Divorce is never a pleasant topic, but it is necessary for those going through the process to understand their options and how to protect themselves and their children. The lawyers at Checkett, Pauly, Bay, and Morgan are experts in family law, including divorce law, and can answer some basic questions about divorces in Missouri.
Child Support
Today's blog answers several frequently asked questions about Missouri child support and how it could affect you.
Child Custody and Visitation
The Missouri statutes set out a guideline for child custody should that be an issue in your case, but the final decision will be made by a judge. The trial attorneys of Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, will aggressively argue for you in custody arrangement and visitation efforts in addition to any relevant division of property issues.
Adoption
Premarital Agreement
I would highly recommend Kevin Checkett for his service regarding my family trust and prenuptial agreement. Kevin was very sincere with me and had my best interest at heart. I trusted him completely. I highly recommend his services. Peace
Guardianship
A great deal of myth and misinformation shrouds the Missouri probate process. The word “probate” actually encompasses a number of different court procedures including guardianships and conservatorships. However, most references to “probate” refer to a deceased person’s estate.
Spousal Support
If you are behind on government student loans, child support or alimony, or owe federal taxes, these cannot be discharged through bankruptcy.
Legal Separation
Even before you and your spouse get to the point of divorce, you have options as well. Before you file a petition for dissolution, a trial legal separation might be just what you need to address the problems within your marriage.
If you have been accused of a serious crime, you must act immediately to avoid more legal issues. Call the Joplin criminal defense attorneys at Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, and we will explain to you all the available options considering the circumstances of your particular case as well as the law.
DUI/DWI
Wrongful Death
Another unfortunate matter with which the attorneys of Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, can help is a wrongful death. Such an action is brought in a civil lawsuit against a person who is responsible for or can be held liable for a death. Usually, an action for wrongful death is brought by close relatives of the deceased individual. If your loved one has recently died, and you believe it was the result of another person’s wrongdoing—negligent or intentional—call the attorneys at Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC. Actions for wrongful death are governed by the Missouri Revised Statutes, and we are here to assist you in making sure that all requirements to bring such a claim are met and satisfied. The time period following the death of a loved one is hard enough. Allow the attorneys at Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, to help you and your family by scheduling a time to discuss your options.
Traffic Violations
Pre-trial conferences, or hearings, occur in both civil and criminal cases. Pre-trial steps vary in criminal cases based on the severity of the crime. A murder case will have a much longer pre-trial period versus a traffic violation. Our Carthage trial attorneys will give each case comprehensive consideration.
Chuck’s transactional practice is focused heavily on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, equity participations, and contract negotiations. Chuck’s clients are involved in a variety of manufacturing, distribution, retail, and services industries. His representations often require the coordination and supervision of teams of personnel to perform due diligence, and the negotiation and documentation of investment, acquisition, financing, and sale documents.
Business Disputes
Kevin Checkett brings 41 years of professional experience to his position with Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC. His time in the legal field has allowed him to gain considerable skills in estates and trusts as well as bankruptcy, lender liability, and other areas of business and commerce. On a daily basis, he is responsible for handling cases in business law, bankruptcy, banking, estate planning, real estate, state court receiverships, creditor rights, and probate. Mr. Checkett has been certified by trial judge as an expert witness in commercial law.
Business Transactions
Handing commercial transactions, such as licensing and marketing agreements, all over the world for companies doing business in southwest Missouri
F you have been injured on the job, you should learn about your rights with an experienced workers' compensation attorney. Most Missouri employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage. But sometimes the employer’s insurance company is unresponsive to your complaints following a work injury. In these cases, it is important to have a workers' compensation attorney on your side.
Employment Contract
Non-compete Agreement
In addition to individual and family clients, we represent farm and business owners who are interested in succession planning. This involves developing a plan outlining who will take over if a partner, director, officer, or manager leaves the organization. We can handle such issues as partnership valuation, non-compete agreements, and buyback or leaseback programs.
Chuck Pauly and Kevin Checkett each have more than 38 years of experience in various aspects of real estate transactions and real estate law. We have represented owners, developers, investors, and lenders in the entire spectrum from simple to complex real estate transactions.
