Nashville's Family Lawyer for over 20 years. We'll be here when you're ready.
You've already taken a huge step by visiting this site. Now remember to breathe, and let us help you navigate this process.
Going through a divorce is a dramatic change for both you and your family. It's our job to help you avoid an ugly and abusive conflict. We are dedicated to helping your reach the best possible resolution for you and your children within the confines of the law.
1. Asset Division
2. Alimony
3. Child Support
4. Child Custody
Tennessee property division laws mandate full and fair disclosure of all marital property in a divorce, annulment, and legal separation cases. All Tennessee divorces end with equitable distribution, but they all begin with identifying and classifying assets as either marital or separate property and the value of each.
Marital Property: Any property and/or debts aquired by the parties during the marriage.
Separate Property: Property aquired by either spouse prior to the marriage.
Unlike child support and alimony, which can be re-evaluated over time as circumstances change, asset division is not generally subject to further review by the court. This is why it is so critical to make sure your settlement agreement is done exactly the way you intended before your case in finalized
Alimony is an allowance out of one spouse's (or ex spouse's) separate estate for the support of the other spouse when the spouses are living separately.
Under Tennessee Alimony Laws there are 4 types to consider: Alimony in Solido, Alimony in Futuro or Periodic Alimony, Rehabilitative Alimony, and Transitional Alimony. These alimony payments could continue for months, years, or even a lifetime. This is why it is so important for us to discuss the possibility of alimony at length when we meet.
Child Support is the financial support that is paid from one parent to another to help cover the various costs associated with raising minor children. Tennessee law states that both parents are equally and jointly responsible for their minor child's "care, nurture, welfare, education and support".
Every Tennessee divorce, paternity lawsuit, complaint for separate maintenance, annulment and legal separation involving a minor child will raise the issue of child support obligations. Before child support calculations can be made, parents must complete the Tennessee Child Support Worksheets disclosing all of their sources of income. Using the information from the worksheets, along with the Tennessee Child Support Law and Guidelines, your attorneys and judge will establish the amount to be paid from one parent to the other in order to maintain their child or children.
It is our job to help you navigate both the worksheets and the laws and guidelines that go with them. Please don't try and do this on your own, we're here to help.
Child Custody defines the relationship between both parents and their minor children. There are two major types of custody, Physical Custody - allocation of time with each parent, and Legal Custody - who makes the final decisions for the children.
We know how important it is for you to spend as much time with your children as humanly possible. We also know how intimidating a child custody case can be for both the parents and their children. In the state of Tennessee, child custody laws focus on what is in the best interest of the child and the fitness of their parents.
You need to be aware of all of your options. When we meet, we'll discuss what you believe is best for your child and which of those options might work best for us to achieve that future for you and your family.