How do I send an unaccompanied minor on a flight?
Wednesday, July 24th, 2019
The idea of placing a minor on a flight unaccompanied might sound crazy. Many of Held Law Firm’s clients understandably balk at the thought of sending their kid on a plane with no parent. However, certain situations arise in which they may not have much of a choice. If a child is visiting a cross-country […]
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 »Juvenile Court: First Friday
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. As the years pass, the drugs […]
Read More »Child support and parental rights
Tuesday, April 2nd, 2019
A parent’s rights to their child may be terminated for several reasons. One of the most common reasons to terminate parental rights is abandonment by a willful failure to support (in other words, not paying child support). The party seeking to terminate the parent(s) rights for this reason must prove that for four consecutive months […]
Read More »Out of State Grandparent Rights
Friday, March 29th, 2019
Many grandparents are raising their grandchildren when their parents cannot or choose not to do so. But often, the grandparents and the grandchildren may live in different states. What are your options if you live outside the state, but your grandchildren reside in Tennessee and need your help? Abuse and neglect are the most common […]
Read More »Tips for grandparents seeking custody
Friday, March 29th, 2019
Taking on the responsibility of caring for a child is a big decision and there are several factors to consider before beginning the process, regardless of whether you are a parent or a member of the child’s more extended family. Luckily, we have some tips for grandparents seeking custody of their grandkids. More grandparents than […]
Read More »Grandparent Visitation in Tennessee
Friday, March 29th, 2019
If you are a Tennessee grandparent, court-ordered visitation is often the only way to ensure continued contact with their grandchildren. Some parents resent the intrusion, are defensive about their parenting style, or have other reasons for your restricting access to your grandkids. The right to visit your grandchild is not a given. According to a case […]
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 […]
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