Family Law Court in Bates County.

Filing for Divorce in Bates County

A divorce begins with filing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and accompanying forms and fees. To qualify as a resident for the purpose of dissolving your marriage, you must have lived in Missouri for 90 days immediately prior to filing for divorce, unless you are a member of the U.S. military and are stationed in Missouri. If you qualify, you can begin your divorce process by filing your papers at the Bates County Courthouse in Butler.

Child Custody Disputes in Bates County

Child custody is one of the most common issues for family court in Missouri. Unlike a divorce, child custody and visitation issues can return to the court every couple of years. Parents may want to modify child visitation orders, enforce parenting plans, or try and take visitation or custody away from the other parent. Child custody determinations generally begin with a divorce, when the parents were married. The first step in most child custody disputes, whether related to divorce or not, generally involves mediation. Family law courts find mediation is advantageous in most custody and visitation disputes where the parents involved can reach an agreement that works best for both people involved. Bates County family courts, like courts throughout Missouri, commonly refer contested custody and visitation issues to mediation before a judge makes a final determination. Mediation is not always successful and the court may end up making a visitation and custody determination based on the best interests of the child.