Family Law
Uncontested Divorce in Tennessee ā Is it Really Possible?
Yes, it is possible to get an uncontested divorce in Tennessee. An agreed, or uncontested divorce, is a lower-cost, lower-drama option for those couples who have come to a mutual understanding that their marriage is beyond repair. If you and your spouse do not have children together who are under the age of 18, if…
Read MoreWhat Is Supported with Child Support?
If you and your spouse are planning to divorce and you have children under 18, one of you is probably going to have to pay child support. But many people donāt actually know what child support is for. The primary purpose of child support is to provide enough money to ensure that your child will…
Read MoreAll of Tennesseeās Celebrities Are Getting Divorced ā or so it Seems
At least once a week, a headline pops up on the news about Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton getting a divorce. And every single week, one (or both) of them denies that itās true. Over the past few weeks, however, the focus has shifted slightly to Gina and Pat Neely, the celebrity chef couple, and…
Read MoreThe Fate of Sonya Hodgins and her Adoption Controversy
As family law attorneys, weāve been paying close attention to the Clarksville case involving a young girl who was taken from her adoptive parentsā home and sent to Nebraska to live with her birth father. The story centers on Sonya Hodgins, age nine, and her father John McCaul. For those of you who donāt follow…
Read MoreThe Importance of Pre-Nuptial Agreements
Getting married is exciting! You may be dreaming about your upcoming festivities, or planning your new life with children (or without them), feeling as happy as can be. So we completely understand why discussing a pre-nuptial agreement with your main squeeze might seem a bit uncomfortable. The truth is, a pre-nup is an excellent way…
Read MoreCongratulations, Rachel Sharp!
We are so incredibly proud to announce that our own Rachel Deanna Sharp has just been named a 2014 recipient of Super Lawyersā 2014 Rising Star award! Because the Super Lawyers selection process involves peer nominations Āā and because only 2.5% of nominated attorneys can be named a Rising Star ā weāre even more thrilled…
Read MoreMy Spouse Lost His/Her Job; Can I still Get Alimony?
In the words of televisionās Sophia Petrillo, āPicture it:ā Tennessee, 1984. You marry your sweetheart and the two of you decide that youāll stay home and raise the children, while he goes to work. Now itās thirty years later and heās lost his job, and suddenly heās fighting you over his alimony payments. Sound familiar?…
Read MoreAppealing the Judgeās Ruling on Your Asset Division in Tennessee
We bet someone at some time in your life (probably your mother, if youāre anything like us) has uttered the words āLife isnāt fairā ā and most likely, it was at a time when the last thing on earth you wanted to hear was that. But the sad truth is that when youāre in the…
Read MoreExceptions During Divorce Proceedings: Protecting Your Assets
When you get divorced in Tennessee, your judge will split your assets equitably. Now, that doesnāt necessarily mean 50/50, though sometimes it works out like that. An equitable distribution is based on what the judge thinks it fair for each spouse under the specific circumstances of your case. So, for example, if you keep the…
Read MoreSupport Issues 101: Getting Your Spouse to Pay Up
Weāve been practicing family law in Tennessee a long time, and weāve seen some pretty heart-breaking scenarios. But when your former spouse refuses to pay alimony ā or even worse, child support ā it can hurt a lot more than your heart. Ensuring that your former spouse follows the mandated divorce decree can be complicated,…
Read More