Masterson Law

05/29/2026

One of the first things we do at Masterson Law is talk to you about your text messages with your co-parent ✅

05/29/2026

I personally know Teri and I sincerely hope my friends in Webster County will consider voting for her. She is smart and hardworking!

While we might not think of the office of the circuit clerk as all that significant - it is. The clerk of the court processes new cases, issues summons, is required to meet time standards, and is often the first experience litigants have with our court system. Anyone who is mindful of that, has our full support. Citizens need to know these offices are competent.

I would be honored to work for you, the citizens of Webster County.

You have a choice

Remember to vote August 4.

05/28/2026

PLEASE SHARE! Affordable therapy options for anyone in Missouri: in-person and telehealth available.

05/27/2026

If you are reading this - you are invited! Hope to see you next week at Highland to meet our candidate and hear, first hand, his plans.

One week from today. Hope to see everyone there. Again, I’m excited to meet everyone.

05/26/2026

⚖️ Family court is less about one explosive moment and more about patterns, patience, documentation, and credibility over time ⚖️

05/18/2026

⚖️ Not every family law case is the right fit for our firm.

And that is intentional.

We believe litigation should be approached with:

* clarity
* strategy
* professionalism
* and emotional discipline

We work best with clients who are looking for:

* thoughtful guidance
* practical solutions
* and a clear path forward

Not constant chaos.

Family law is emotional enough on its own.
The process should not feel unnecessarily destructive.

That’s why we are selective about the matters we accept.

We want clients we can genuinely help—and clients who are prepared to approach the process in a productive, solution-oriented way.

Because when the right attorney-client relationship exists, everything works better:

* communication
* preparation
* strategy
* and ultimately, outcomes

Our goal is not to add stress to your life.

It’s to help carry it for you.

To create structure where there is uncertainty.
To bring calm where there is conflict.
And to guide the process with steadiness and experience.

Litigation will never be a spa day.

But with the right strategy and the right team, it can feel far less overwhelming than people expect.

Masterson Law
Clarity where there is chaos. ⚖️

05/18/2026

Marriages fall apart for any number of reasons. For Jessica Simon, the first signs that hers was in trouble showed up in the checking account she shared with her husband.

At times, it would be a stray DraftKings charge. On other days, there would be more. Roughly nine years into their marriage, her frustrations with the sports bets reached a tipping point.

The rift over money made clear how much they had both changed since they first started dating and had kids.

Money, that eternal source of marital friction, offers a paper trail for the unraveling of countless marriages.

Divorce lawyers say that what’s known as financial secrecy or infidelity is at the center of many splits.

That can mean hiding when an income source dries up, keeping a secret bank account or giving in to any of the financial temptations that have proliferated in recent years, whether it’s sports betting, shopping apps or risky trades.

Read more: 🔗 https://on.wsj.com/42ClJE8

05/14/2026

⚖️ No, your teenager does not get to make the final custody decision.

I hear this all of the time.

This is one of the most common misunderstandings I hear in custody cases.

Yes, courts may consider the wishes of an older child depending on their age, maturity, reasoning, and the overall circumstances. But Missouri courts do not simply hand a teenager the authority to decide where they live full-time.

Why? Because children and teenagers are still developing emotionally, socially, and psychologically. Their preferences can be influenced by:

* fewer rules or discipline,
* loyalty conflicts,
* pressure from a parent,
* social opportunities,
* temporary frustration,
* or simply wanting the easier household.

The Court’s job is to determine what arrangement is in the child’s best interests overall — not just what feels good in the moment.

Sometimes a child’s preference carries significant weight.
Sometimes it carries very little.
And sometimes what a child wants is not what is healthiest for them long-term.

These cases are almost always more nuanced than “the child chose.”

— Masterson Law ⚖️

05/11/2026

⚖️ And …The Biggest Hill I will Die On:

I have this conversation constantly:

“But our divorce is uncontested.”
“We already agreed on everything.”
“We’re being amicable.”
“We don’t want to fight.”

That’s great. Truly. I hope it stays that way.

You still need discovery.

Every. Single. Time.

Minor exception? Maybe if you literally own nothing except the clothes on your back. But most people have:
• retirement accounts
• bank accounts
• credit cards
• vehicles
• debts
• equity
• tax returns
• employment benefits
• businesses
• investments
• property

That means documentation.
That means verification.
That means discovery.

I do not care how “amicable” things feel today. I have watched too many cases go sideways after one account gets “forgotten,” one debt suddenly appears, or one person changes their mind halfway through the process.

Discovery is not hostility.
Discovery is protection.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure applies heavily in divorce litigation.

I am not skipping proper due diligence and risking malpractice because people are uncomfortable with paperwork.

Sorry.
— Masterson Law

05/10/2026

⚖️ I have argued with clients over every one of these. I am still right about all of them.

After years in family law, you learn very quickly which conversations matter — and which truths people do not always want to hear.

These are a few hills I will absolutely die on as a divorce and custody attorney:

1. The court cannot fix a damaged parent-child relationship for you.
Judges can create schedules. They cannot create closeness, trust, warmth, consistency, or emotional safety. If your child feels disconnected from you, start repairing it now — not after litigation.

2. Facts matter more than feelings in court.
You may feel deeply wronged. You may even be right emotionally. But courts decide cases based on evidence, credibility, documentation, timelines, witnesses, conduct, and patterns — not outrage alone.

3. The first reasonable settlement offer is often the best one.
People reject workable resolutions because they are angry, hurt, or convinced the court will “see everything.” Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. Litigation is expensive, unpredictable, and emotionally brutal.

4. A good attorney will tell you “no.” If your attorney agrees with every emotional impulse you have, you probably do not have strategy — you have validation. The hard conversations are often the ones protecting you financially and legally. Your attorney has seen your choice play out before.

5. You cannot out-litigate bad behavior. If you are constantly hostile, reactive, impulsive, dishonest, vindictive, refusing to co-parent, or making poor decisions outside the courtroom — eventually it shows. Good facts are still the strongest legal strategy available.

Family court is not designed to create perfect outcomes.
It is designed to manage imperfect situations as fairly as possible.

That reality upsets people sometimes.
It is still true.

— Masterson Law ⚖️