Family Law Track
Thursday, September 24
Breaking Up is Hard to Do: The Impact of the Economic Downturn on Family Law and Strategies to Help Clients Cope
The flagging economy is having a significant effect on divorce, in many cases making it impossible for couples to legally split and move on with their lives. This session will focus on the issues and obstacles that family practitioners are facing with their clients, from plummeting property values, slow housing sales markets, drastically diminished and fluctuating investment and retirement portfolios to unemployment, bankruptcy, child support modifications, custody and maintenance. It will also consider alternative representation options such as mediation, limited-scope representation and pro se, and provide insights and advice that lawyers can use to help their clients in these difficult times.
2:10 - 3:00 p.m.
1.0 MCLE Hour
Moderator: Michael Albano Welch, Martin & Albano, L.L.C. (Independence)
Presenters:
Robert J. Blackwell Blackwell & Associates, P.C. (OFallon)
Jason D. Dodson Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (St. Louis)
Deborah Benoit Kruger & Benoit, L.L.C. (St. Louis)
Hon. John Essner 21st Judicial Circuit (St. Louis)
Plan to Win The Trial Notebook as a Road Map for Presenting a Powerful Domestic Case
With limited time and limited attention of the Court, counsel must have a way to clearly and quickly present its case to the court. One mechanism is the use of binders frequently called Trial Notebooks. Depending on the complexity of the case or counsel preference, Trial Notebooks may be all encompassing or simply be more of an Exhibit Book. Some practitioners frown on their use, while others swear by them. This session will cover the creation, contents and organization of Trial Notebooks, as well as discuss the pros and cons of their use.
3:10 - 4:00 p.m.
1.0 MCLE Hour
Presenters:
Gail Berkowitz Berkowitz & Cook (Kansas City)
Lynn Ricci Garnholz & Ricci, L.L.C. (St. Louis)
Recognizing and Defending Against Dirty Tricks, Abuse and Disingenuous Tactics in Domestic Cases
Finally! A discussion about identifying and neutralizing the abusive, underhanded, and ill-intended tactics of dirty tricksters in family law cases. This is a program you don’t want to miss.
4:10 - 5:00 p.m.
1.0 Ethics Hour
Moderator: Hon. David L. Vincent 21st Judicial Circuit (Clayton)
Presenters:
James P. Carmody Carmody MacDonald, P.C. (Clayton)
Daniel R. Sokol Capes, Sokol, Goodman & Sarachan, P.C. (St. Louis)
Friday, September 25
De-Mystifying Trusts and Other Complex Estate Plans in Divorce
Lawyers who attend this program will get a short course on the elements of complex estate planning techniques, their individual characteristics and attributes, and a practical discussion about how they might be approached in family law cases.
8:30 - 9:20 a.m.
1.0 MCLE Hour
Moderator: Cary J. Mogerman Zerman Mogerman, L.L.C. (Clayton)
Presenters:
Scott H. Malin Lathrop & Gage, L.L.P. (Clayton)
Allan H. Zerman Zerman Mogerman, L.L.C. (Clayton)
Family Law Appeals: From Protecting Your Record to Using the Standard of Review to Your Advantage
From making a record during trial to the appellate brief to oral argument, your understanding of Missouri’s complex appellate process may win or lose the case for you. Offers of proof – how do you make one? Is the standard of review worth arguing about? “Points Relied On” – are there ways to structure these that will persuade the Court? What are the major mistakes in oral argument that lose cases? Does it hurt to take another look at the Rules? This program will go beyond issues of preserving the record, and will benefit practiced appellate attorneys as well as those first authoring a brief.
9:30 - 10:20 a.m.
1.0 MCLE Hour
Moderator: Kathleen C. Dubois Legal Services of Eastern Missouri (St. Louis)
Presenters:
Hon. Booker T. Shaw Thompson Coburn, L.L.P. (St. Louis)
Jane E. Tomich Knight & Tomich (St. Charles)
Benicia Baker-Livorsi The Family Law Group, L.L.C. (St. Charles)
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