Family Law Attorneys Columbia TN

Family Law Attorneys in Columbia, Tennessee

Experienced advocacy for spouses and children during difficult times

Ideally, people stay married for life. They have healthy and happy children. They have financial security. Life doesn’t always conform to the ideal. Many marriages do end. It’s much more expensive to live separately than together when the marriage is over. Children of divorce struggle to move forward. Even during healthy marriages, there may be other family needs. Parents may wish to adopt. A child whose parents are deceased will need a guardian.

The Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates helps Columbia, TN spouses, parents, and children address any family issues that may arise. For 30 years, we’ve helped many spouses obtain the financial security they deserve after a divorce. We help parents prioritize the personal security and the well-being of their children. We’re skilled at preparing marital agreements, negotiating custody and other family dispute agreements, and arguing for your rights before a Columbia court located in the county seat of Maury County, Tennessee.

How can we help?

What are my financial rights if I divorce?

Financial security is very important when you divorce. You do have the right to protect the assets you and your spouse have earned during the marriage. Many spouses, especially if there are children, want to keep the marital home. If you have a business, you want to keep it. If your spouse has a business, you should have a right to a share in the business. If one spouse earns more than the other, the spouse who earns less may be entitled to spousal support.

With thorough preparation, a calm analysis of your priorities, and a complete understanding of the legal factors that determine how marital property is divided in Tennessee and the terms of any alimony orders, our Columbia divorce attorney will fight to help you obtain the assets you deserve and obtain just and fair alimony agreements or orders. Many divorce disputes do settle, sometimes with the help of mediators and collaborative divorce specialists. When your spouse won’t settle, the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates is ready to argue your rights before a family law judge.

We fight for your rightful share of the following divorce matters:

  • Division of marital assets. We’ll explain what assets are considered marital property (generally anything of value acquired during the marriage). We review each item of value from marital homes, businesses, and financial accounts down to each item of furniture, jewelry, and family pets.

We emphasize all the reasons why you deserve to keep the assets that are most important to you. We negotiate with your spouse’s lawyer about which items should be kept as is, which assets should be exchanged, and which assets should be sold.

Our Columbia family law has the experience to value and handle retirement assets, such as pensions which are normally split with the help of a QDRO, any business interests, the marital home, investments, stocks, and all items of value.

  • Spousal support/alimony. If one spouse is unable to earn as much as the other spouse (for any reason, including different education levels, different work experiences, or different health issues), we’ll work to ensure the amount of financial support (whether it’s temporary, a lump sum, or long-term regular payments) is fair. We fight to ensure fair financial play while you’re going through the divorce as well as after the divorce.
  • Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Our Columbia divorce lawyer negotiates prenups and prenups (often when a spouse has significant assets before marrying). Prenups and postnups can pre-determine how the division of assets and spousal support obligations will be decided if the marriage doesn’t work out.

Our family law firm handles contentious divorces as well as friendly divorces. We represent spouses when one or both spouses have high assets (many assets and/or assets of significant value) and high-conflict divorces where one spouse just refuses to negotiate.

The good news is that most divorces are resolved amicably – with time, strong advocacy, and attention to detail. When negotiations between the lawyers aren’t enough, our Columbia divorce lawyer works with mediators and collaborative divorce specialists. If these methods fail, we have the experience and strong advocacy skills to present your case before a family law judge.

How do I provide for the best interests of my children?

Your children need to come first. Children need all the care and love parents can provide. We understand the factors that judges use to decide legal custody and residential custody of children. We’re skilled at determining where your child will live every day in the event of a divorce, the terms of visitation for parents, and all the issues that come up after a custody agreement is reached, such as when and where to exchange younger children and how to communicate with older children.

We also help parents adopt children and advocate for the rights of all caring family members – mothers, fathers, and grandparents.

