When a stepparent wishes to adopt the child of his or her spouse, it is first necessary for the non-custodial birth parent to terminate his or her parental rights. Once the termination of parental rights is completed, the birth parent will have no legal rights as a parent.

Aside from the birth parent terminating his or her parental rights, there may be other reasons why parental rights may be terminated. These often include abandoning the child, being an unfit parent or failing to provide support to the child.

If you are a stepparent who wishes to proceed with a stepparent adoption, our attorneys can provide legal support. We understand the requirements — including the termination of parental rights — and can help you understand all legal obligations.

If you are another family member who is looking to adopt, please talk to an attorney from our firm about your legal options. We assist with relative adoption throughout the state of Missouri. Whether you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative who is looking to adopt a child, we can explain the legal requirements and walk you through the adoption process.

If you are another family member who is looking to adopt, please talk to an attorney from our firm about your legal options. We assist with relative adoption throughout the state of Missouri. Whether you are a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other relative who is looking to adopt a child, we can explain the legal requirements and walk you through the adoption process.

Decisions involving child custody and visitation rights can be some of the most difficult, both physically and emotionally, in divorce. It can be equally overwhelming to revisit these issues when a change in custody or support is necessary (or has been requested by the other parent).

Our attorneys are dedicated to the best interests of our clients and their children above all else. We have the experience, know-how, and dedication necessary to help clients effectively pursue the results they need in child custody and child support modification matters in Missouri.

When you need to pursue a modification of child custody or support, or you object to the other parent’s request to modify custody or support orders, you need sound advice and assertive representation to fight to protect your rights as a parent and the best interests of your children.

It can be gratifying to watch as your grandchild grows and comes into their own. The relationship you develop is intimately unique from, yet equally important as, the special relationships you once formed as a parent. When that relationship is severed, either due to divorce, death of a biological parent, or any other reason, it may be possible for a grandparent to restore bonding time with the grandchild. Given the complex nature of grandparents’ rights cases, it is important to consult with an experienced lawyer who will provide sound counsel and strong representation.

We have extensive experience handling difficult family law disputes in St. Louis, Missouri. Our grandparents’ rights attorneys are equipped to answer your questions about the law in Missouri and address the unique facets of your situation.

Grandparents call RHF Legal today at (314) 333-4140.

Guardianships and conservatorships are established to protect the best interests of individuals unable to care for themselves. A guardian is named to care for children when their parents pass away or become unfit. Adults with developmental disabilities or older adults at an advanced stage in their life can benefit from a conservatorship if they are unable to care for themselves.

We understand that every case is fact specific. We are committed to helping relatives establish child guardianships for minors. Our legal team also has a strong background handling conservatorships for seniors and incapacitated adults. The attorneys at our law firm take every measure possible to preserve the dignity of the person in need of care. Contact our law firm today to meet with a highly skilled St. Louis guardianship lawyer.

ESTABLISHING GUARDIANSHIPS FOR CHILDREN UNDER 18 IN MISSOURI

When parents pass away, guardians for minor children are often identified in the parents’ will. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Establishing a guardianship can become challenging when parents die without a will or become unable to care for their minor children.

We are highly skilled at handling the sensitive nature of guardianship cases. We have a strong background establishing guardianships for minor children on a temporary or permanent basis. Our law firm is committed to helping relatives establish guardianships or obtain legal custody when parents die unexpectedly or become unfit to parent. We try making the process as seamless as possible to help relatives become guardians after caring for a child for 12 months or longer.

This process can become highly complicated when a parent refuses to give consent or is unable to give consent. Our legal team is highly skilled at handling contested guardianship cases in family law court. We incorporate expert testimony to demonstrate what would be in the children’s best interests.

CONSERVATORSHIPS

Our legal team is committed to establishing conservatorship for adult children and seniors in need of a guardian. Every case is unique. Part of our background includes helping parents become legal guardians for adult children with disabilities. We are also committed to helping adult children establish conservatorships for elderly parents or relatives.

Disabled adults and senior citizens function at different levels. We work with medical doctors to help us try and establish a conservatorship based on the individuals’ specific needs. Our legal team is highly effective at handling complicated issues involving conservatorships. We want to help you navigate through the legal process and preserve your loved one’s best interests.

HAVE YOU BEEN ACCUSED OF NEGLECT OR ABUSE OF YOUR CHILDREN OR CONTACTED BY A DEPUTY JUVENILE OFFICER OR A STATE OF MISSOURI SOCIAL WORKER?

If so, representation by an experienced attorney is a must. Without it, you could lose custody of your children and face criminal charges of neglect and abuse. Call RHF Legal today at 314.333.4140 or contact us online.

RHF Legal offers experienced juvenile domestic lawyers who represent parents in cases of alleged abuse and neglect. We also act as a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem or GAL to represent the interests of children in cases involving alleged abuse and neglect.

We have extensive experience in these cases and understand the unique legal language and procedures used in juvenile court. We will assert your rights in court—to preserve your custody rights and avoid the possibility of criminal charges.

“Proper legal representation is your key to peace of mind.”

