FAMILY LAW

WINTER 2004 COURSE SYLLABUS

Revised Feb 2, 2004

Professor Barbara Glesner Fines
University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Law

Jan 8th Introduction

Assignment

Themes of Family Law
Read text pp. 1-26
Active Listening Skills CALI Lesson

To read more about it: For a sociological perspective, see Trinity University’s Sociology course on Marriage & Family Processes

Jan 13^thMarriage and Marriage Substitutes

Obligations between Cohabitants: Read text pp. 929-32, 966-68
Recognition of Domestic Partnerships: Read text pp. 982-86
Marriage: Licensure and Solemnization: Read text pp. 53-60; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 451.040, 451.100
Common Law Marriage: Read text pp. 60-68
Putative Spouse Doctrine: Read text pp. 69-77; Prepare problem 2-1 page 76
Conflict of Law Rules: Read text pp. 68-69, 104-108

To read more about it:

For a summary of marriage license requirements by state (from a commercial bridal service page – no accuracy vouched )

For some fun historical perspective, have a look at these websites devoted to marriage during Medieval and Renaissance periods.

January 15th Entering Marriage - Substantive Requirements

Assignments:

Constitutionality of Marriage Restrictions: Read text pp. 77-86
Age Regulations: Read text pp. 108-110; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 451.090
Incest Prohibitions: Read text pp.110-112, 114-116; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 451.020
Monogamy: Read text pp. 116-118; Read Supp.Mo. Rev. Stat. 451.030
Same-Sex Prohibitions: Read text pp. 97 (at note 3) –104; Read Supp. Mo. Rev.

Jan. 20^th

Assignments

Finish Substantive Restrictions on Marriage

Stat. 451.022; Lawrence v. Texas (in word) Lawrence v. Texas (HTML) ; Goodridge v. DPH (I will lecture on this in class)

Consent Requirements: Read text pp. 118-124; Read Supp. Charley v. Fant, 892 S.W.2d 811 (Mo. App. 1995) and Mo. Rev. Stat. 451.010

Law of the Intact Marriage

Duty to Support: Read Text pp. 130-135; Hawley v. Hawley, 904 S.W.2d 584 (Mo. App. 1995)
Names Review Problems on Changing Names of Children
Evidentiary Consequences: Read text pp. 180-83
Torts: Read text pp. 183-85; 437-57

To read more about it...

On changing role of women: National Organization of Women
and for a differing view, The Family Research Council

On name changes:NOLO Press Guide to Changing your Name

Jan. 22^nd Criminal Law

CLASS MEETS AT NOON TODAY –

Assignments:

Read text pp. 161-179
We will participate in a simulation exercise from noon to 1:55

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
ABA Commission on Domestic Violence

Jan 27^th The Parent Child Relationship

Assignments:

Read text pp. 1217‑1238
Privilege and Protection: Read text pp. 1239‑1242

To read more about it:

On Parents' Rights and Children's Rights: United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child

Feb 3^rd Unmarried Parents and their Children

Assignments:

Establishing Paternity: Read text pp. 1035‑1049,1058-63
Recognition: Read Michael H. Gerald D. and notes pp. 1094-1119

Prepare problems 9-18, 9-19

Feb 5^th Abuse and Neglect

Assignments:

Read text pp. 1282‑1290, 1362-65
Harcourt-Herring, “Termination of Parental Rights”

Feb 10^th Adoption

Assignments:

Skim Chapter 453 of Missouri statutes.

To read more about it:

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
The Adoption Policy Resource Center
Adoption Network
Adoptee's Right to Know (which includes an Adoption Law Library and the full text of the Uniform Adoption Act)

Feb 12^th Dissolving the Marital Status

Assignments :

Historical Origins of Divorce: Read text pp. 187‑191
The Movement from "Fault" to "No‑Fault": Read text pp. 191‑94; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.320; Reforming "No‑Fault": Read text pp. 217‑233; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.300 , 452.305, 452.310, 452.315
Divorce jurisdiction: Read text pp. 739-47; 752-58;

Feb 17^th Child Custody

Assignments:

Read text pp. 613‑616
The Effects of Divorce on Children: Read text pp. 240‑244, 616‑620; Read Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.600, 452.605;
Statutory Mandates/ The Best Interest Standard: Read text pp. 620‑621; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.375
Parenting Plans: Read Mo Rev. Stat 452.330
Jurisdiction for Child Custody: Read text pp. 758-68

