Spouses who are considering a divorce or negotiating a divorce need to understand how the recent federal tax law, signed in December 2017, affects their taxes. The main change in the tax law affects the payment and deduction of alimony. The new law also affects how businesses are valued which, in turn, affects the equitable [...]

Going through a divorce during any season is traumatic. It is especially difficult for spouses and children during the holiday season, when so much attention is on spending time with family. During the winter holidays, parents are accustomed to taking family photos, spending time with relatives, sharing the joys of parenthood, reflecting on the past [...]

According to an article in Psychology Today, about three million domestic violence cases are reported each year. What’s not often reported is how emotional abuse is often horrible in itself and how emotional abuse is often a strong indicator that physical abuse will follow. Emotional abuse can be hard to recognize for several reasons. Often, [...]

One of the hardest difficulties for spouses is admitting that your marriage isn’t going to work. It’s especially hard when there are children involved. Most spouses try go the extra mile before deciding that divorce is the right choice. The extra mile usually means reviewing your marital difficulties with family and friends. Sometimes, it means [...]

For many spouses and children, the love for a family pet is almost as much as the love they have for each other. The loss of a Frodo, Spot, Muffins, or any pet can be a traumatic experience. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, in 2012, more than 43 million households had a family [...]

A recent post in the Bangor Daily News in Maine discussed how business partnership contracts usually focus just on the partners – not their spouses. Under Tennessee divorce law, spouses going through a divorce generally have claims against their spouse/partner’s business interests. This interest can create many problems for the other owners. In some cases, [...]

Divorce is the process of ending the marriage contract. It may sound simple, but divorces are rarely easy. Getting divorced is the second most stressful experience--with the death of a spouse or loved one being the first—a human being can endure. Given that roughly half of the marriages in the United States end in divorce, [...]

With the rise of the Internet, many people and organizations saw creating an online ministry ordination business as a way to make money and help people get married. USA Today reported a story about an easy way to terminate a marriage – show that the marriage was never valid in the first place. The story [...]

A recent Huffington Post article reviewed why marital relationships fail. Our divorce lawyers represent spouses and parents who are struggling with their marriage. Some marriages can be saved with communication and work. When the marriage can’t be saved, we guide wives and husbands through the divorce process. Often divorce disputes can be settled amicably – [...]

It's true that when your Tennessee divorce is complete, it's “finalized,” but in day to day life, things change. And with major life changes, you may need to change your divorce agreement along with them. As you both move on with your lives, either your or your ex-spouse's circumstances may suddenly change, and certain things [...]

A divorced couple is battling in Pittsburgh family court over whether or not their 17-year-old son should be allowed to play high school football, despite his history of concussions. John Orsini shares custody of his youngest son with his ex-wife, Janice Orsini, and is arguing that his son should no longer be allowed to play [...]

Today, we wanted to take a broad look at the differences between contested and uncontested divorce, and clear up some misconceptions you might have. A contested divorce must have grounds for why the marriage should be ended, some of which include: Adultery Abandonment Substance abuse Domestic violence Desertion An uncontested divorce is one where both [...]

In a divorce, a spouse with a lot of wealth may try to hide assets in order to make their income appear lower than it is, and so that these assets will not be a part of the Tennessee equitable distribution award. Experienced divorce lawyers are needed to determine what assets can be hidden, where [...]

One of the most difficult and emotionally fraught parts of a divorce is the issue of child custody. Working through the details of custody, visitation, and parenting plans can be some of the most frustrating and intense parts of your divorce agreement. However, it is important to remember that everything is for the benefit of [...]

"Until death do us part" is a lovely sentiment, but in today's world, not a realistic one. More people are getting divorced than they did several decades ago, for myriad reasons—we are living longer, more women are financially independent, and divorce is no longer as taboo as it once was. It is likely you knew [...]

Divorce inherently comes with any number of complications and issues. Until 2017, parents in Tennessee who had come to the difficult decision to divorce were faced with numerous legal constraints that other couples were not subject to. With the publication of new forms streamlining the process for qualifying parents, divorces in Tennessee can be obtained [...]

When Sabrina and Erica Witt decided to end their marriage, they didn’t expect to become national news. But when protesters and lawmakers tried to intervene in the custody of the couple’s child, conceived through artificial insemination, the simple divorce became much more complicated. Knox County Circuit Court Judge Greg McMillan ultimately changed his ruling to [...]

Fathers may feel guilty when seeking a divorce in Tennessee if they have children they want to remain actively involved with raising. It's important to understand your rights as a father in your divorce, especially because a marital split does not in any way mean you are foregoing your paternity rights. If you want to [...]

Establishing paternity doesn't always mean that you are the biological father of a child. Paternity, as a term, does mean fatherhood; but in the family law of Tennessee’s legal sense, establishing paternity is actually the act of determining a child’s “legal” father. Fathers, whether they are biological parents or not, have both rights and obligations [...]