Law Change Rewards the Parent Who Adheres to Parenting Plan in Tennessee Custody
- At September 13, 2012
- By Miles Mason
- In Child Custody
0
Tennessee custody law change rewards the parent who adheres to parenting plan and facilitates the other’s parenting time.
Tennessee custody law change rewards the parent who adheres to parenting plan and facilitates the other’s parenting time.
In the 2012 session, the Tennessee Legislature enacted an amendment to child custody factors. All judges who determine custody will tell you one of the most important factors they consider is which parent is more likely to foster and encourage a meaningful relationship with the other parent. This is one reason, among many, why divorced parents are encouraged to meet the other parent more than half-way even when it seems the other parent always refuses to take the extra step. Judges understand that the beneficiary of the willingness to go the extra step is almost always the children. In this amendment, the Legislature is making it clear to judges to reward the parent taking that extra step by adhering to parenting plans.
PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 897, HOUSE BILL NO. 2620; AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 24, Chapter 7 and Title 36, Chapter 6, relative to child custody.
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 36-6-106(a)(10), is amended by adding the following language to the end of the subdivision:
In determining the willingness of each of the parents and caregivers to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing parent-child relationship between the child and both of the child’s parents, the court shall consider the likelihood of each parent and caregiver to honor and facilitate court ordered parenting arrangements and rights, and the court shall further consider any history of either parent or any caregiver denying parenting time to either parent in violation of a court order.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012, the public welfare requiring it, and shall apply to all custody determinations on or after such date.
Memphis divorce lawyer, Miles Mason, Sr., JD, CPA practices family law exclusively and is founder of the Miles Mason Family Law Group, PLC, which handles Tennessee family law matters including divorce, child support, alimony, prenuptial agreements, child custody, parental relocation, child support modification, alimony modification, and divorces including business valuation and forensic accounting issues.