Premises Liability
Personal injury cases include auto accidents, slip and fall, or premises liability. Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, offers a free consultation for anyone considering filing a personal injury claim. There is no cost to you to sit down with an experienced attorney and discuss your claim and start an investigation. We will help you preserve all the evidence, keep good records, take photos of the accident scene, and establish the identity of any witnesses. Be sure to call to talk to the attorneys at Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, before speaking with an insurance claims adjuster.
Construction Litigation
Chuck’s real estate practice spans all major types of real estate including office, industrial, retail, multifamily, residential, farms and professional practice facilities. In this practice, Chuck works with multiple institutional commercial and industrial property owners for whom he negotiates and closes real estate purchases, negotiates construction contracts, handles sales of raw and improved property and negotiates leases. On the leasing side, Chuck has represented landlords and tenants in numerous lease transactions and has negotiated ground leases, build-to-suit contracts and a variety of construction contracts for manufacturing facilities. Chuck practices on a nationwide basis to both purchasers and sellers in real estate transactions, and in connection with leasing, warehousing and employee relocation matters.
Real Estate Transactions
The real estate attorneys at Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, have a wealth of experience and impressive credentials. All real estate transactions are handled with their expertise. Our experiences include...
In addition to our experience, what sets us apart is our broad range of legal practice areas. Whether it’s bankruptcy, business litigation, or personal injury, we have the
At Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, we understand that you have worked hard to secure your family's financial security and will work just as hard to protect the future of your estate. We will help you explore all of your options in estate planning and other areas of elder law and help you make the best decisions to protect the future of your estate and your family.
Wills
Next, the named executor in a will or some interested party in the case there is no will, is declared the personal representative of the estate by the probate court. The representative’s duties are straightforward and basically consist of collecting and preserving the assets of the estate, paying the debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining assets as directed by the intestacy statute or by the last will. As simple as this sounds, the task may be daunting, regardless of the size of the estate. A personal representative must keep track of the records of all money transactions involving the estate as an accounting and inventory must be prepared to present either to the heirs or to the court.
Trusts
Having a trust as part of your estate plan is one of the most effective ways to avoid delays in probate court after you pass away. Trusts are called many things, such as a living trust, revocable trust, or revocable living trust. In today’s blog from the
Power of Attorney
It is possible for someone with dementia to file bankruptcy through the use of a power of attorney. The holder of a power of attorney and their legal counsel as well must be very careful to be sure that the power of attorney authorizes bankruptcy filing, and that a full and accurate disclosure of all debts and assets of the bankruptcy debtor is made to the court.
Probate
Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, provides a range of probate services for personal representatives—from the filing of the will with the clerk of the court to the final order of the court closing the estate—including the preparation and filing of probate pleadings, serving the required notices upon heirs and creditors, handling claim disputes and claim resolution, appearing in court on behalf of the personal representative, preparation and filing of inventories and accountings, arranging final distribution of the estate, and, in certain cases, filing income tax returns, estate income tax returns, and estate tax returns. We handle cases throughout the entire state of Missouri.
In addition to protecting the rights of creditors against debtors, our lawyers will protect your rights against other secured or unsecured creditors. We are experienced trial attorneys who are willing and able to represent the interests of creditors in bankruptcy litigation.
Foreclosure
At Checkett, Pauly, Bay & Morgan, LLC, we know you’re going through a tough time. We’ll advise you as to the best course of action when facing a foreclosure.
Tax Law
A Qualified Spousal Trust can provide the best of all worlds. Your assets will be protected from your individual creditors, you will avoid probate, and you can provide for estate tax planning at the same time. If you have creditor protection concerns, you should consider a Qualified Spousal Trust. This may entail an update of your entire estate plan, but the potential benefits can be enormous.
Debt Collection
Filing for bankruptcy creates an automatic stay on all debt collection. Even if your mortgage lender is scheduled to take your home in 24 hours, if you file for bankruptcy the lender cannot take your home at that time.