Jackson County General Law Blog

Man faces involuntary manslaughter charges after fatal crash

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Imagine driving toward your home after work. You're tired, and you just want to get there. All of a sudden, someone flies toward you from a side street and T-bones your vehicle. The next thing you know, you're in the hospital waiting to hear if you need to have surgery.

When a driver's actions cause others to suffer, they should be held accountable. Take, for example, a driver who speeds and forces others to move out of their way. Their reckless actions could make others nervous or force them to make maneuvers they're not comfortable with. In some instances, they may go off the road and crash.

Watch out for the dangers of drinking on Blackout Wednesday

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, November 29, 2019.

Thanksgiving is here, so it's time to talk again about the dangers of drunk driving. Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest drinking days of the year, which can be a lot of fun. Unfortunately, it can also be extremely dangerous if people choose to get behind the wheels of their vehicles.

Why is Thanksgiving Eve such a big drinking night?

You and your children can move on after a divorce

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, November 27, 2019.

Your children have a major life change to deal with when their parents divorce. Trying to move on after you end the marriage can be a challenge. You have to think carefully about how your decisions impact your kids, but this poses its own difficulty.

One of the best ways that you can move forward after a divorce is to take care of yourself. You have to make sure that you are in good shape to start your new life. This means that you find the support you need and take steps to find happiness. This can include taking care of major decisions, such as where to live and finding suitable child care. You also need to focus on building your circle of friends and finding activities that you enjoy doing.

Divorce often means doing what is best for everyone

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC on Monday, November 25, 2019.

When you first got married, you likely envisioned various milestones you would experience with your spouse by your side. Various birthdays, anniversaries, childbirths, vacations, retirement and overall living happily into your golden years likely crossed your mind. One milestone you may not have considered is divorce. Unfortunately, that is where your journey with your spouse has ended up.

You may have realized that your visions of a happily ever after would not come true a long time ago, or you may have been blindsided by your spouse's request for divorce. No matter the way it happened, you likely still have strong feelings about taking this path in life. Still, you want your case to go as smoothly as possible, and fortunately, you can help yourself reach that goal.

Controlling your emotions may be important during divorce

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC on Friday, November 22, 2019.

Getting a divorce can be an emotional time in any Missouri resident's life. However, it is important that you do not let your emotions control the decisions you make during this time. If you let feelings of anger or desires for revenge get the better of you, you could end up making the situation worse for your ex-spouse and yourself.

Certainly, it can be difficult to keep your emotions in check while going through such a life-changing and difficult time. It can take some work, but you may feel that the work is worth it in the end if it prevents you from making hasty decisions that you later regret.

Missouri is tough on drug crimes

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Drug Charges on Thursday, November 21, 2019.

There is never a time when it's going to be easy to deal with drug charges. The reality is that the laws are tough. If you're caught with drugs or medications you're not supposed to have, you could face the full force of those laws.

Missouri is relatively tough on drug crimes. Take, for instance, a simple possession charge. In Missouri, simple possession of any drug other than marijuana can lead to a class C felony and up to seven years in prison. This is on top of a $10,000 fine.

Unresolved recalls are dangerous for consumers: Get help

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Personal Injury on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

Safety defects are a real concern, especially when those defects are concerning your vehicle. Unfixed safety recalls in vehicles that are being sold to unsuspecting buyers raise concerns.

In October, AutoNation was found offering vehicles that had safety defects. While that might be old news, it's important to touch on this topic because consumers need to be aware that what a business says it does and what it actually does may be two different things. In that case, the company had pledged not to sell vehicles with unresolved recalls, but it still was. That threatens the safety of everyone on the roads.

Cooperation is beneficial during child custody negotiations

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Child Custody on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

Going through a divorce with children is a difficult journey. Not only do you have to think about your own well-being, but you also have to think about the kids'. This can make decisions that would normally be easy a bit more challenging to make. We know that you just want to do what is best for your children, and we are here to help you work toward that goal.

Many child custody cases are resolved through the use of mediation or collaborative methods. These enable the parents to make decisions about the child instead of asking a judge to make them. If you choose to use this method, you and your ex will work closely to negotiate the terms of the parenting plan.

What should you know about getting a DWI in Missouri?

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Drunk Driving on Monday, November 4, 2019.

You and your friends went out for a night on the town to celebrate turning 21. Like most young people, you went out with a designated driver who ended up partaking in the activities and being unable to drive you home.

Of everyone, you felt you'd had the least to drink and that you were the most likely to drive safely. Unfortunately, you were not as sober as you believed, and you were stopped by a police officer on the way home. Now, you're facing a DWI.

The child custody plan: What if your teenager hates it?

On behalf of Kelly, Symonds & Reed, LLC posted in Family Law on Friday, November 1, 2019.

When you and your spouse decided to get a divorce, the most difficult part was that you would have to split up time with your children. You both talked about different custody plans that you thought would work well. You even had a plan in mind to submit to the court.

Then, your teenager saw the arrangement and decided that they didn't like it. They argued that they didn't want to live with the person who was arranged to have custody more often. They complained that they would be too far from their friends and school.

People Come To Us During Difficult Times And We Help Them Through It