Contact us today to discuss any of these divorce issues that involve your children:

  • Adoption/ guardianship. Adopting a child is one of the most positive enduring legal actions. We explain when and how consent is needed from biological parents, how to work with adoption agencies, and the legal requirements to formally extend your family. We also help children obtain guardians to represent them in legal disputes and guardians to help raise a child in need of supervision.
  • Child custody. Tennessee considers many factors when deciding which parent(s) should have joint or sole legal and physical custody of their children. We negotiate agreements that focus on all the key parental issues that are likely to arise when parents divorce or separate.
  • Child support. Parents have a duty to financially support their children based on the number of children who need support, the needs of the children, and the income of the parents. We also seek enforcement of child support orders when a parent is in arrears.
  • Paternity/fathers’ rights. When there is a dispute about whether one or more people is the father of a child, we help obtain court orders to conduct scientific tests to determine paternity. We also are strong advocates for fathers who do want to be involved in raising, caring for, educating, disciplining, and supporting their child(ren).
  • Grandparent rights. In Tennessee, grandparents do have visitation rights when their child divorces. We help obtain court orders to ensure you can bond and watch your grandchild grow on a regular basis.

For more information about divorce in Tennessee, please review our FAQ page or contact our office for a free initial consultation.

How can child custody orders be changed in Columbia, TN?

There are times when one or both parents may want to modify a child custody or a child support order. If there is a significant (not a minor) change in circumstances, you may be able to seek a change. If your spouse doesn’t have a good reason for a modification, you have the right to contest any changes to the existing child court orders.

Our Columbia divorce lawyer helps spouses who wish to seek or contest the following changes to custody agreements:

  • In Tennessee, parents who wish to move to another state or more than fifty (50) miles from the other parent within the state need to comply with specific notice requirements before a child can be moved. We help negotiate changes to custody orders based on relocation (such as the terms of exchanging the child and when the child will be with each parent). We also argue for the rights of parents when an agreement cannot be reached. The negotiations include determining which state has the authority to resolve any disputes.
  • Modifications to existing orders. Changes to a custody order may be necessary if a parent moves, remarries, isn’t complying with the existing order, the child’s needs (such as where the child attends school) change, or for other reasons. Child support orders may be changed if the financial income of either parent changes significantly or the needs of the child change.

Do you represent domestic violence victims or defendants?

We seek temporary and long-term protective orders for victims of domestic abuse including spouses, people in a dating relationship, children, parents, people who live with the person accused of domestic violence, and others who have a right to file for a protective order. Protective orders may include ordering someone to stay away from you, leave a residence, and custody provisions. Sometimes, when a divorce complaint is filed, a spouse may act violently.

We also represent defendants who have been accused of domestic violence.

How do you fight for people going through a divorce in Columbia?

For 30 years, the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates has advised and fought for spouses and children who are going through a divorce. We understand your anxieties and fears. We’re committed to ensuring your financial future and personal confidence.

We help you understand your rights. We help you gather the evidence you need to understand the assets, income, and debts of yourself and your spouse. Our Columbia divorce lawyer fights to obtain the strongest property division, spousal support, child custody, and child support agreements possible. Our experience helps us anticipate the arguments and evidence that your spouse has.

Many divorce disputes do settle. We’re always ready to argue your divorce rights in court when there isn’t a settlement.

Do you have a divorce lawyer near me?

Our law office is located at 604 N High St in Columbia, TN.

Divorces are emotional. That doesn’t mean they have to be complicated. We answer all your questions, explain your rights, and guide you through all phases of the divorce litigation process. We understand why finding the right Columbia divorce attorney is essential to your success.

Contact a seasoned Columbia, TN divorce lawyer today

You have the right to personal happens and to live as close as possible to the life you lived before the divorce. Our Columbia family lawyer helps spouses obtain the financial assets and income they deserve and helps parents protect their children. At the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates, we help you move forward with confidence and hope. To talk with an experienced family lawyer, call us now or contact us to schedule your  consultation.