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Who Makes Medical Decisions for Your Child After Divorce?
By Jennifer Piper• December 8, 2025Posted in
After your divorce, medical decisions for your child depend on whether you share joint legal custody or if one parent has sole legal custody. In Missouri, most parents have joint legal custody, which means you work together on major healthcare choices. If there are disagreements on medical issues, you can use a parenting coordinator to help make those decisions. Understanding Medical Decision-Making After Divorce When you and your co-parent are no longer married, who makes medical decisions for your child can feel uncertain. Missouri law provides a structure for those decisions through joint legal custody or sole legal custody, but your agreement or court order ultimately guides how decisions are made. Joint or Sole Legal Custody In Missouri, most parents receive joint legal custody. This…
Child Custody Issues with a Special Needs Child
By Jennifer Piper• May 7, 2026Posted in
Your Special Needs Child’s Daily Needs Come First When your child has special needs, custody is not just about where they spend their time. You have to look closely at what your child needs to function each day. Some children rely on medical equipment, mobility aids, or home modifications. If one home is set up for those needs and the other is not, moving back and forth may not be realistic or financially achievable. You could find that your child cannot comfortably transition between two homes. In some situations, maintaining one primary residence, sometimes called nesting, may better support your child’s routine. Nesting means that the child stays in the primary residence while you and your spouse move in and out of the home during…Child Temporary Power of Attorney
By Jennifer Piper• September 22, 2023Posted in
When children are injured or become ill, their parents or legal guardians have the right to make decisions regarding their medical care. In some cases, permission from a parent or legal guardian is necessary before a doctor can pursue certain treatment options. This situation can become complicated when the child is not currently in the care of a parent or guardian. If the child’s caretaker is not their legal guardian, they may lack the right to make these decisions, which could lead to a delay in treatment that could prove harmful to the child. A temporary delegation to an attorney in fact is a legal document that temporarily grants someone the power to make decisions regarding a child’s healthcare. These can be as short as…
What About Health Insurance in a Missouri Divorce?
By Jennifer Piper• August 4, 2026Posted in
Health Insurance During a Pending Divorce Missouri law prohibits a spouse from canceling the other spouse’s health insurance coverage while a divorce case is pending. Many Missouri counties also have local rules that provide additional protection, particularly if you have children who rely on that coverage. If you remove your spouse or children from a health insurance plan without proper authorization, you could face serious consequences from the court. However, you and your spouse can agree to make insurance changes during the divorce, if both of you consent and the change complies with applicable rules. What Happens After the Divorce Is Final Once your divorce is finalized, your former spouse no longer qualifies for coverage under your employer sponsored health insurance plan. At that point,…
Why Are There More Gray Divorces?
By Jennifer Piper• August 25, 2026Posted in
Why More Older Couples Are Choosing to Divorce Gray divorce or an over 50 divorce is increasing because people are living longer than previous generations. A couple in their 60s or 70s may have decades ahead of them, which leads many to think carefully about how to spend those years and many are choosing to divorce. Divorce is much more socially accepted than it was several decades ago, so that deciding to leave an unhappy marriage is now viewed as a realistic option. Retirement Brings New Priorities Into Focus Retirement is a major life transition that can reveal differences that were easy to overlook while raising children or building careers. When daily routines change, you and your spouse may discover that you have very different…
Creating a Parenting Plan that Will Work
By Jennifer Piper• March 11, 2026Posted in
A parenting plan outlines when each parent has the children, how decisions about their care will be made, and how to handle communication, child support, healthcare, and other expenses. It will serve as a roadmap for your family, ensuring clarity and consistency, and the court will enforce it if disagreements arise. Why Missouri Requires a Parenting Plan When you and your spouse begin planning for your children’s future, one of the first things you will need to create is a parenting plan, a structured document that outlines how you will share time, responsibilities, and decision-making for your children. Missouri law requires this plan as part of finalizing custody, and it must include certain elements that help both of you manage daily life with consistency and…
What Does a Parenting Coordinator Do in a High-Conflict Divorce?
By Jennifer Piper• November 18, 2024Posted in
In a high-conflict divorce, emotions run high which can make co-parenting extremely difficult. You might feel that you are constantly arguing with your ex-spouse over decisions related to your children with little room for compromise. In situations like this, a parenting coordinator helps you manage disputes and make decisions that benefit your children’s well-being. What is a Parenting Coordinator? A parenting coordinator is a neutral third party who steps in to help you and your ex to resolve parenting conflicts. Their main job is to guide both of you toward agreements on important matters, whether it is about medical decisions, extracurricular activities, or scheduling issues. If you cannot reach a consensus, the parenting coordinator has the authority, with prior approval, to make decisions for you….
What Is A Parenting Coordinator?
By Jennifer Piper• June 17, 2024Posted in
Parenting after a divorce or separation can be an overwhelming task, especially when disagreements arise regarding children’s schedules, activities, or healthcare. You may consider a parenting coordinator, a professional trained in mediation and conflict resolution, who is equipped to help you and your co-parent manage these challenging situations. What is a Parenting Coordinator? A parenting coordinator can be either an attorney or a mental health professional. Their primary role is to assist you in resolving disputes and improving communication regarding co-parenting responsibilities. Unlike a traditional court process, a parenting coordinator offers a quicker and often more accessible avenue for resolving conflicts. What Does a Parenting Coordinator Do? How Does It Work? Benefits of Parenting Coordination In conclusion, parenting coordinators play a vital role in facilitating…
Legal Custody versus Physical Custody in Missouri?
By Jennifer Piper• April 20, 2026Posted in
Legal custody and physical custody serve two very different roles in a parenting plan. Legal custody focuses on who will make important decisions about your child’s life, while physical custody determines the schedule and how your child’s time is shared between you and your co-parent. Understanding how these two types of custody work together will help you create a plan that supports your child and sets clear expectations for both of you. Understanding Legal Custody When you hear “legal custody,” think about decision-making. This covers the major choices that shape your child’s life. These decisions include education, medical care, and activities. For example, you and your co-parent will want to address where your child goes to school, what doctors they see, whether they need to…
Gray Divorce: How It Differs from Other Divorces
By Jennifer Piper• March 3, 2025Posted in
Gray divorce refers to the separation of couples over the age of 50, often after decades of marriage. Unlike younger couples, you likely aren’t dealing with child custody, but you are facing different financial and emotional challenges. Factors such as retirement planning, healthcare costs, and even the ability to re-enter the workforce play a significant role in your divorce process. Waiting Until the Right Time Many couples delay divorce until their children have grown, finished college, or moved out of the house. You may have prioritized family stability, choosing to wait until the right moment to separate. Others delay due to financial concerns—if one of you is the higher wage earner, spousal support and retirement age may impact your decision. Some couples even wait until…