Family Law
Child Custody and Co-parenting after Divorce in Tennessee
How families in Tennessee are structuring themselves has been changing, so the law must change to keep up with the ways in which people are living. Gone are the days when mothers were almost automatically given primary custody of the child and fathers “dropped in” on their children’s lives. Now, some men are beginning to…
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions about Interstate Adoption in Tennessee
Adoption can be a wonderful way for loving families to grow. When a Tennessee family is looking to adopt a child that currently resides in another state, the requirements are a little bit different than they would be to adopt a child from within the state, but that does not mean that it is not…
Read MoreChild Custody Considerations in Military Divorce
Deciding whom your child will live with the majority, if not all, of the time is always a challenging one in divorce. The Tennessee courts decide child custody on the basis of whatever is in the best interests of the child. The court looks to create the kind of arrangements that will serve the child’s…
Read MoreCalculating Child Support in Tennessee
Whether a couple was once married and now divorced, or two unmarried people have a child together, both parents are responsible for the physical, emotional and financial well-being of their child. When a married couple divorces and one parent is given primary physical custody of the child and the other parent gets co-parenting time with…
Read MoreCan I Expect to Get Permanent Alimony in TN?
There was a time when a couple divorced and the wife had been a homemaker who raised the children and didn’t work outside of the home. After a long-term marriage the wife might reasonably expect to get permanent alimony payments from her former spouse. That almost sounds like a fairy tale when compared with the…
Read MoreMy Ex Won’t Let Me See My Kids – Handling Custodial or Visitation Interference in Tennessee
As a part of the divorce judgment, the court will issue a written order that delineates which parent has primary residential parent status (which parent the child lives with most of the time) and which parent will have alternate co-parenting. This final parenting order has the force of law, so whether or not you agree…
Read MoreHow the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act Affects a Divorce
One of the more complex areas of divorce concerns asset division. If you and your spouse have a retirement account, the money in that account will be divided between you. The Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act (USFSPA) is what allows a court to treat the retirement funds of a service member the same way…
Read MoreThe Effects of the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act
Servicemen and women, especially those on act duty, face a number of different legal challenges than civilians. In 1940, the Soldier and Sailors Civil Relief Act (SSCRA) was enacted to help protect military personnel who were unable to attend to litigation matters because they were fighting in war or stationed around the world. That act…
Read MoreWho Keeps the 401(k) When a Couple Divorces?
When a couple divorces in Tennessee, the assets and debts of a marriage are split equitably. This means that your property is not necessarily divided 50/50, but in a way that the courts deem fair to both parties. For some couples, this affects their retirement accounts, including pensions and 401(k) plans. Generally speaking, a retirement…
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