Chattanooga Family Law Attorneys
A Compassionate Law Firm Providing Dedicated Legal Representation to Clients Across Hamilton County, TN
Though our Tennessee law firm represents clients in various legal matters ranging from immigration to criminal defense, some of the most fraught and legally complicated cases we represent fall under the umbrella of family law. Legal issues that fall under the family law umbrella include concerns relating to marriage, divorce, child custody, visitation rights, child support, alimony, paternity, legal separation, adoption, and more. Every state has different laws relating to family law legal proceedings, and interested parties must retain professional representation from attorneys with a thorough understanding of family laws in their state.
Our law firm has decades of combined experience looking after the best interests of individuals, families, children, and parents in complicated family law cases throughout the Chattanooga area. We understand that this can be an especially difficult time for you and your family members, as this is no mere legal matter; this is an intensely personal and challenging chapter of your life, sometimes involving disputes with those we feel closest to. We believe that we are uniquely qualified to help members of the Chattanooga community navigate the legal process and fight for their rights in even the most difficult of circumstances. If you are facing a conflict in the practice area of family law, do not hesitate to contact our law office with your questions and concerns.
What Family Law Practice Areas Do Our Chattanooga Lawyers Represent?
Our compassionate lawyers and legal staff have the skills and knowledge to help you protect your interests and reach agreements in high-conflict family law situations. We provide representation in a variety of family law practice areas, working to achieve the most favorable outcome for your legal matters.
Family law practice areas and services we provide include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Adoption
- Alimony
- Annulments
- Child custody disputes
- Child support negotiations, enforcement, and modifications
- Cohabitation agreements
- Contested and uncontested divorces
- Division of assets, including complex asset division involving business interests
- Domestic violence, child abuse, and orders of protection
- Grandparents’ rights
- Legal separation
- LGBTQ family law issues
- Mediation
- Military divorce cases
- Paternity cases
- Post-divorce decree modifications
- Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
- Visitation rights
- And more
Whatever family law matter you are dealing with, we have the knowledge and power to provide valuable legal assistance both in and out of the courtroom. Please contact our full-service law firm to discuss your case and what you would like to achieve in the future with our experienced attorneys.
What Are the Grounds for Filing for Divorce in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, establishing grounds for divorce is required regardless of whether the divorce is contested or uncontested. However, in the case of uncontested divorce proceedings, it is enough simply to establish ‘irreconcilable differences’ between the spouses without going into any further detail or proving specific fault. There is a waiting period following the filing of divorce papers before a family law judge will finalize the divorce. In divorce cases where the spouses do not have children, they must wait 60 days. If the parties do have children, the waiting period is 90 days.
If you are filing for divorce on fault-based grounds, you must provide convincing evidence, including testimony, that one of the acceptable grounds for divorce has been met.
Legal grounds for divorce in Chattanooga, TN, include the following:
- Adultery
- Bigamy
- Both parties have lived in separate residences for two years or more and have not cohabited during that period
- Conviction of a felony offense that results in a lengthy prison sentence
- Criminal conviction that renders the party infamous
- Desertion of the family unit for two years or more
- Drug abuse
- Habitual drunkenness
- Impotence and the inability to procreate
- Inappropriate marital conduct that rises to the level of cruel or inhuman treatment
- Intense indignities that render the other spouse’s life intolerable, forcing them to withdraw
- Pregnancy at the time of marriage by another man without the husband’s knowledge
- Turning the spouse out of the family home without just cause
In certain circumstances, it may be possible to obtain an annulment, which makes it as though the marriage never took place. Some of the most common reasons for which a marriage could be annulled in Tennessee include a marriage between minors, incestuous marriages, fraudulent marriage, marriage under duress or physical threat, and marriages that violate public policies.
Are You Facing Legal Challenges in a Child Custody Dispute?
When making a child custody determination, family law courts must consider certain factors. Factors that may be relevant to a custody decision include the child’s preferences, the willingness of the parents to encourage a healthy relationship between the children and the other parent, the physical and mental health of either parent, the financial ability of either parent to provide for the child’s basic needs, the emotional bond between parent and child, and any history of domestic violence or neglect.
Whether you are pursuing legal, physical, sole, or joint custody, our family lawyers have the legal experience to assist you throughout the proceedings, even in contentious child custody battles.
Whenever possible, your attorneys will encourage you and the other parent to reach an agreement together and submit it to the court for approval. However, sometimes this proves to be impossible, and in such cases, we will represent your interests and the best interests of the children in future custody hearings. Child custody disputes are among the most emotionally exhausting legal battles that ever enter American courtrooms. You do not want to engage in such a legal conflict without professional representation at your table.
How is Child Support or Alimony Determined?
In many Tennessee divorce cases, child support orders are usually established before the divorce is finalized. Child support payments are calculated based on several determining factors, including existing support orders for other children or family members, allocation of parenting time and visitation rights, and parental responsibilities for health care, medical insurance, and daycare.
If your circumstances significantly change, you may be able to request child support modifications to reflect changes in income, expenses, financial responsibilities, and more.
Alimony, also known as spousal support or spousal maintenance, is not automatically granted in every divorce case. Whether alimony is awarded depends on many factors, including the length of the marriage, each spouse’s earning capacity, the income disparity between the spouses, lifestyle during marriage, and the age and health of both parties. An experienced family law lawyer can help you negotiate for reasonable alimony arrangements and make modifications if the needs arise.
When Should You Seek the Legal Counsel of Skilled Family Lawyers?
While we would encourage anyone involved in family law cases to seek assistance from professional legal counsel, there are certain circumstances where an attorney may be especially useful.
Family law situations that would typically require the legal aid of an experienced attorney include the following:
- High asset divorces, as well as divorce cases with complex estates, business interests, and intermingled finances
- Complex child custody cases, including those involving stepparent adoptions
- Family law cases involving the relocation of a parent with a minor child
- Contentious or high-conflict divorce proceedings, especially those that involve minor children
- The necessity for emergency custody orders or protective orders after domestic violence or child abuse
The sooner you contact professional legal counsel to discuss your family law issues, the better. We will review the facts of your case and help you determine your legal options going forward so that you can achieve your personal goals.
Contact Our Chattanooga Law Offices to Discuss Your Case with an Experienced Attorney Today
As your representatives, our family attorneys will assist you in negotiations, mediation, litigation, and other processes while helping you achieve your legal needs. To learn more about the benefits of retaining the legal services of our family law attorneys, please contact our Chattanooga law office to schedule your no-obligation case evaluation with our legal team today.
You can reach our Chattanooga law office to speak with our legal team by calling us at 423-373-7796.
