Kansas City Legal Blog

Part of the process for finalizing a divorce between a Kansas couple is to draft and sign off on a divorce settlement agreement. While many former spouses understand that this agreement is legally binding, there are some who decide to defy the agreement. Depending on what was agreed upon, this could mean that the person refuses to pay child support, follow the visitation schedule or even hand over certain assets.

If a former spouse refuses to make his or her court-ordered child support or alimony payments, a person may need to file a petition for contempt. The person's family law attorney may help with the process. At this point, a judge can then force the former spouse to make the payments by having their wages garnished or by sending them to jail. The state of Kansas also has a child support enforcement office that can help obtain the payments without the need for court.

When you have children, routines and schedules help everyone know what happens next on any given day. This especially comes in handy during the school year when everyone needs to be up at a certain time, make it to extracurricular activities and get done with homework. Without some consistency, the household may not run smoothly, and that's often when chaos ensues.

After a divorce, routines and schedules take on a new importance. With all of the inevitable changes that occur during and after a divorce, children need to know that some things remain the same. In addition, now that the children may be traveling between two homes, consistency becomes a paramount consideration.

There are a number of stereotypes and fixed ideas about parenting that can affect perceptions of African American fathers in Kansas City and across the country. A new documentary called "Where's Daddy?" attempts to explore how race and poverty intersect with the child support system to the detriment of African American families across the country. While many people think of the stereotype of a deadbeat father who owes child support, many people with child support debt are actually living in poverty. In fact, 70 percent of all child support debt across the country is owed by people who make less than $10,000 each year.

Child support default can only add to the difficulties experienced by these families. By not paying, a father can lose child custody time and face criminal penalties that could affect future employment. In addition, people can even face prosecution or jail time associated with their child support debt. One well-known case of an African American man shot by police in the back after he ran away from a traffic stop was connected to child support debt. The man allegedly ran away because he was afraid of being taken to jail and losing his job.

Construction disputes can occur in Kansas or any other state in the country. When they do occur, it isn't necessarily because a party has breached the terms of the contract. In some cases, a breach of contract claim can arise because a person or entity involved with a construction deal didn't understand the terms. Contractors should take steps prior to executing a contract to ensure that the terms are as clear as possible.

If a dispute does arise, the first step is to negotiate in an effort to resolve it in an amicable manner. Ideally, a negotiation clause or similar clause will be included in an agreement. However, if negotiation doesn't work, there are other steps that could be taken to resolve a matter. For instance, the parties to the deal could choose to go before an arbiter. Whatever ruling this person comes to is generally binding as opposed to mediation or adjudication.