Divorce
Division of Property Rights When Spouses Own Investment Properties
There are many different types of investment properties that earn an income: rental properties, condos, apartments, stocks, and many other types of real and personal property. Some of the investments provide a little extra cash for the owners. Other investments provide a livelihood. Some require extensive management such as making repairs and collecting rents. Other…
Read MoreHow to Navigate a Divorce When Your Spouse Is a Narcissist
Going through a divorce is difficult enough when your spouse is “normal.” (Well, normal for someone you no longer want to spend the rest of your life with.) Divorcing a narcissist is tougher because spouses who put themselves first are much more likely to litigate contested issues instead of trying to resolve them. Narcissistic spouses…
Read MoreWhy a Post-nuptial Agreement May Be a Good Idea
While it’s never romantic to think about the possibility of divorce while a marriage is thriving, there are many practical considerations that force spouses to think about post-nuptial agreements. For starters, before couples get married, they may not have much to discuss in terms of dividing their property. During marriages, couples have children and accumulate…
Read MoreDo I Need an Attorney If I’m Thinking of Separating from My Spouse?
No couple goes into a marriage anticipating one day they will get divorced. Sometimes, though, relationships falter, and you need to start making decisions about how to live apart. One of these decisions involves whether to separate or go through with a complete divorce. If both spouses are not comfortable with the idea of divorcing…
Read MoreIssues Surrounding the Division of Retirement Plans in a Divorce
When it comes to property division after a divorce, the question often arises as to what portion of the divorced couple’s retirement accounts is each spouse entitled to receive. These retirement accounts can consist of a number of financial instruments such as employer-sponsored retirement savings accounts (401(k)s or 403(b)s, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) or defined…
Read MoreWhen Can a Criminal Charge/Conviction Affect a Divorce Proceeding?
Life choices do matter. Spouses who are going through a divorce will have the right to argue that character matters in a wide range of divorce issues. Generally, the strongest evidence of bad character is that someone has been convicted of a crime. Being charged with a crime may be especially relevant if the charge…
Read MoreCan I Date If I’m Legally Separated?
Separation is a legal term. Spouses who live apart without court approval are not separated in the eyes of the law. Dating while you are separated but not legally separated carries great risks that your relationship will become a factor in the divorce and related family law matters. Dating may also be a factor if…
Read MoreSplit Custody – The Good and The Bad
Split custody arrangements essentially mean that siblings are separated so the one or more children live with one parent and the siblings live with another parent. Split custody is not the same as joint custody. In joint custody arrangements, the children spend time with both parents. Typically, the parent who has joint custody will have…
Read MoreMay-December Marriages and Divorces
May-December romances always look great in the movies and on TV. In real life, they sometimes do work out for some couples. Sadly, many relationships between an older man and younger woman or vice versa do fail. According to a study done at Emory University of 3,000 married people: People who are about five years…
Read MoreDivorce and Spouses with Disabilities
In some marriages, the couple married knowing that their partner was disabled. In other relationships, a spouse becomes disabled during the marriage. The disability may be due to an accident such as a car crash. Often, disabilities occur as spouses age. The wear and tear of life can cause physical and mental difficulties which can…
Read MoreResponsibility for Medical Debt When Spouses Divorce
Medical debt in Tennessee is generally treated under the equitable division guidelines of the state. In short, this means that bills acquired before the spouses were married are the responsibility of the individual spouses. If a wife has a medical bill for treatments for the flu that she incurred before the marriage, then she is…
Read MoreIs an Emotional Affair Considered Adultery in Tennessee?
Here’s a scenario that’s more common than rare: Person A signs up for a social media platform, and reconnects with an Old Flame. Person A and the Old Flame end up talking, then flirting, and then professing their love for one another. Person A goes home and tells his or her spouse that he or…
Read MoreInteresting Divorce Facts
It’s hard to ever think of divorce as being “fun” or entertaining. We understand how difficult and stressful ending relationships and providing for your families are. Still, some unique perspectives can be calming and maybe even offer some insight into your situation. With that said, here are some colorful divorce facts that we hope peak…
Read MoreA “Gray Divorce” Checklist
Seniors who are going through a “gray divorce” have many different concerns that younger couples. These concerns are based on such factors as they’ve accumulated more assets including retirement plans, they generally don’t have young children to take care, and they are more likely to have health issues. Gray divorce generally includes people who have…
Read MoreYour Rights When One Spouse Tries to Empty Out the Joint Bank Accounts
Many couples have joint bank accounts during their marriage. Each spouse has the right to make deposits into the account. Generally, each spouse has the right to withdraw from the account any amount that is in the account. Spouses often create joint accounts for practical and romantic reasons. Practically, the couple is pooling their resources…
Read MoreParental Alienation and Child Custody in Tennessee
Sometimes, when parents get divorced, they become a bit competitive for the child’s affections. One parent may allow the child to get away with breaking rules. The other parent may attempt to buy the child’s affection. We caution our clients against this type of behavior, but we know that in some cases, it’s inevitable. There…
Read MoreHow to Obtain Divorce Records in Tennessee
The ability to obtain divorce records varies depending on the year you were divorced. Most recent divorce records from 1949 through 2019 can be accessed at the following office: Tennessee Department of Health Office of Vital Records 1st Floor, Central Services Building 421 5th Avenue, North Nashville, TN 37243 The records are kept in a…
Read MoreCan You Date While You’re Legally Separated in Tennessee?
Separations are a middle ground for most Tennessee couples. This means the spouses do recognize that that marital relationship isn’t working, but they aren’t ready to terminate the marriage. Separations generally require that the spouses live apart. Tennessee may resolve some issues such as child custody and child support at the time of the legal…
Read MoreEmotional and Verbal Abuse Can Ruin a Marriage as Much as Physical Abuse Can
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,…
Read MoreThe Danger of Being Married by a Mail-Ordered Ministry in Tennessee
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…
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