The DUI School Education Requirement in Tennessee

Anyone convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics in Tennessee will suffer numerous penalties. They will have a conviction on their criminal records for the rest of their lives. Anyone convicted of a DUI: Could be sentenced to jail for some specific amount of time Will lose their driving privileges – normally…

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How Can I Get Full Custody of My Children?

Tennessee, like most states, is trying to make shared custody of children the norm. There are two types of custody in Tennessee: Physical custody provides for where the child will live and sleep. It provides for the daily and weekly needs of the child such as feeding the child, seeing that the child goes to…

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Can You Be Charged with a Crime for Yelling at Someone?

Are there things you just can’t say without risking being charged with a crime? Do the manner and amount of the verbal attacks matter in determining if a crime has been committed? Do verbal threats ever cross the legal line? As with most issues, the answer is – probably not, but it depends. As with…

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How Do You Get Around Town or to Work after a DUI in Tennessee?

If you’ve been convicted of a DUI or an implied consent violation, your driving privileges will likely be suspended. Subsequent convictions or violations will normally result in longer suspensions. Under certain conditions, someone convicted of a DUI or an implied consent violation may be able to obtain a restricted license. Otherwise, they will need to…

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Responsibility for Medical Debt When Spouses Divorce

Medical debt in Tennessee is generally treated under the equitable division guidelines of the state. In short, this means that bills acquired before the spouses were married are the responsibility of the individual spouses. If a wife has a medical bill for treatments for the flu that she incurred before the marriage, then she is…

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Can Your DUI Be Expunged?

Criminal convictions can affect many aspects of your life. If you apply for a job, your employer may conduct a background check. If the employer sees that you have a conviction, he or she may not hire you. Convictions can make it difficult to buy a home, rent an apartment, obtain credit, or keep access…

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Is an Emotional Affair Considered Adultery in Tennessee?

Here’s a scenario that’s more common than rare: Person A signs up for a social media platform, and reconnects with an Old Flame. Person A and the Old Flame end up talking, then flirting, and then professing their love for one another. Person A goes home and tells his or her spouse that he or…

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Fighting Charges of “Driving while High” in Tennessee

Driving under the influence of drugs in Tennessee is a serious crime. You can be charged with a DUI – Driving under the Influence – if an officer believes that you are impaired while behind the wheel. You may face these charges even if you are taking a legally prescribed medication. Our attorneys will begin…

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Changing Your Estate Plan After Your Divorce

If you have gone through a divorce in Tennessee, you know just how challenging the entire process can be. There’s so much to do during the process that you might not even think about updating your estate plan. We cannot stress just how important it is that you update these documents after your divorce, so…

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What Are Red Flag Gun Laws?

Early in August, President Donald Trump called for nationwide red flag laws in an effort to prevent mass shootings. Red flag laws – or Extreme Risk laws – allow law enforcement “to intervene in order to temporarily prevent someone in crisis from accessing firearms.” Aside from trying to prevent mass shootings, red flag gun laws…

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Interesting Divorce Facts

It’s hard to ever think of divorce as being “fun” or entertaining. We understand how difficult and stressful ending relationships and providing for your families are. Still, some unique perspectives can be calming and maybe even offer some insight into your situation. With that said, here are some colorful divorce facts that we hope peak…

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Is It Worth Getting a Lawyer for a First-Time DUI?

The quick answer to this questions is definitely yes. A first-time DUI conviction has serious criminal and civil consequences. A skilled lawyer works to have the charges dismissed, to have blood tests and other key evidence suppressed, and to obtain acquittals before judges and juries. In some cases, the lawyer may be able to plea…

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A “Gray Divorce” Checklist

Seniors who are going through a “gray divorce” have many different concerns that younger couples. These concerns are based on such factors as they’ve accumulated more assets including retirement plans, they generally don’t have young children to take care, and they are more likely to have health issues. Gray divorce generally includes people who have…

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Can a Passenger Be Charged with a DUI?

The short is answer is yes, a passenger can be charged with a DUI. There are several reasons a police officer may charge a passenger with a DUI. When can a passenger get a DUI? Uncertainty. The police may charge a passenger if they are not sure who was driving – so they charge everyone…

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What Makes a Parent “Unfit”?

In Tennessee, the fitness of a parent is a factor in custody decisions. It is also a factor in termination of a parent’s rights altogether. Termination of a parent’s rights usually arises in adoption proceedings. At the core, the Tennessee courts will hesitate to declare a parent unfit to take care of their child. They…

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How Dating Apps and Social Media Can Lead to Criminal Charges

The Internet offers a range of wonderful opportunities. Many of those opportunities offer windows into a range of personal interests. Unfortunately, some of those personal interests can lead the users into a nest of troubles. Social activities can lead to charges of bullying, cyberstalking, identity theft, and Internet pornography. Some people even make the mistake…

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Can I Adopt a Younger Sibling? 

The short answer is yes, provided the person doing the adopting is an adult and meets the other standard qualifications. Adoption by sibling falls under the category of adoption by a relative, also known as a kinship adoption. Generally, adoption agencies do like to keep families together, so kinship adoptions are encouraged whenever possible. Situations…

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Tennessee’s Law on Parental Relocation

On July 1, 2018, Tennessee’s new parental relocation statute became law. The main difference from prior law is that prior law made it easier for a parent to relocate if the parent who was relocating was spending comparatively equal time with a child as the parent who wasn’t moving. Prior law made it harder for…

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The Basics of Parole in Tennessee

Parole and probation are similar in some ways, different in others. Both terms apply to anyone convicted of a crime. Both terms require that the person convicted comply with all related conditions. Noncompliance with parole or probation conditions can mean that the convicted person will be confined in a jail or prison. Tennessee generally defines…

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