within a day in some cases. From beginning to end most uncontested divorces take between 30-45 days. Additional time may be needed for the Courts to sign the Judgment or for the parties to arrange to sign all necessary documents. Additionally, most cases can be completed without the parties ever having to take off work to go to Court.

Uncontested actions may be used in any type of Family Law matter.

1. If a mother and father have a child, but are not married, Harris Law can assist them in preparing a parenting plan and Judgment that suits not only their needs, but most importantly, the best interest of the child or children.

2. If a mother and father have a previous Judgment and simply would like to modify the child support or parenting plan provisions, Harris can assist them in making the proper changes and submitting it to the Court for approval.

Uncontested matters are by far the best, quickest, and most affordable option for parents and spouses. 

Making decisions for yourself is key and brings with it satisfaction that you are in control of your life. Matters that are litigated rarely result in one side getting everything they want. Matters that go to trial result in parties giving up control of their life in exchange for a Judge making those important decisions for them. Harris Law understands that parties sometimes cannot agree. In those cases we provide aggressive representation to meet your needs, but in the case of parties that can agree the uncontested action is the answer to navigating the complicated waters of the Greene County Family Court and the Missouri Divorce, Custody and Support Laws.

Divorce Attorney in Nixa

Divorce Attorney in Ozark

Divorce Attorney in Springfield

Custody Attorney in Nixa

Custody Attorney in Ozark

Custody Attorney in Springfield

Greene and Christian County Family Law Courts consider many things when awarding custody to one or both parents. Missouri child custody laws and courts adhere to the best interest of the child standard above all else. When litigating child custody, Missouri courts believe that it is in the best interest of each child that they have frequent, continuing, and meaningful contact with both parents after they have separated or divorced. Because joint custody is preferred, Missouri family courts make every effort to encourage and facilitate co-parents to reduce the amount of conflict between them and to keep their children as far away from their disputes as possible.

Types of Custody

This biggest misconception about child custody is that only two types of custody exist: sole or joint. The second biggest misconception is that joint custody means equal parenting time with the child. As defined by Missouri Revised Statutes 452.375, "Custody" means joint legal custody, sole legal custody, joint physical custody or sole physical custody or any combination thereof. To be more specific, Missouri Courts will determine legal custody and physical custody in each situation. For example it is possible to have joint legal, but sole physical custody. In order to understand this better it is helpful to know the definitions of each type of custody.

"Joint legal custody" means that the parents share the decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority relating to the health, education and welfare of the child, and, unless allocated, apportioned, or decreed, the parents shall confer with one another in the exercise of decision-making rights, responsibilities, and authority.

“Sole legal custody” designates the same rights to one parent.

"Joint physical custody" means an order awarding each of the parents significant, but not necessarily equal, periods of time during which a child resides with or is under the care and supervision of each of the parents. Joint physical custody shall be shared by the parents in such a way as to assure the child of frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents.

“Sole physical custody” means that the parenting plan does not allow the child/children frequent, continuing and meaningful contact with both parents.

"Third-party custody" means a third party designated as a legal and physical custodian of the minor child or children.

The mere fact that the parties may share joint physical custody does not mean that there are equal periods of parenting time. In all custody cases, involving unemancipated children under the age of seventeen (17), the Courts are required to set forth a visitation schedule for the parents to use in the event they cannot agree on a contact schedule. The contents of that parenting plan are many times the subject of the litigation between the parties.

Whether it be a DWI, speeding ticket, divorce, custody matter or if you are looking for an Auto Accident Attorney in Ozark, Auto Accident Attorney in Springfield, or an Auto Accident Attorney in Nixa then Harris Law may be the right fit for you.