Family Law

Tennessee custody law requires that a child’s best interest be the key factor in any custody agreement. Custody agreements involve legal and physical custody. Legal custody refers to long-term health and education decisions, while physical custody refers to which parent a child lives with and who supervises the child. Agreements or orders need to be…

Divorce is a painful process that affects everyone involved. The entire process is emotionally taxing, and dividing assets can be financially painful. As the divorce progresses, one party may be required to make alimony payments to their ex-spouse. The amount of these payments is decided based on negotiations. Negotiating alimony is complex and requires both…

Regardless of how others feel about celebrities, it is always unfortunate to hear that a couple has broken up. When the couple has children, the split is even more devastating. One of the most recent couples to announce their separation is popular singer Shakira and footballer husband Gerard Piqué. Even though the two were not…

The popular online forum Reddit recently highlighted a post from a man facing an interesting personal and legal challenge, asking for advice and comments after he found out he was the father of a five-year-old boy. First, let’s look at the players in this story (names are all changed for anonymity): Joe, the Reddit poster…

Requesting a future spouse to sign a prenuptial agreement is not a sign of strife to come in a marriage.  There is a healthy and beneficial way for partners to initiate conversations about signing prenuptial agreements for future spouses; one of those ways does not include springing prenups on future spouses at the last minute.…

We recently wrote about protecting yourself at the start of your marriage by taking advantage of all of the benefits and protections that institution provides. A great many of those of advantages are conferred by comingling assets and consolidating bills (among others). Unfortunately, the protections and benefits of a relationship can become liabilities when that…

Marriage comes with a great many benefits for most couples. Planning a life together is exciting, exploring the possibilities and dreaming about the future. The simple legal construct confers financial benefits as well – as the saying goes, “two can live as cheaply as one.” When you get married, expenses tend to go down and…

Stable marriages involve many different factors. Love, companionship, loyalty, children, growing together, and intimacy are just some of the many reasons people stay together. Finances are another important factor, and they can make – or break – a marriage. Today, we want to look at why unstable finances can keep unhappy couples together, and why…

Tennessee has four types of alimony. Before reviewing what issues can affect entitlement (or non-entitlement) to spousal support and the amount and length of spousal support, it’s important to understand these four types of possible alimony awards. The four types of Tennessee alimony support are set forth in Tennessee Code § 36-5-121: Rehabilitative alimony. This type…

When parents divorce, it’s natural to focus first on which parents will have physical and/or legal custody of their children. Once the custody status is resolved, the next step is determining which parent has the duty to pay child support and how much child support should be paid. The impact of children on divorce doesn’t…

In Tennessee, there are two types of custody. Legal custody affects long-term health and education decisions for your children. Physical custody determines which parent the child resides with and who supervises the child. Most parents share legal custody of their children and many parents share physical custody. Tennessee law requires that the parents (if they…

Parents are the natural (and legal) guardians of their children. This means they can decide the daily living issues for their children and the long-term issues. This includes making decisions about their health, well-being, religious upbringing, financial matters, and other issues. Sometimes, though, a parent is unable to function as a guardian. When one parent…

Many states in America have unusual marriage laws that are still on the books. While many of these laws aren’t enforced, there’s always the possibility they could be. As people move in and out of Tennessee, it’s helpful (and OK – it’s fun, too) to know what some of these odd laws are. Some of…

Guardianship is a legal arrangement in which a responsible authorized adult agrees to care for someone who can’t care for him or herself. Guardians are usually used for children who don’t have parents or don’t have capable parents, and for some adult children with special needs. Seniors may also need a guardian. When children need…

Often, after physical and legal custody rights have been established by a court order or a permanent parenting plan, one parent seeks to move. Sometimes the move is voluntary. Often, the parent moves because of the offer of a new or better job or due to educational opportunities. A parent may want to move if…