Defenses Against Aggravated Assault Charges in Tennessee Defense
Aggravated assault in Tennessee is, essentially, the intentional committing of an assault that causes serious bodily injury, causes death, or involves the use of a deadly weapon. Aggravated assault can also include strangulation, the failure of a parent to protect a child from an aggravated assault, and other definitions. Aggravated assault is defined in the…
Read MoreHow to Prepare for Your Divorce Mediation in Tennessee
Mediation is commonly used in Tennessee to help resolve divorce issues including division of your property, the custody of your children, alimony, and child support. Mediation is considered a friendlier way to resolve disputes than litigation. Mediation is also less expensive and often takes less time than litigation. The mediation sessions are run by a…
Read MoreNew Analysis Reveals Tennessee’s Growth in Life Sentences for Criminal Offenses
New state laws require life sentences for more criminal offenses. The enforcement of these laws through arrests, prosecutions, and convictions is causing a large increase in the Tennessee state prison population. According to a study by the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit based in Washington DC, the trend towards more lifetime incarcerations in Tennessee is just…
Read MoreBusting 4 Myths About Being Arrested
Who knows where certain information comes from? You hear through the grapevine over the years that one thing or another can keep you from getting arrested if you’ve committed a crime. Unfortunately, that bad game of “whisper down the lane” can very well have the opposite result because what you’ve heard is frequently wrong. Sometimes…
Read MoreWhat Is the Fathers’ Rights Movement?
There was a time when society and courts automatically handed over child custody and essentially total control of raising a divorced couples’ children to the mother. For a long time that was the standard without question, but it is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Fathers who were taught their place was being a…
Read MoreCan I Be Arrested for Not Wearing a Mask in Tennessee?
Mandatory mask wearing has been a controversial subject for many months around the country. Some states have issued a sweeping mandate while others, like Tennessee, have refrained leaving it to individual municipalities to decide and enforce. This can make it tricky for anyone traveling around the state to know whether they risk being arrested just…
Read MoreI Need to Change My Child Support. What Do I Do?
Child support payments are to be used for your children’s benefit, to ensure that they are clothed, fed, educated, and kept healthy. While we know parents want what’s best for their children, we also know that child support can be a contentious issue. The truth is, the person who collects child support can use it…
Read MoreWhat Are the Safest Towns in Tennessee?
If you are considering moving to Tennessee, or want to move to a new town within the state, now is the right time to begin your research. The SafeWise Sixth Annual Safest Cities report was released late in 2020, highlighting the top 20 safest cities and towns in Tennessee. And Franklin and Brentwood made the…
Read MoreCommon Mistakes in Child Custody Plans and Agreements
Ideally, parents can agree about which parent(s) will have legal and physical custody of their children and what the visitation schedules will be. Agreements are always preferable to having a family law judge who doesn’t really know your kids make the custody decisions for you. If the agreement is worded improperly, though, and doesn’t include…
Read MorePros and Cons of Shared Custody Plans
In Tennessee, there are two types of custody – physical custody and legal custody. Physical custody determines where a child lives. Legal custody determines who makes decisions about the child’s welfare and upbringing. Visitation schedules determine when a child spends time with the parent who doesn’t have physical custody. Each type of custody can be…
Read MoreCelebrity Divorces: Who Paid the Most to Settle?
Many celebrities enter into prenuptial agreements to avoid conflict when they divorce and to minimize the amount they have to pay. Without a prenuptial agreement, celebrities can be ordered to pay large settlements. As a general rule, prenup agreements don’t include child support because the rights of the child to support can’t be bargained away.…
Read MoreCan You Be Charged with a Crime if a Medical Emergency Leads to a Fatal Crash?
Suffering a medical emergency while driving is frightening for you, the passengers in your vehicle, and all those around you on the roads. It can be nearly impossible to predict various medical emergencies, but there are some people who should not be driving based on their medical conditions. For example, those diagnosed with seizures might…
Read MoreOnly Trust a Divorce Attorney to Craft Your Prenuptial Agreement
Getting married is exciting, and doing paperwork is not. But no matter how much you have to your name, or if this is your first marriage or your fifth, you should always consider creating and signing a prenuptial agreement. Prenups, though often maligned, are really useful and important tools for ensuring that your family and…
Read MoreWho Can Benefit Most from Collaborative Law?
Collaborative divorce is a non-conventional way to move forward with illegal divorce. It allows both parties to resolve their differences and bring a dissolution to the marriage without much involvement by the court. For many, this alternative to a traditional divorce process is less stressful and less expensive, both financially and emotionally, to the entire…
Read MoreHow You May Be Falsely Accused of Theft in Tennessee
Theft charges in Tennessee are serious and can result in hefty consequences for those convicted. Not only is an arrest for theft of any type of property and embarrassing situation, it is also costly in the financial and legal sense. A conviction can damage your immediate and long-term future prospects for employment and other life…
Read MoreTypes of Domestic Abuse
People need to understand what actions constitute domestic abuse. Victims who are abused in any way should seek advice from an experienced family lawyer to understand their rights and to review their options. There are immediate remedies that can require that the abuser stop the contact and remove themselves from the marital home. There are…
Read MoreDivision 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 MoreA Deadlier Meth – “Super Meth” – Is Raising Alarms
New, dangerous drugs pop up on the black market all the time, creating significant health risks to users. One of these is a new form of methamphetamine (aka “meth”) which is currently ravaging East Texas. As a result, Texans in possession of drugs, in addition to manufacturers and sellers, are becoming the target of state…
Read MoreWhen Can You Appeal a Decision in a Family Law Case?
One of the great hallmarks of the United States judicial system is the ability to file an appeal after receiving a criminal or civil ruling in court when mistakes or errors occurred during a trial. However, an appeal is not a trial redo. The purpose of an appeal is to demonstrate that the trial court…
Read MoreTennessee DUI Laws and a Look Back at 2019 Statistics
One of the riskiest behaviors in which a person can participate is getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol or drugs. And, the consequences for drivers arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) are serious. If you are facing a DUI charge, is important understand the potential consequences. Tennessee law lays out the…
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