Sara Marler • Trauma-Informed Lawyer

We’re honored to share that Marler Law Partners has been named Best Family Law Firm on the St. Louis A-List by St. Louis Magazine!

Thank you to everyone who voted and to the clients who trusted us with their family’s most important moments.

We believe family law should be compassionate, inclusive, and centered on the people we serve. That means seeing the whole person, not just the case: your kids, your work, your health, your future on the other side of this. As a woman-owned, trauma-informed firm, we’re also proud to be a place where LGBTQIA+ individuals and families are represented with real understanding and respect.

Thank you, St. Louis 💜

If you're in the middle of it right now with court dates, hard conversations, and nights where you're not sure you made the right call... keep going.

The version of you on the other side of this is worth fighting for.

At Marler Law Partners, we see the whole person, not just the case.

We know that getting through something this hard takes more than good legal strategy. It takes courage, support, and someone who genuinely believes in where you're headed.

Keep going.

When a new client hires Marler Law Partners, their first meeting is not with their attorney.

It is with our Client Specialist who is a trauma-trained therapist, and our Client Relationship Manager.

First we walk you through how to access your client portal and, perhaps more importantly, how to actually read your bill. We want to ensure clients fully understand what they are being charged for and why.

Then we walk you through the roadmap for a family law case. What to expect, what the process looks like, and what support is available along the way. The number of light bulbs that go off in that conversation is something we never take for granted.

Family law is not just paperwork. It is one of the most personal, emotionally demanding experiences a person can go through. We built our intake process around that reality because we believe you deserve to feel informed and supported from the very first day, not just when you are sitting across from a judge.

That is what it means to us to be a trauma-informed, person-centered firm.

Visit marlerlawpartners.com to learn more about how we work.

Most people associate marital agreements with prenuptials, something you do before the wedding. But postnuptial agreements are becoming a much more common conversation, and for good reason.

A postnuptial agreement is a legal contract created after marriage that outlines how assets, debts, and financial responsibilities would be handled if the marriage were to end. Couples consider them for all kinds of reasons. A significant change in income, a new business, an inheritance, a period of financial strain, or simply a desire for more clarity and transparency between partners.

What makes a postnuptial agreement valuable is not that it signals trouble in a marriage. For many couples, it actually does the opposite. Putting financial expectations in writing can reduce tension, open honest conversations, and give both people a clearer sense of where they stand.

In Missouri, these agreements can address property division, spousal support, and debt allocation in ways that go beyond what the court would decide by default. To be enforceable, they need to be drafted carefully, with full financial disclosure and voluntary agreement from both parties.

At Marler Law Partners, we help couples navigate these conversations with care and without judgment. If you are curious about whether a postnuptial agreement makes sense for your family, we are happy to talk it through.

Visit marlerlawpartners.com to schedule a consultation.

"Best interests of the child" is a phrase that comes up in almost every custody case. But what does it actually mean in practice?

In Missouri, courts use this standard to guide every decision about where a child lives, how parenting time is divided, and who makes decisions about their education, healthcare, and daily life. It is not a single factor. It is a full picture. Courts look at each parent's ability to provide stability and safety, the child's relationship with each parent, any history of abuse or domestic violence, the child's adjustment to their home and school, and in some cases, the child's own wishes depending on their age and maturity.

Missouri law does not favor mothers over fathers or fathers over mothers. What it favors is the arrangement that genuinely serves the child's well-being. For parents navigating this process, understanding what courts are actually weighing, and how to demonstrate your role in your child's life, matters enormously.

At Marler Law Partners, we take the time to understand your family's full story before we ever walk into a courtroom. We are here to make sure your voice is heard and your child's needs stay at the center of everything.

If you have questions about custody in Missouri, we would love to talk. Visit marlerlawpartners.com to get in touch with our team.

She'd met with several lawyers before she called us. Every one of them talked about her divorce like it was a business deal to be closed.

She didn't hire them.

What she was living through wasn't a transaction, it was grief. A shift in how she'd parent her kids. A complete renegotiation of her identity and her future. Divorce touches things that don't show up in any asset spreadsheet, and most people going through it have no idea what's actually coming.

We do. So we help prepare them for it.

That means explaining why your kids come home from a transition day acting completely different, and what to actually do about it. It means giving clients space to process before making decisions, not pressuring them toward a resolution before they're ready. It means no judgment, real education about their options, and someone genuinely in their corner.

Our clients know divorce is about far more than finances. We think their lawyers should know that too.

If you've been looking for a firm that sees the whole picture, we'd love to talk. marlerlawpartners.com

Follow along to watch me build the anti-law firm law firm.

Summer is supposed to be the easy part. But for co-parents, it can bring a whole new set of pressure points.

School-year routines disappear, schedules shift, and small misunderstandings about pickup times, camps, or vacation plans can escalate quickly when there is no structure holding things together. A little planning before summer starts goes a long way.

Finalizing your summer schedule early, putting all communication in writing, building in flexibility for last-minute changes, and keeping your children's experience at the center of every decision are all practical steps that reduce friction before it starts. Co-parenting apps can also help by creating a clear, documented record of conversations and agreements.

When conflict does come up, the goal is not to win. It is to protect your kids from being caught in the middle of it.

At Marler Law Partners, we help parents navigate custody arrangements with clarity and care, whether that means reviewing your parenting plan, addressing a violation, or modifying an agreement that no longer fits your family's needs.
We are here when you need us. Visit marlerlawpartners.com to learn more.