Lee's Summit Divorce & Custody Attorney
 

The Tengu Geijutsu Ron (The Demon’s Sermon on the Martial Arts) is a rare, Zen-drenched text from early 18th-century Japan. Written in the voice of a tengu — a mythical mountain demon known for trickery and mastery — it instructs warriors that true skill lies not in defeating an opponent, but in transcending the illusion of opposition itself. Victory and defeat are empty; the real battle is with the mind. In Missouri child custody litigation the mind is constantly trapped...

The 36 Stratagems (Sānshíliù Jì) is an ancient Chinese collection of tactical maxims, likely compiled during the Ming or Qing dynasty but drawing from centuries of military and political wisdom. Unlike Sun Tzu’s grand strategy, these are short, ruthless, pragmatic tricks for gaining advantage when outnumbered, out-resourced, or on the defensive—perfect for the asymmetric warfare of high-conflict Missouri custody cases.

Over 20 years of practicing law in Jackson County, one line from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has become my daily north star: “Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical.” This is not just battlefield poetry. In the high-stakes, emotionally charged world of Missouri divorce, custody modifications, contempt enforcement, parental alienation, and support disputes, this single precept ha

In Missouri family law — particularly high-conflict divorce, custody modifications, contempt enforcement, and parental alienation cases in Jackson County — the natural impulse is to fight, control, and dominate. But Lao Tzu offers a counterintuitive path: the parent who aligns with the Tao (natural flow, child’s best interests, minimal resistance) often prevails with less damage and more lasting results.