2023 Family Law Conference featured CLE, networking opportunities
The 24th Annual Family Law Conference kicked off Thursday, Aug. 3, with nationally recognized speakers providing lawyers with the opportunity for continued legal education through case law updates, plenary sessions, and networking opportunities.
This year, more than 300 legal professionals attended both online and in-person at Chateau on the Lake in Branson, where they heard from experts on topics such as grandparent rights actions, integrating divorce mortgage planning into case management, and ensuring a smooth transfer of assets.
“This conference continues to provide an invaluable opportunity for our legal professionals to stay on top of current issues and trends in family law,” said Maria Sanders, director of CLE and member services at The Missouri Bar. “It allows our Missouri family law lawyers to sharpen their skills and stay updated, and also provides them with unique networking opportunities that can help expand their careers.”
This year, the conference offered more than 35 breakout sessions, a Guardian ad Litem track, and a basics track.
On Thursday, plenary speaker Julia Weber presented on reducing violence in family matters and, during a later breakout session, provided practical approaches to mitigating risk.
Other sessions covered current issues such as the power of forensic accounting; overviews of mental health evaluations and interventions; managing client expectations; and hearsay evidence. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear advice from family law judges during a panel presentation.
Friday morning featured a plenary session from Lundy Bancroft on “The domestic batter as parent,” and breakout sessions focused on topics such as the duty to become self-supporting, hearsay law problems and strategies, and child support issues.
On Saturday, attendees stayed to hear case law updates relevant to the practice of family law.
When not attending CLE programming, lawyers also had the opportunity to visit exhibitor booths. Sponsors such as the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Soberlink networked with lawyers about their companies and the benefits of their products.
Visit The Missouri Bar’s Facebook page and Instagram page to view photos from the conference.
Visit MoBarCLE.org to sign up for upcoming conferences, including The Missouri Bar Annual Meeting and Missouri Judicial Conference Sept. 13-15 and the Estate, Trust, & Elder Law Institute Oct. 19-20.