St. Louis, Missouri, Divorce Lawyer
If you are considering divorce or have been served with divorce papers, you want an attorney who will be there for you. Attorney Gordon K. Rea will provide the type of legal services you deserve during this difficult time. Gordon Rea can work directly with you, calm your fears and ensure you that your attorney will be there for you. Our firm handles contested and uncontested divorces, and always brings his skills as a certified divorce mediator to bear in the negotiation process.
Committed to Helping Families Resolve Their Disputes
Divorce is a sensitive matter often involving issues that can cause a great deal of emotional trauma when not handled appropriately. Whether you are going through a contested or mediated divorce, you need a divorce litigation attorney who will diligently represent your legal needs in the courtroom. If the dissolution of the marriage is a result of abuse or domestic violence, you need an attorney who will be your advocate. Gordon K. Rea and his firm will provide skilled divorce litigation representation in all courtroom family matters, including:
•Child custody and visitation
•Out of state child custody matters
•Child support and child custody
•Spousal maintenance/alimony
•Equitable distribution of property
•Domestic violence, spousal abuse, and child abuse
•Post-decree modifications and enforcement
Gordon K. Rea also emphasizes mediation as a viable method for reaching favorable divorce settlement agreements. Mediation is a relatively amicable, cost-conscious and time-conscious approach for reaching settlement agreements. The same issues which can be litigated can be mediated. Mediation may not work for everyone. Gordon Rea represents clients in divorce litigation when other options have been exhausted. Whatever method is used, you can feel confident knowing your attorney is on your side and is dedicated to resolving your family law dispute.
Do you want to learn more? Contact Gordon K. Rea today to schedule your free initial consultation.
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Most clients do not realize that there are different ways to get a divorce:
- Non-Contested Divorce for those clients willing to separate amicably and without emotional trauma. This method of divorce is typically pursued by divorcing persons on a pro se (for self, no lawyer) representation basis and is not recommended where there are child custody, property or debt issues in the dissolution. Ideal candidates for non-contested divorce might be college couples without children, without assets, where the primary debt consists of individual student loans. The cost can easily be less than $1,000, and can be done in 3-6 months.
- Divorce Mediation is used where the divorcing parties cannot agree on custody of children, and division of property or debt. A mediated divorce offers both divorcing parties a safe, confidential alternative to a litigated divorce at a fraction of the cost and with better results. The divorcing parties attend sessions with a trained mediator attorney who facilitates decision making. They can do this voluntarily, before filing for divorce, or by order of the Court, after filing for divorce. Each party is encouraged to consult an independent attorney during the mediation process to make certain that their individual rights are respected.The parties stay in-control of those lawyers and legal costs by employing them on an hourly basis without a fee-advance or retainer. At the end of the mediation the mediator attorney draws up paperwork reflecting the agreement. One of the parties hires a mediation-friendly lawyer to finalize and present the divorce to the court. It is recommended that the other party hire an independent attorney to review any document prior to signing. The mediated divorce is the easiest on children because parents set in-motion relationship patterns that problems can be solved by dialogue. Most divorcing couples are candidates for a mediated divorce. Excepted from this would be marriages with physical, sexual, psychological or child abuse, where one of the parties hides income or assets, or where one of the parties is unwilling to put the short and long-term well-being of their children first. Even parents who no longer like or trust one another can mediate their divorce when they are able to put the present and future needs of their children first. The cost of a mediated divorce can be in the vicinity of $4,000 - $6,000, and can be completed at a pace determined by the parties, usually between 3 - 12 months.
- Collaborative Divorce is a new concept in this jurisdiction for resolving legal issues in a non-adversarial manner. Instead of one mediator, each party hires a collaborative-law attorney. Each attorney sits "second chair" to their client, which means that the attorney assists the decision making of the client more like a counselor. The goal of the collaborative agreement is to resolve dissolution issues without litigation. The parties meet face-to-face. It differs from mediation in that each party hires his or her own advocate from a pool of collaborative law attorneys, rather than sharing one mediator-attorney. The attorneys agree to assist their clients in resolving dissolution issues without litigation. The attorneys and parties negotiate a settlement in a cooperative, non-adversarial manner by meeting face-to-face at four-way settlement meetings. To ensure that all parties are working productively toward settlement, each party must sign a contract with his or her respective attorney. The contract provides for full and honest disclosure of all pertinent information, financial or otherwise. If a party stonewalls or withholds information, he or she is guilty of breaking the collaborative law contract and the process is halted. In addition, the process is generally more cost-effective and less time-consuming than typical legal battles. The clients themselves are in control and, as a result, fear and anxiety are greatly reduced. Collaborative divorce cost is typically more than mediated, and can be completed in about the same time.
- Contested or Litigated Divorce occurs where the parties cannot agree on custody of children, division of property or debt. Sometimes parties enter into a litigated divorce because they did not know about alternatives or because an attorney insisted (or advertised) that the only way to achieve that parent's "rights" is to fully litigate the divorce. Both husband and wife retain separate attorneys and pay them directly, usually with significant lump-sum advances. The Court may also appoint an attorney for the children called a Guardian Ad Litem or GAL, and that fee is typically split by each party. The parties are typically advised not to talk to one another and each party communicates to the other through an attorney about matters before the court. Trial is always the goal of a litigated divorce, yet most litigated divorces are resolved before, usually the day of, trial. Costs rise very quickly in a litigated divorce. Filing fees, production of evidence and expert witnesses add to the expense of attorney-fees in a typical litigated case. The litigated divorce is also the hardest on children because parents set in-motion relationship patterns where problems can only be solved by conflict and those conflict patterns continue long after the divorce is over. Children regard conflict between parents as their number one problem and child-development experts agree that ongoing parental conflict is a predictor of those problems. There are "ideal" candidates for litigated divorces, however, where at least one party refuses to fulfill parental obligations, marital support obligations, permit access to children, or exhibits other destructive behaviors to the children on other spouse. The litigated divorce can cost more than $10,000 - $25,000 per party and take between 12 - 24 months to complete. The expense of a litigated divorce is uncontrollable because it depends upon how hard the other party fights and how much the other party spends. Ironically, some courts will order couples to attempt a mediated solution before moving on to trial.
Each of these topics can present emotional challenges, but we will be there to guide you through the process and keep the focus on your goals.
To discuss your divorce in a free initial consultation, call our firm at 314-450-7860. You can also email our firm. Active-duty military servicemen and servicewomen are offered discounted fees in all family law matters.