Child Custody Law Changes

Recently, in Missouri, there is new legislation enacted into law that provides
that when determining child custody arrangements, ” a rebuttable
presumption that an award of equal or approximately equal parenting time to
each parent is in the best interest of the child. The presumption can be
rebutted only by a preponderance of the evidence in accordance with all
relevant factors…”

This is a marked change from the previous law in Missouri, which simply
required a Court to consider certain factors in deciding issues regarding
custody of a minor child. It is obvious that these substantial changes in the
law need to be considered and assessed when parties who have children
under the age of 17 are considering filing for dissolution of marriage.