How to legally change your name
Tuesday, June 18th, 2019
People may desire to change their name to one that they more closely identify with for a variety of reasons. Luckily, the name-change process is relatively simple in most Tennessee cases. Challenges tend to appear when one petitions for a name change on behalf of a minor child, or when the individual referenced is transgender. […]
Read More »Fritts, Northcott Use Discretion to Discriminate
Monday, June 17th, 2019
Right now, Grayson Fritts and Craig Northcott are making headlines for choosing to discriminate (or advocating for worse) against the LGBTQ community. This is an abomination, but these ideas are not exactly news. Consider this: prior to 1989, Tennessee law labeled “sodomy” a crime against nature and declared it a felony. If convicted, you would go […]
Read More »The Literacy Project: Where are we now?
Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
In January of this year, Held Law Firm announced plans to work with Knox County’s Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center on a new initiative called The Literacy Project. We are thrilled that this project has been hugely successful thus far. The Latest As of mid-May and with the help of community partners, we have […]
Read More »Divorce Advice: Do’s and Don’ts
Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
“The devil is in the details,” goes the old saying. What you do early in the divorce process can have a significant impact on what happens at the end. So, here’s some divorce advice – “do’s and don’ts” that you don’t have to wait on your lawyer to complete: DO take a parenting class that […]
Read More »How to talk to kids about divorce
Friday, May 17th, 2019
For many parents, having to talk to kids about divorce is one of the most difficult conversations they will ever have. This is understandable; divorce is an intense and often upsetting experience for the entire family. Luckily, there are several tips to keep in mind that will make that conversation easier and more productive for […]
Read More »Rights of Single Fathers
Tuesday, May 14th, 2019
Maybe you just weren’t that into each other. Perhaps alcohol was involved that night. Or, maybe you were together for a long time, but gradually drifted apart or fell in love with someone else. For whatever reason, these days, more and more parents are choosing to not get married even if they have a child together. […]
Read More »Parental Alienation: What counts (and what doesn’t)
Tuesday, May 14th, 2019
In recent years, many parents are claiming that the other parent is “alienating” their children’s affections during a divorce. Sometimes, a parents claims alienation to avoid taking responsibility for a toxic relationship with the children. Other times, it becomes a problem when a parent attempts to get their children to “side” with them. The truth is, proving […]
Read More »Annulment and Divorce: the basics
Thursday, May 9th, 2019
What happens when you have just gotten married but realize you have made a terrible mistake? How quickly can you get out? You have two options: you can ask the court for an annulment, or a divorce. There are pros and cons to each approach, and sometimes an annulment is not going to be available to you. A […]
Read More »Online ordination, common law marriage and palimony
Wednesday, May 1st, 2019
In order for a marriage to recognized as legal in the state of Tennessee, it must be presided over by a statutorily authorized person and the parties must obtain a marriage license. Recently, however, it was decided that online-ordained ministers will no longer be included on that list of authorized people. Tennessee does not recognize online […]
Read More »Emergency Custody Petitions: What are they, and when do we need them?
Wednesday, May 1st, 2019
It has been said that evil wins when good people stand by and do nothing. This rings true in the realm of child custody as well. Unfortunately, children everywhere live in homes where they are abused or neglected. Luckily, Tennessee law provides a process for others to intervene and secure custody of those children. One […]
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