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 »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 […]
Read More »Children: Delinquent, Unruly, Neglected
Monday, April 15th, 2019
People across the state of Tennessee often find themselves struggling to provide the care that their children need. When parents are unable to provide that level of care for their children, for whatever reason, the state may step in. When this happens, the state classifies them as falling into three primary categories: delinquent, unruly or neglected […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: Financial support via an Order of Protection
Friday, March 29th, 2019
If you obtain an order of protection against someone you depend on financially, you have some options available to continue receiving financial support. The Tennessee statute that defines the scope of protective orders provides that the court may award financial support and possession of the residence to the petitioner. However, the focus of the hearing on the protective […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: Domestic Assault Charges vs. Orders of Protection
Friday, March 29th, 2019
If you have been attacked, threatened, or otherwise put into fear by your partner or a member of your household, you may not know where to turn. Thankfully, in Tennessee, you have multiple options to deal with this situation should you ever face it. However, you should be aware of the risks and benefits of […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: What if my child witnesses abuse?
Thursday, March 28th, 2019
Most of us have a general idea of the effects of abuse on a child or teen, but what if a child witnesses abuse without being subjected to it directly? If a young person seems unusually withdrawn, displays unexplained changes in behavior like becoming suddenly aggressive or angry, or starts performing poorly in school, there […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: what to expect when survivors report
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
No one wants to think of themselves as a victim of domestic violence, and many of us never saw it coming, but it is a reality of the world we live in. Over 77 thousand reports of domestic violence were made in Tennessee in 2017, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Women made up about […]
Read More »Domestic Violence: Custody Implications
Tuesday, February 26th, 2019
When people think of domestic violence, their minds often turn to violence between intimate partners. We should also consider the impact of domestic violence on child custody. We all know that some children are subjected to domestic violence directly, but what happens if a child witnesses domestic violence carried out against a family member? Could […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: What is Battered Woman Syndrome, and how can you help?
Thursday, January 31st, 2019
Battered Woman Syndrome is recognized in the psychological community as a subcategory of post-traumatic stress disorder. Women experiencing this syndrome often show shame, guilt or a false sense of responsibility for the abuse they have endured, in addition to typical PTSD symptoms; so, it is typically treated as a more complex form of PTSD. Women […]
Read More »Domestic Violence Series: Resources for Leaving an Abusive Relationship
Thursday, January 31st, 2019
There are many reasons that someone facing domestic violence may remain in an abusive environment, be it from a romantic partner, close friend or a family member. In fact, people in the midst of an abusive relationship might not even be fully aware that what they are experiencing “qualifies” as domestic violence or abuse. This […]
Read More »