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Who Pays After an Accident? Missouri's Fault Rules
How fault, insurance, and damages work in Missouri injury claims
A car crash, a fall on someone else's property, or almost any other accident caused by someone else's carelessness can leave you facing medical bills, lost wages, and a claims process that moves faster than most people expect. This article walks through how fault is determined under Missouri's comparative fault rule, what auto insurance is required to cover the loss, and what damages are — and are not — available.
The Status of No-Competition Agreements
Missouri's rules for enforcing non-compete agreements, and where federal regulation stands after the FTC's reversal
In April 2024, the FTC voted to ban nearly all non-compete agreements nationwide — then a federal court set the rule aside before it ever took effect, and the FTC itself abandoned the fight in 2025. With the federal ban dead, non-compete agreements in Missouri are governed the way they always have been: by Missouri's own reasonableness standard. Here's what that means for employers and employees alike.
The Auto Insurance Coverages That Shape a Missouri Injury Case
Missouri's mandatory Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverages, the optional layers worth adding, and the "No Pay, No Play" statute
After a car accident, the insurance coverages in play — and the amounts actually available — often shape the entire case. This article explains Missouri's mandatory Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverages, the optional layers worth considering — Underinsured Motorist, Umbrella, Medical Payments, and AD&D — and the "No Pay, No Play" statute that limits what an uninsured driver can recover.
Selling to an ESOP: ERISA's "Adequate Consideration" Requirement
How employer stock must be valued when an ESOP buys it, and where the rules stand today
An ESOP lets the owner of a closely held business sell the company to its employees through a retirement trust — but because the plan buys stock from insiders, ERISA permits the purchase only for no more than "adequate consideration." In January 2025 the Department of Labor finally proposed regulations defining that term, along with a class exemption for an ESOP's initial acquisition of employer stock — and then withdrew both before they were ever published. This article explains the adequate consideration requirement, the guidance that fills the regulatory gap, and what the withdrawn proposals would have changed.
Making Sense of Medicare Enrollment
Enrollment deadlines and penalties, what Original Medicare doesn't cover, and choosing between a Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage
Turning 65 triggers one of the more consequential enrollment decisions most people will face, and Medicare's own vocabulary is often the first obstacle. This article explains what Medicare's Parts actually mean, when enrollment is required, the penalties for enrolling late, and how to weigh a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan against a Medicare Advantage plan.
The Rules Behind a Missouri Medical Malpractice Claim
The filing deadline, the affidavit of merit requirement, and the caps on damages
Missouri places tighter procedural requirements and deadlines on medical malpractice claims than on most other injury cases — a shorter statute of limitations, a mandatory affidavit of merit from a qualified health care provider, and a statutory cap on noneconomic damages. Missing any one of these can end a claim before it is ever heard. Here is what a patient or family needs to know.
The Real Consequences of a Missouri DWI Charge
The criminal charge, the license consequences, and what happens if you refuse a breath test
A single traffic stop for suspected drunk driving in Missouri can trigger two separate legal proceedings at once — a criminal DWI case and a civil action to suspend or revoke your driver's license — and each follows its own rules and its own timeline. This article walks through how Missouri proves DWI, what repeat offenses mean, what happens if you refuse a breath test, and how a suspended or revoked license gets reinstated.
When a Defective Product Causes Harm in Missouri
Design, manufacturing, and warning defects, and Missouri's innocent seller protection
When a defective product causes an injury, Missouri law lets an injured person pursue the manufacturer — and, in some cases, the seller — without having to prove the manufacturer was negligent. This article explains the three types of product defects Missouri recognizes, how strict liability differs from an ordinary negligence claim, and the state's "innocent seller" protection for retailers who did nothing wrong.
Calculating Child Support in Missouri: The Form 14 Basics
How Form 14 works under the updated Rule 88.01 schedule that took effect January 1, 2026
Missouri calculates child support using a standardized worksheet called Form 14, and on January 1, 2026, a new Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations took effect under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 88.01 — which can change the presumed child support amount even when nothing else about a family's situation has changed. Here's how the calculation works, what changed, and when an existing order may be eligible for modification.
The Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law
What Missouri clients should know about AI, their lawyer, and the rules that govern its use
Artificial intelligence is now built into everyday legal research and drafting tools, and courts across the country — including in Missouri — have sanctioned lawyers for filing briefs with AI-invented case citations. This article explains what the Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct require of a lawyer who uses AI, and why that matters to your case.
The Corporate Transparency Act: Can You Now Ignore It?
What corporate transparency means to you and current legal challenges
The Coporate Transparency Act went into effect January 1, 2024,and was almost immediately challenged in the courts. On March 26, 2025, FinCEN removed benefial owner reporting requirements for all entities created in the United States — including those previously known as “domestic reporting companies” — and their beneficial owners are now exempt from the requirement to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) to FinCEN. Existing foreign companies that must report their beneficial ownership information have at least an additional 30 days from March 26, 2025—until April 25, 2025, for most companies—to do so. Read this article for more information.
Bicycles and Rules of the Road
What laws govern bicycle and automobile operators co-existing on streets and highways
Bicyclists are a common sight on city streets and are seen occasionally on state highways as well. Many people wonder, “What rights do bicyclists have on public roads?” and, “What obligations do bicyclists have when riding on public roads?".
