Family & Juvenile Law
Tip the Scales in your FavorKnoxville Attorney for Family & Juvenile Law
Legal issues involving your family can be difficult to navigate and require a sensitive approach and unique understanding of the emotional toll it can take on parents and children. That’s where we come in. We handle all types of family and juvenile law issues, including:
- Divorce (Contested and Agreed)
- Divorce proceedings are inherently stressful and can often cause people to feel as if they are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. By shouldering this weight for you, we will take control of the situation and handle every possible facet of your divorce for you, including alimony, asset division, distribution of debts, co-parenting schedules, and child support.
- Post-Divorce (Modifications and Contempt Proceedings)
- Just because the Judge signed your Final Decree doesn’t mean that your divorce issues are over. Things change, and there are invariably things that you don’t ever anticipate happening when you sign off on your divorce papers. If there has been a material change of circumstances in your life and you feel like your original agreement is no longer in your and/or your child’s best interests, then that’s where we come in. We handle a wide variety of modification issues, including modifications of Permanent Parenting Plans, Marital Dissolution Agreements, and alimony.
- There are also situations where your ex-spouse may not be doing everything he or she is supposed to according to your divorce papers. Not paying child support? Not paying alimony? You haven’t received your share of the equity in your home? We handle both criminal and civil contempt proceedings in order to make sure everything is done exactly as you agreed.
- Child Custody & Visitation
- Arguably one of the most important areas of family law, custody and visitation issues are something that we take very seriously. We will always strive to ensure that your children are cared for and that their best interests come before anything else.
- Paternity and Fathers’ Rights
- It’s easy to feel as if fathers are pushed aside when it comes to children, but there is no denying that they play just as important of a role in their children’s lives as mothers. Establishing paternity is the first step towards developing a relationship with your child that is protected through the court system.
- Child Support
- Children deserve to be taken care of financially by both parents, and child support is just one way to ensure that a child never goes without. While we of course handle the setting of prospective child support (meaning a child support amount from the date of your hearing forward), we also make sure any retroactive support your child might be entitled to is sufficiently addressed.
- We also deal with any contempt issues that might arise due to the non-payment of child support as well as modification of child support that may be ordered if a parent’s income substantially changes or if the co-parenting schedule changes.
- Juvenile Law
- Delinquent and unruly proceedings: is your child in trouble with the law? We can help make sure he or she gets out of the juvenile court system and back on the right track.
- Dependency and Neglect: is there a child in your life who you feel needs the court’s help to ensure his or her health, safety, and happiness? Has your child been taken away from you due to false allegations of abuse or neglect? Are you a grandparent or other relative who has had a child placed with you after allegations of abuse or neglect? These juvenile court proceedings can be isolating and terrifying, but we can help you navigate through this complex area of law to make sure not only your rights are protected, but that your child’s best interests are preserved.
- Orders of Protection
- Domestic violence is a scary term, and while we have the criminal justice system to take care of these situations, sometimes that is not enough. Tennessee Law provides for civil recourse as well, through the option of an Order of Protection, which will protect you and your children from domestic violence.
- We also make sure to protect those who have been falsely accused and strive to uphold the sanctity of the justice system. Contact us today if you need any help with an order of protection.
- Adoptions
- A child is always a gift, and those gifts often come to us in different ways. If there is a child in your life that you wish to legally adopt, either by agreement or through a contested proceeding with the child’s biological parents, we can help you navigate this complex area of law and make your family complete.
- Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
- Divorce is never something you want to anticipate, especially right before you say your vows. However, protecting one’s assets is never a bad idea. We handle both prenuptial agreements (those entered into prior to a marriage) and postnuptial agreements (those entered into after the marriage has already taken place).
- Grandparent Rights and Visitation
- Grandparents play such an important role in their grandchildren’s lives, and without them, some of us wouldn’t be the people we are today. If you have a close relationship with your grandchild and feel as if you are being shut out of his or her life to the detriment of your grandchild’s well-being, then you may be entitled to visitation under Tennessee Law. Contact us today to make sure the best interests of your grandchildren are protected.