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7 Questions Smart People Must Ask Before Getting a Divorce
When you go into a divorce fully informed about the process and the challenges you might face, you will feel more empowered. Taking the time to learn about how the divorce will affect you financially can help you plan for your future. There are seven questions you should ask yourself and your lawyer before starting…
Read MoreWhat are the Advantages of Collaborative Law?
It seems as if divorce is always associated with a lot of drama – fighting about who cheated, disagreements about money, who will get the children, and who will get the house – even when there is no drama to be found. What if there was a way that you, your attorney, your spouse and…
Read MoreGetting Your Juvenile Record Expunged in Tennessee
The teenage years are a time of rapid physical development, of testing boundaries and re-examining relationships with authority. In this often challenging time of life some kids get themselves into trouble with the law. Parents may have done the best that they could to raise smart, respectful children, but those children are also exposed to…
Read MoreWhy Don’t More Men Get Alimony?
Although matrimonial laws are not gender specific, the general trend is that if spousal support is paid after divorce, it’s a man who pays it and a woman who receives it. But that scenario does not seem to coincide with the trend of more and more women serving as the higher income earner in their…
Read MoreHeading to Bonnaroo? Understanding Drug Charges and Penalties in Tennessee
Preparations for Bonnaroo are in full swing. Soon, festival attendees from the local area and from all over the country will soon be descending on tiny Manchester, Tennessee to have four rocking days of fun in the summer sun, enjoying the best musical acts and all that the four-day entertainment extravaganza has to offer. Unfortunately,…
Read MoreThe Supreme Court Will Hear Same-Sex Marriage Arguments on April 28
Tennessee has had a ban on same-sex marriage since 1996, and voters approved a constitutional ban in 2006 – but the future of this ban might be in question. On April 28th, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear 2.5 hours of arguments on same-sex marriage in four cases from Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Tennessee. The…
Read MoreWhat are the Consequences of a Domestic Violence Conviction?
Domestic violence can take many forms. Behind closed doors at home, sometimes violence erupts from pent-up hurt feelings and hurtful words. Other times it’s a case of one person using physical strength to control a partner through fear and intimidation. Or maybe one partner is looking to get the upper hand over the other in…
Read MoreWhat are the Penalties for Underage DWI in Tennessee?
When an individual who is under the age of 21 is pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving he/she may be charged with Underage Driving While Impaired (Underage DWI). Since it is illegal for anyone who is under age 21 to purchase or drink alcohol, driving drunk is against the law for minors. A minor…
Read MorePunishments for Repeat DUI Offenders in Tennessee
Getting caught driving drunk is a serious offense, which you already know because you have been through this already if this is your second offense. According to NHTSA studies, a person with a prior DUI conviction has 4.1 times the risk of being involved in a fatal vehicle accident. Another study reported that the chances…
Read MoreArrested at Bonnaroo? Here’s what to Do Next
It’s no secret that a few of the more than 90,000 fans that attend Bonnaroo, the legendary music and arts festival in Manchester, TN each year will use drugs or get drunk while having fun at the show. The four-day festival attracts performers that are well known along with more up-and-coming acts who perform in…
Read MoreNew Bill Seeks to Eliminate Loopholes in “Cooling Off” Period
The Tennessee House Criminal Justice subcommittee is looking to create a new bill that would close any loopholes in the mandatory “cooling off” period for those charged with domestic violence. Sponsored by Representative William Lamberth (R-Cottontown) and Senator Steven Dickerson (R-Nashville) the amendment would eliminate a judge’s right to waive the mandatory 12 hour jail…
Read MoreProtecting Yourself at Bonnaroo This Year
We are only a few short months away from Bonnaroo 2015, and the line-up looks incredible. Ticket sales have been non-stop since the Manchester festival was announced, and it is likely that this year’s festival numbers will be higher than ever. That means that at least 70,000 people (and potentially even more) will all convene…
Read MoreThe Future of Sonya McCaul
When David and Kim Hodgins agreed to foster a one-year old Sonya McCaul back in 2005, they could not have known how long she would stay. After all, young Sonya had been brought across state lines from Nebraska by her babysitter, and her father was in and out of jail. But even though the Hodgins…
Read MoreFight Back against Domestic Abuse with an Order of Protection
If someone you know has caused you harm, whether it is physical, mental, emotional or sexual, there are ways for you to fight back. You are not alone. Tennessee has laws and groups that can help you. In Tennessee, domestic assault is any form of abuse between adults or minors who: Are current or former…
Read MoreThe Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act and Relocation
Families with children face some different legal challenges, especially when one parent no longer resides in the same state. To help make the process easier for parents and for the courts, Tennessee (along with 48 other states) adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), which grants exclusive jurisdiction rights to the home…
Read MoreTennessee Given a “D” for Child Custody Laws by National Parents Organization
The National Parents Organization is a 501(3)(c) dedicated to promoting shared parenting throughout the country. Every year, the organization issues a Report Card that assesses the states’ laws as they relate to parenting plans in child custody. In the group’s 2014 Report Card, issued this November, Tennessee and 22 other states earned a “D.” The…
Read MoreGet Your Tickets TO Bonnaroo, Not AT Bonnaroo
The lineup for Bonnaroo 2015 is going to be announced soon, and people from all over the country will be planning their visit to the 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee to enjoy the festival. Four day long concerts like Bonnaroo feature more than just music, because they celebrate the arts in general. If this…
Read MoreJanuary is Considered National Divorce Month
Deciding to divorce is difficult enough for couple, especially those with children. For this reason, many couples choose to postpone their divorce until after the holidays have passed, which makes January a month with some of the highest divorce rates in Tennessee, according to ABC News. But getting divorced in January may not be the…
Read MoreThe Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act and Relocation
Families with children face some different legal challenges, especially when one parent no longer resides in the same state. To help make the process easier for parents and for the courts, Tennessee (along with 48 other states) adopted the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA), which grants exclusive jurisdiction rights to the home…
Read MoreDon’t Leave Your End of Life Decisions for the End of Your Life
The world has shared the agony of Nelson Mandela’s family members as they struggle with the difficult choices that accompany the end of life. Any decision they make will come under the public spotlight, and absent written instructions, the choice is theirs to make. Although not much is known about Mandela’s condition, the media is…
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