Overland Park Family Law Blog

Many Kansas married couples choose to untie their marital knots when problems or disagreements between them are unresolved and there does not seem to be way to improve their situations. When such couples also happen to be parents together, some of the bad feelings related to the marriage can creep into child custody negotiations. Most good parents want to keep their children's best interests in mind as the move forward to new, separate lifestyle. Respectful communication plays a big part in achieving that goal.

It is difficult to nearly impossible to devise a peaceful co-parenting plan if the two parents involved cannot even be in the same room without fighting. There are several ways to improve such situations. The first is to be mindful of one's words and actions. If parents act on their emotions, they are more likely to fly off the handle at each other, especially if the marriage did not end amicably. Choosing words and actions carefully helps lay the groundwork for peaceful negotiations that focus on what is best for the kids.

The father of a 4-year-old boy has been engaged in a dispute with the child's mother for nearly a year. He has made serious accusations against her and, at one point, took his son to live in another state. Since that time, however, the judge who oversees the case has repeatedly ordered the man to return his son to the state in which the mother lives. Kansas parents facing similar child custody problems may want to follow this case. 

The mother reportedly suffered from substance abuse problems in the past, thus prompting the court to prohibit her from parenting her child. Such restrictions are no longer in place. However, the child's father has refused to bring him back, despite at least six separate court orders to do so. In light of the man's refusal to return the child, the judge has issued a warrant for his arrest.  

Many Kansas parents are currently facing problems with co-parents regarding visitation, support or custody issues. Child custody situations are often complex, and various types of extenuating circumstances can complicate matters even further. For instance, if one parent accuses the other of abuse, the court may need to investigate the situation before it can hand down a ruling.

A woman in another state claims that she was the victim of false allegations of abuse. She says the father of her children convinced a sheriff's deputy to arrest her and accuse her of child abuse. She was taken into police custody after an incident that involved one of her children being taken to a hospital emergency room. Hospital records state that the child in question did not show any external signs of injury; however, the deputy who obtained an arrest warrant testified that records showed a minor head wound.

In a high asset divorce, it can be challenging to resolve certain complex issues. Property division in Kansas operates under equitable division laws like most other states. The court's discretion will not be able to help devise a fair and agreeable division, however, if one of the spouses involved is hiding assets.  

If one spouse suspects the other of trying to keep certain assets from being subject to division by stashing cash and engaging in other intentional activities to gain the upper hand in proceedings, the disadvantaged spouse will have to show evidence in court to substantiate the allegations. Every divorce situation is unique although there are several common asset-hiding schemes that spouses tend to use. Knowing where to seek support to further investigate a suspicion can help a concerned spouse rectify a problem situation.