No one wants to think about the “what ifs” in life. But most “what ifs” eventually become real-life issues. So it’s important to have a will, to buy insurance, or to plan for retirement. And if you own or manage a business, it’s important to have a business succession plan. After all, owners eventually retire….
What You Need To Know About Legal Separation In Missouri
While divorce in the U.S. was once rare and carried a negative stigma, it has become increasingly common. From 1960 to 1980 the U.S. divorce rate more than doubled, going from 9.2 divorces per 1,000 women to 22.6 per 1,000 women. This was likely due in part to cultural and societal changes in the U.S.,…
Missouri’s Equal Parenting Plan: A Game Changer for Parents and Children in Divorce
FAMILY LAW Divorce is extremely stressful for everyone, especially in situations involving children. Questions abound: Who gets the children? How often? For how long? All of this creates anxiety for children and increases pressure on already stressed parents. Many parents think that one parent is granted custody and the child or children will spend the…
Changes in Title IX Regulations Make Mediation an Option
It may seem almost incomprehensible in 2021, but there was a time in the not-so-distant past when discrimination in education programs and activities in institutions receiving federal financial support was legally permitted. That meant gender-based discrimination, for example, preventing women from being accepted in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs was legal. It also…
The Three Most Common Real Estate Legal Issues and Why You Can Resolve Them in Mediation
Anyone who has purchased or leased a home, a building or any type of real estate is familiar with the stack of contracts, releases, amendments, disclosures, riders, inspection certificates, title work, deeds and other legal documents that are associated with a real estate transaction. There are good reasons for all of the paper work. Real…
Think Twice Before Opting Out of a Class Action Lawsuit
If you’ve bought a car, consumer electronics, telecommunication services, prescription medications or any of a number of other products, you may have been notified that you are part of a class action lawsuit. The concept behind a class action lawsuit is straightforward: Traditional lawsuits involve one party suing another to settle a dispute or address…
In Today’s Booming Economy is Your Company’s Culture Helping or Hurting You?
(American Management Association Quarterly Column) By Jeffrey Dunn So this morning, the morning of August 27th, 2018, I looked up the U.S. unemployment rate. According the United States Department of Labor, the unemployment rate for July 2018 was 3.9 percent, down from 4.0 percent in June. The numbers for April and May of this year…