Can 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…

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I 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…

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What 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…

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Frat Members Trafficked More Than $1.5 Million in Drugs

Frat members from three colleges in North Carolina have allegedly trafficked more than $1.5 million in drugs, according to a press release from the Department of Justice. Students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, and Appalachian State University (ASU) were named in the investigation. The investigation discovered that 21 students…

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Common 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…

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Divorce Survival – Financial and Emotional Suggestions

Divorces are rough on everyone – even when the divorce is friendly. At a minimum, a divorce means a breakup and a new beginning. At worst, a divorce completely upends your confidence and your trust. Financially, it’s always tougher for two people to live apart then together. If there are children involved, emotional and financial…

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Pros 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…

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Celebrity 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.…

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Election Day Sees Several States Make Big Changes in Drug Laws

Many changes to drug laws were on the election ballot this November, with several states legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use. One state, Oregon, eliminated criminal penalties for harsher drugs including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine for smaller amounts. These initiatives ended up on ballots nationwide due to concerns that there are better ways to…

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Only 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…

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Who 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…

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How 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…

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Serious Flaws in Tennessee’s Proposed New Red Flag Law

Tennessee’s legislative bodies are considering a new “red flag” law that would permit a temporary confiscation of guns from “at-risk” persons. The legislation would allow the courts in Tennessee to remove firearms on a temporary basis from relatives who are deemed to present a threat either to other people or themselves. If the legislation is…

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Types 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…

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Division 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…

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A 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…

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When 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…

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