State Classifications of Struggling Children
Monday, April 15th, 2019
Parenting is harder than it looks. People across the state of Tennessee often find themselves struggling to provide the care that their children need to function as members of society. 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 […]
Read More »First Friday in juvenile court
Thursday, April 4th, 2019
When I started practicing family and juvenile law over twenty years ago, drugs were a factor in about half of the cases that I took that involved an abused or neglected child. Now, the opioid crisis is all over the news. Right behind it is the methamphetamine crisis. The cocaine crisis. But as the years have gone […]
Read More »Child support: Can failure to pay be grounds for termination of parental rights?
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019
There several reasons that can be used to terminate a parent’s rights to their child, one of the most common being abandonment by a willful failure to support (in other words, not paying child support). Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-102, the party seeking to terminate the parent(s) rights under abandonment for lack of […]
Read More »If my grandkids live in Tennessee but I live out of state, can I get custody?
Friday, March 29th, 2019
Many grandparents are raising their grandchildren when the parents cannot or choose not to do so. Society is so mobile today, and oftentimes the grandparents and the grandchildren may live in different states. What are your options if you live outside the state of Tennessee but your grandchildren reside in Tennessee and need your help? […]
Read More »What should I consider before taking custody of my grandkids?
Friday, March 29th, 2019
More grandparents than ever are taking over the care of their grandchildren. This might be for any number of reasons, ranging from a parent’s drug use, neglect or abuse of their child, or something more innocuous like an inability to provide financial or emotional support for their child based on temporary hardships. Regardless of the […]
Read More »Grandparent Visitation 101
Friday, March 29th, 2019
The desire to be in your grandchild’s life is occasionally met with resistance. A parent may resent the intrusion, be defensive about their parenting style, or have other reasons for feeling that way. For some grandparents, filing for a court-ordered right to visitation is often the only way to ensure continued contact with their grandchildren. The […]
Read More »How Open Adoption Helps Children
Monday, September 17th, 2018
In Tennessee alone, there are more opioid-overdose deaths occurring on a daily basis than there are traffic fatalities – quite an alarming statistic, as most local readers are familiar with the treacherousness that is I-40 (1). Yet while most people can conceive of the variety of ways that opioid addiction wreaks havoc on a victim’s […]
Read More »Approved Parenting Classes in Knox County
Thursday, July 26th, 2018
Every divorce in TN comes with mandatory parenting classes that have to be completed by both parties. Since many are new to the divorce process, they aren’t sure where to start when they need to schedule classes. Hopefully the following information will help! Below is a list of approved parenting classes for Knox County. Dove […]
Read More »What to Expect When DCS Gets Involved
Thursday, July 26th, 2018
However the Department of Child Services (DCS) gets involved–whether through a dirty trick pulled by your ex, or a call from a third party–the ramifications for you spending time with your child are severe. Here are some things you can expect: 1. You will be interviewed by a DCS worker, probably at your home. In […]
Read More »Stepparent Rights
Thursday, June 21st, 2018
The role of a stepparent is not legally the same as that of a biological parent, but it is undisputed that stepparents often play an integral role in providing a loving and nurturing environment for their stepchildren. Stepparents develop strong bonds with their step-children, and unfortunately, few people truly see just how important some stepparents […]
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