Jackson County General Law Blog

As the state of Missouri moves to comply with the law about same-sex marriages, there are still challenges for same-sex couples in areas of family law. One such issue involves child custody. When a same-sex couple gets divorced or splits up, it can create problems when it comes to the legal side of the custody of the children involved in the relationship.

According to the American Bar Association, this is not a challenge for same-sex couples because biology comes into play as far as parental rights. A paternity test is taken to determine who the legal father is and the mother is whoever gave birth to the child. It is also not an issue for any couple who adopted a child together because the adoption sets the legal status of parenthood.

As you probably know, motor vehicle accidents cause serious injuries every day. You would be more likely to get injured on the Missouri roadways than almost anywhere else in the state. Every problem requiring medical attention is serious, but the extent and type of your injury would usually depend on the nature of the collision involved.

The three major types of collisions are rear end, T-bone and head on. Your likelihood for sustaining certain injuries goes up or down depending on the kind of event. Of course, other factors could also contribute to your risks, such as safety precautions in your vehicle, your personal characteristics and the speed of both cars.

If you are thinking about adopting a baby in Missouri, you have a number of options. You can go through an adoption agency, but there is often a long waiting list for infants. Another option is independent adoption, in which you work directly with the birth mom. While this can be a good way to go, it is important to know the benefits and risks before deciding to go that route.

BabyCenter reports that while an independent adoption can go faster than going through an agency, an average one still takes up to 18 months, and some can take years. One of the big benefits of this type of adoption is that the adoptive parents get to know the birth mother and can develop a close relationship. However, independent adoption does come with risks. One of the major ones is there is always the chance the birth mom changes her mind before the adoption is complete. In fact, around 50% of moms back out somewhere along the pregnancy and another 20% back out after the baby is born. Keep in mind that some states allow the mother to change her mind for a certain number of days even after everyone signs the final paperwork.

What sets plastic surgery apart from other forms of surgery done in Missouri is that plastic surgery is often viewed as an elective and unnecessary procedure. However, the fact remains that plastic surgery, no matter the motivation behind it, should be conducted with the appropriate care or serious personal injury may result. According to Heathline, there are a number of health problems that can result from plastic surgery, and it is important to be aware of them.

It is not uncommon for surgeries to result in a level of scarring, a fact many people accept when they go into surgery. However, plastic surgery is intended to improve one’s appearance, so the presence of scars can be distressing if the patient is not informed beforehand of the risks. For instance, a small number of breast augmentation surgeries leave an unusually thick, red scar known as a hypertrophic scar.