Name Change in Custody Case Hinges on Best Interests of Children

Tennessee case summary on name change in Tennessee family law. Nathan Z. Vinson v. Kristin Denise Ball, et al. In this Cumberland County, Tennessee, child custody case, the biological parents agreed to an order in 2010 naming the mother as the primary residential parent, with the father having visitation rights. The mother sent the two […]

TN Lawyer Sanctioned for Filing Frivolous Contempt Motion in Neglect Case

Tennessee case summary on Rule 11 sanctions against an attorney. In re Carolina M. The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services commenced this case in Williamson County with a petition to find a child to be dependent and neglected. The nonprofit agency involved in the case had in its possession a document that it believed would […]

Rights on Naming Your Child in Tennessee

Laws on naming a child in Tennessee; baby naming laws; how to change child’s last name on birth certificate in Tennessee; name change of a minor in Tennessee. Parents have important rights to naming their children in Tennessee law. Those rights are not without limitation, though. The child’s best interests, along with the other parent’s […]

TN Supreme Court Affirms Termination of Parental Rights Despite Claim of Ineffective Lawyer

Tennessee case summary on parental rights termination. In re Carrington H. et al. The mother in this Tennessee parental rights termination case gave birth to six children between 1996 and 2004. Even before the birth of the sixth child, Carrington, both the mother and father were in court in Lewis County in a child protection […]

TN Parental Rights Judgment Can Be Upheld, Even Though Initially Void

Tennessee case summary on family law and parental rights termination. Kevin Turner v. Stephanie D. Turner The mother and father in this Tennessee parental rights case were married in 1996 and had two children, born in 1996 and 1998. The father filed for divorce in 1999, and alleged that the mother was addicted to drugs […]

5 Things Family Lawyers Should Know About Drug Testing

Drug tests, testing, hair, urine, blood, saliva, length of time in system, positive, amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, Ecstasy (MDMA), hydrocodone, hydromorphone, marijuana, methadone, methamphetamines, opiates, PCP, oxycodone. By Miles Mason, Sr., Esq. and Laura Valade, Esq. There is so much Tennessee family lawyers should know about drug testing a client, the other party, or the […]

Tennessee Son’s Abuse of Power of Attorney Set Aside Due to Undue Influence & Fraud

Tennessee law case summary on fraud and undue influence in family law. Dorothy Lewis v. Sam Lewis – Tennessee undue influence and fraud Dorothy and Roscoe Lewis were never legally married, but held themselves out as husband and wife for over 41 years. Roscoe had three sons from a prior marriage. In 2011, Dorothy and Roscoe executed […]

Appeals Court Calls on Tennessee Legislature to Decide Surrogacy Issues

Tennessee law case summary on surrogacy in family law from the Court of Appeals. In re: Amadi A. – Tennessee surrogacy The intended parents in this Tennessee surrogacy case filed a petition to be named the legal parents and have their name on the child’s birth certificate. The intended parents entered into a contract with […]

Judicial Recusal Required After Refusing to Sign Order in Tennessee Visitation Case

Tennessee law case summary on judge’s recusal in divorce from the Court of Appeals. In re Adison P. – Tennessee divorce judicial recusal Adison P. was born in 2002 to unwed parents. A paternity and custody action followed, and the father was granted visitation. The father claimed that he had been consistently denied visitation, and he […]

Surrogacy Contracts Approved by Supreme Court of Tennessee

Tennessee law case summary on surrogacy contracts in family law from the Supreme Court. In re Baby – Tennessee divorce surrogacy in Tennessee L.G. and A.T. were citizens of Italy and were unable to have children. In 2010, they contacted a surrogacy agency in the United States. They were living together but not married, since they […]