Child custody laws in Missouri is a hot topic for many people, and it is a big decision for the people involved. If you are considering a change in custody, there are some steps that need to be taken through the court system. We’re going to go over how custody can be modified in Missouri and how long will it take before changes to custody happen. The following are some of the modification of child custody in Missouri;
- Change in custody
There are a few ways that you can change custody in Missouri. The first one is that you can file a motion in court to ask for the change. You will have to file this motion with your attorney and the other parent. After you make this decision, it will be at least 60 days before any modification will be granted by the court.
- Relocation of a child
In order to change custody, you also need to agree on where your child is going to live. This can be done if you move out of state, or if there is a big change in where your child lives currently.
- The child’s marital status
It is important to note that if a child is over the age of 18, they can use there own will and choose who to live with. This is done by a divorce agreement, not a custody agreement. The custody of the child is no longer in the court’s hands.
- The child’s health or welfare
This is a serious change, and will take a lot of time to happen. You need to have a good reason that the child needs to be removed from the current custody situation. Visitation will also be considered when determining if the change is in a child’s best interest. Some of the reasons can include; mental instability, physical injuries, and abuse by someone in their custody. Once you have filed for this modification, it could take up to three years for any changes to occur.
- Court decisions can be changed
There are situations where state law could be changed by the Missouri General Assembly, or by current court decisions. In these cases if your children are affected, you will need to go through the court system to request any changes in court rulings. If your children are affected by these changes you will need to go through the court procedure again once the changes have been made into law.
- Parenting time
This is a major change to child custody in Missouri. For these changes you need to go through the court system and request a temporary order from the judge. This will allow you to have supervised parenting time with your children. The length of these orders depends on how much time your children are spending with you, how close they are currently living to you, and any other factors that can be taken into consideration by the judge.
- DNA testing
In some cases, DNA testing can be done to determine if a parent is responsible for a genetic disorder in their children or even if they are not the biological parent of their child at all. This type of DNA testing is very expensive, and can take a very long time to finish. Once the results are done, you will need to go over the results with your attorney and your child to reach an agreement on what needs to be done.
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