– RHF Legal

JUVENILES ACCUSED OF CRIMES

If, as a parent, you are questioned by a Deputy Juvenile Officer in the Children’s Division of the St. Louis County Juvenile Court, or if the officer wants to question you, you need a lawyer as soon as possible. Anything you say to the officer can be used against you, either to justify placing your child into foster care or in a criminal action against you, or both.

We represent parents in cases involving the removal of children into foster care and termination of parental rights. We can advise you regarding what, if anything you should say to a Deputy Juvenile Officer or other investigators. We can also represent you in a protective custody hearing to protect your rights and present evidence supporting your desire to keep your children.

Divorce is undoubtedly a major life event that can be painful for everyone involved. Contested divorce disputes in the courtroom can quickly aggravate this emotional strain and the trauma to children. Many couples facing divorce find that reaching resolution through alternative means can significantly reduce the emotional trauma of divorce as well as the financial strain of a courtroom battle, and it can also provide a foundation for a healthier, happier life after divorce.

Divorce mediation allows divorcing couples to take control of their divorce and of the outcome that is reached, in terms of property settlements, child custody and visitation arrangements and any other issues. As neutral, third-party mediators, our attorneys work to help the couple set conflicts aside and work toward a solution that both are comfortable with. As mediator, attorneys do not serve as either party’s advocate. Rather, they are objective in bringing the parties closer to resolution on personal, and extremely important, issues.

If an agreement cannot be reached in mediation, the parties can choose to proceed to have property division, custody, and other matters decided by the court.

If you are able to resolve your matter through mediation, you can have confidence knowing that you have more control over how decisions are made, what decisions are made, and to what extent of finances you expend to achieve optimal resolution. More importantly, you can obtain closure to one part of your life and have confidence in the manner in which you start your life after divorce.

Paternity is not only important, it is required before asserting any of your rights as a parent. It is necessary to establish paternity if you are seeking to force a father to pay child support. If you are father seeking custody and visitation with your child, you must first prove paternity.

Our lawyers are experienced family law attorneys who represent women and men in questions regarding paternity.

REPRESENTING MOTHERS

If you are a mother and want to obligate the father of your child to pay support, we can take action to determine the paternity of the father and obtain the child support you and your child deserve. This can be done in two ways. A man can voluntarily acknowledge that he is the father of a child by signing a Declaration of Paternity, or we can go to court in a paternity action to force a man to undergo a DNA paternity test. Following that, we can go to court to obtain a child support order for you.

We also represent mothers who wish to establish custody and visitation rights against the biological fathers of their children. Our firm will also defend you against a man’s attempt to custody or visitation with your children.

REPRESENTING FATHERS WHO WANT CUSTODY OR VISITATION

We also represent men who want to legally establish paternity in order to obtain custody or visitation rights or defend against attempts to collect child support. You must be aware, however, that even if you are a father, custody or visitation rights do not come automatically. You must show the court that such an action would be in the “best interest of the child.”

We have a great deal of experience in custody and visitation matters. In your case, we will work to present a persuasive case on your behalf.

WHAT IF YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER?

The Division of Child Support Services can require you to pay child support, even if you are not the father of the child. Often the Division bases its decision on poor information or assumptions that do not stand the test of logic or facts.

We have represented many men who were not the biological fathers of children, yet were still required to provide child support. If you are in this situation, we can go to court to challenge the Division’s finding and get the order lifted.

Prenuptial agreements can serve as an insurance policy for couples who are about to get married. The idea of a prenuptial agreement is to help couples get on equal footing through determining upfront how their assets will be handled. Once a prenuptial agreement is drafted, couples can relax knowing that money concerns are out of the equation.

We have an extensive background establishing simple to complex premarital agreements depending on the couple’s situation. Prenuptial agreements can be particularly beneficial for couples getting married a second or third time with children. A well-defined prenuptial agreement can help protect children’s inheritance from a previous marriage. Contact our law firm today for help establishing a prenuptial agreement focused on your unique goals and needs.

PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENTS HELP ELIMINATE SURPRISES

Couples generally enter into a marriage with the best of intentions, but financial concerns and other issues can add complexity to a marriage. Our family law attorneys are committed to helping clients work upfront to lay everything out on the table with a prenuptial agreement. This helps eliminate any unnecessary surprises through addressing financial concerns. A prenuptial agreement can identify issues such as who will pay the bills or whether the finances will be handled jointly or separately.

If a couple marries for love, they may think they don’t need a prenuptial agreement. But a prenuptial agreement can put money discrepancies out of the equation so the couple can focus on their future without financial distractions. When you select our law firm, we will work with you to tailor a prenuptial agreement around your unique situation. We can make the prenuptial agreement as simple or complex as you would like. Our goal is to help couples work upfront to avoid conflicts that can lead to a divorce.

Prenuptial agreements are very technical and can be overturned. The best investment you can make is to work with a highly skilled family law attorney focused on making sure every term of the agreement is valid. This is our law firm’s focus. We have extensive experience establishing prenuptial agreements that hold up in a courtroom. Prenuptial agreements are most effective when each party obtains its own independent legal advice. Each side also has to be willing to provide a full disclosure of its financial situation.

Call RHF Legal at 314.333.4140 or contact us online.