Feb 19-24th Applying the Best Interest Standard

Assignments:

gender roles: Read text pp. 623‑632
sexual conduct and moral fitness: Read text pp. 632‑637; J.A.D. v. F.J.D. III, 978 S.W.2d 336 (Mo. 1998).
race: Read text pp. 638‑641
disability: Read text pp. 642‑645
religion: Read text pp. 645‑651; Waites v. Waites, 567 S.W.2d 326 (Mo. en banc 1978)

Other factors: Read Horton v. Horton , 961 S.W.2d 67 (Mo. Ct. App., W.D. 1997)
Child's Preference: Read text pp. 652-655

Feb 26th Shared Parenting Rules

Assignments:

Read text pp. 675-86
Read McCauley v. Schenkel
Proposals for Change: Read text pp. 681-68
ALI Principles 2.08, 2.09,2.12 (distributed in class)
Visitation: Read text pp. 686-697; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.400, 452.405.

Mar 2^nd Modification and Relocation

Assignments:

Read text pp. 701-708
Read Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.410, 452.411.
Alt v. Alt; Huffman v. Huffman and ABC v. CLC
Read text pp. 712‑717
Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.377; Baxley v. Jared
ALI Principles 2.15-2.17 (distributed in class)
Jurisdiction for Child Custody modification: Read text pp. 777-84; 793-94

Mar 4^th Third Party Custody and Visitation

Assignments:

Read text pp. 717‑719, 724-732
Read Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.402,
Read Troxel v. Granville (distributed in class)
ALI Principles 2.03, 2.04, 2.18

March 8-12, 2004 SPRING BREAK

March 16^th Economic Issues: Property

Assignment:

Systems of Property Distribution: Read text pp. 249-251; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.330,
Classification ‑ Defining Marital/Separate Property: Read text pp. 290‑297

March 18^th Classification Issues

Assignment

Human Capital: Read text pp. 329-343; Read In Re Studyvin, 779 S.W.2d 338 (Mo. App. 1989)
Personal Injury Award and Workers Benefits: Read text pp. 307 (note 3) –308;
Read Heslop v. Heslop , 967 S.W.2d 249 (Mo. App. 1998)
Pensions: Read text pp. 317-321; Read Strassner v. Strassner , 895 S.W.2d 614 (Mo. App. 1995)
Professional Goodwill: Read text pp. 343-363

March 23^rd Classification Presumptions & Approaches & Division

Assignments:

Presumption of Marital Property & Transmutation: Read Sprock v. Sprock , 882 S.W.2d 183 (Mo. App. 1994)
Source of Funds Rules: Rules Read text pp. 310-315; Read Hoffman v. Hoffman, 676 S.W.2d 817 (Mo. 1984); Watkins v. Watkins, 924 S.W.2d 542 (Mo. App. 1996) ; Meservy v. Meservy, 841 S.W.2d 240 (Mo. App. 1992); Box v. Box (Mo. 1999)
Theories of Allocation: Read text pp. 252-283 Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.330,
Read Nelson v. Nelson (Mo. App. W.D. 2000); Holt v. Holt , 976 S.W.2d 25 (Mo. App. 1998)
Effect of Marital Misconduct: Read text pp. 283-288, 426-436

March 25^th Separation Agreements

Arrived at Through Negotiation: Read text pp. 843‑48, 863‑66
Arrived at Through Mediation: Read text pp. 848‑857

Problem to be distributed in class

April 8th Maintenance

Assignments:

Read Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.335.
Read Hahn v. Hahn (Mo. App. E.D. 1987) Lincoln v. Lincoln (Mo. App. W.D. 2000)
Forms: Read text pp. 400‑404 (long-term) & text pp. 458‑465 (short-term)
Modification: Read text pp. 470‑472; Read Supp. Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.370
Read Lombardo v. Lombardo, 992 S.W.2d 919 (Mo. App. 1999); Hartzell v. Hartzell, 976 SW2d 624 (Mo App 1998)

April 13^th Child Support

Assignments:

Duty of Support: Read text pp. 497-507; Read Mo. Rev. Stat. 452.340, 452.400; Read Bright v. Bright; Smith v. Smith; Rickfels v. Rickfels
Relationship Between Visitation and Support: Read text pp. 508‑509; Read Mo. Rev. Stat. 454.1031
Setting the Guidelines: Read text p. 520-524; Read Supreme Ct. Rule 88.01 and Form 14 Worksheet
Medical Support Qualified Medical Support Orders (QMCSO)

April 15^th Modification/Abatement

Assignments:

Read text pp. 562‑568; Read Brandt v. Brandt; Gordon v. Gordon; Willing v. DCSE
Enforcement: Read text pp. 573‑578; 604-610

April 20^th Ethical Issues

Read text pp. 884‑908
Reports from Service Learning Experiences
Review for final examination

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