In Tennessee, when a child is born out of wedlock, initially the mother is the custodial parent by operation of law. The biological father has to establish himself as the legal father before he can get court ordered visitation/co-parenting rights. Unless he has signed...
If you are paying child support you may be entitled to a modification to lower your payment if your income has decreased, you have additional children or you are spending more overnights with your children. The legal test in Tennessee is whether there is a fifteen...
When there is an agreement between a stepparent or relative and the child's biological parent or parents that an adoption of the child or children should occur, a Petition for Agreed Stepparent Adoption can be filed. This is far easier, less expensive and quicker than...
Many people seeking divorces do not know where their spouse is, particularly if they have been separated for a long time. What is the solution? How do you serve your spouse the divorce pleadings? You can serve the spouse by publication in the newspaper. It has to run...
Many people in Tennessee who have put off legal action in family law cases because of the pandemic are now pursuing cases in court .Divorce filings are increasing in many areas since many were put off during quarantines and business shutdowns. Unfortunately, in some...
Many married couples have children from prior marriages. Often, the stepparent of the children acts as the children's real parent. Naturally, the Stepparent in this situation frequently would like to make the situation permanent and become the children's legal parent....
In a continuing return to normal, Tennessee Courts have removed face mask requirements and social distancing requirements, at least for vaccinated persons. They have recommenced in person hearings and are catching up on the backlog of cases. If you have delayed your...
Bird nesting — or “nesting,” as people commonly refer to it as today — refers to a post-divorce custody arrangement that involves the parents taking turns to stay in the family home. Rather than the kids going back and forth between two homes, they stay put while the...
For many people, the thought of losing their family home when they get divorced is a major setback. Homeowners tend to have a lot of emotional attachments to their houses, especially if they have worked hard to renovate or upgrade them or if they have raised their...
Tennessee couples preparing for a wedding may be wondering whether or not they should sign a prenuptial agreement and what kinds of protections it provides in the event of a divorce. According to Forbes, the most common reasons for a prenup are to outline spousal...
