Nashville, Tennessee Family Legal Blog

Managing an alimony plan in tennessee

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Alimony on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

When the divorce process is complete and ex-spouses fall into new routines, life can finally begin to settle down. However, not all Tennesseans experience such smooth sailing; some even go through issues years after a marriage has ended.

One might think that child support is the major cause of contention post-divorce, yet alimony disputes can also drive a wedge into an otherwise easy separation. There are a few facts to know about the alimony process in Tennessee, as well as some useful tips on handling a difficult situation.

Navigating emotions after divorce

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Alimony on Friday, May 4, 2018.

Sometimes, a divorce is simply inevitable. No matter what stage of the process, Nashville spouses going through this mountainous life change can hit many speed bumps. While there is no single solution to an issue in the divorce process, it can often help to untangle emotions and understand why a hurdle is so difficult to jump over. The following takes a look into the many feelings of love and separation in a new light.

Looking at the topic of love through psychological, legal and cultural lenses, one podcast showcased by Nashville Public Radio attempts to define this complex feeling that sends so many copules turning to divorce. Writer Alex Pollack notices how much dating can be like performing, raising a key question: when do couples stop putting on a show? Jeannie Ingram, a therapist interviewed on the podcast, shares that feelings of love are brought on by a combination of chemicals in the brain; when those chemicals change, so, too, can the relationship. Ingram goes on to state that couples commonly point the finger during separations, each person blaming the other for changing. In reality, a person's own brain chemicals change over time.

How to decide if you need a prenuptial agreement

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in blog on Friday, April 27, 2018.

If you want to sign a prenuptial agreement with your spouse, you may want to review the various pros and cons of entering into the agreement. By fully understanding your and your spouse's financial situations and what is possible to achieve with a prenup, you can better analyze your options.

Your prenuptial agreement could become a highly valuable document when and if you need to get a divorce. However, a prenuptial agreement may not be appropriate or necessary for all couples. As a couple weighs the benefits and setbacks of creating a prenuptial agreement before marriage, the following questions can help them decide on the matter:

How can you tell if you need a prenuptial agreement?

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Prenuptial Agreements on Saturday, April 21, 2018.

Preparing for a wedding can be one of the most exciting times in a couple’s life. When the topic of a prenuptial agreement comes up, it may dampen the happy mood. However, it may be worth it for you and other Tennessee residents to consider a prenup. It might encourage you to learn that not all the points in a prenuptial agreement necessarily pertain to a divorce.

According to How Stuff Works, prenuptial agreements exist to protect the financial interests of both spouses. You might find a prenup helpful in the following situations:

You or your spouse had separate assets, property or debt before you married.
You want to be clear on how to manage property and debts during your marriage.
You are concerned about how your property should be distributed after your death, especially if you have children from previous marriages.

Parental child abduction, explained

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Child Custody on Friday, April 6, 2018.

The very nature of divorce, in most cases, involves disagreement on some level. It is for this reason that a large majority of divorcing Tennesseans find difficulty determining child custody arrangements after separation. When worse comes to worst and arrangements do not go according to plan, there is one factor in the equation that stands above the rest: the child's safety.

When an ex-spouse refuses to return a child to another parent -- or, worse, his or her whereabouts with the child is unknown -- panic can easily settle in. Informational resource KidGuard points out that these unsettling situations are no rarity, as The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children receives well over 200,000 family kidnapping cases each year. Furthermore, KidGuard shares that parents pose a far greater risk to children than do relatives. One reason for this high statistic could lie in the rising divorce rates around the country; as a result, countless children live in split households where disagreements over custody can be common. Above all else, KidGuard stresses that these cases are incredibly serious, since they can affect a child for life.

Understanding asset division during divorce

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in High Asset Divorce on Wednesday, March 21, 2018.

Not all Tennesseans go through trying times during a divorce, but those who have know the woes of dividing property and assets. On top of the whirlwind of paperwork, court procedures and other aspects of marital separation, many can hit obstacles when reaching this financial stage. Below are a few pointers on high asset divorce, as well as some of the hidden details.

Financial mistakes can be common during divorce procedures, but CNBC stresses that just one misstep with asset division can have many negative repercussions. According to CNBC, those with close financial ties may want to pay special attention to documents and other fine print. The following are some of the most common mistakes divorcees make when dividing assets:

Failing to consider tax implications
Choosing the house over liquid assets
Keeping a home despite financial trouble

Can a family court decide whether your kid should play football?

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Child Custody on Monday, March 12, 2018.

While many people in Tennessee couldn't live without football, the sport is becoming more controversial. Studies of the brains of NFL players and other contact sportsmen have found that repeated concussions may cause a serious, lifelong brain injury called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. And, kids who play tackle football before age 12 could be especially at risk.

This has many parents reconsidering whether their children should play tackle football, or at least how young they should start or whether they should continue after suffering a concussion. When the parents disagree, could a family court step in to resolve the disagreement?

Focus on your children when you battle custody issues

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, March 6, 2018.

Child custody issues are a huge factor for parents. In some cases, one parent is going to use the child custody matters against the other parent. This is a shame when it happens, but preparing yourself for the proceedings might help you to come up with a plan for handling the "worst case scenario."

There are a few things that might occur during the process of determining child custody orders.

3 ways to protect your business from divorce

On behalf of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in High Asset Divorce on Thursday, March 1, 2018.

When you and your spouse got married, you probably thought your marriage would last forever. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. You might have to worry one day about how the two of you are going to divide your valuable marital assets, including your house in Nashville, vacation homes, cars and other assets. Furthermore, you will have to make decisions regarding what to do with your business.

After all the long hours and assets you have put into making your business successful, the last thing you want to see is all of your hard work falling apart because of a divorce. The following strategies can help you protect your business during divorce.

Focus on your children when battling custody issues

By George Spanos of Rogers, Kamm & Shea posted in Child Custody on Tuesday, February 20, 2018.