Lebanon Legal Issues Blog

The terms helicopter parents and bulldozer parents have become very familiar in recent years. Where divorcing parents are concerned, there is another term, high-conflict parents. While people who are divorcing may lose track of concern for each other, the well-being of their children typically remains paramount in any divorce proceedings in Tennessee.

High-conflict parents is a term used to describe parents who are divorced or in the process of divorcing and whose failure to put aside their animosity toward each other could have a negative impact on their children. The ability to maintain civility in front of the children may be difficult for them. However, it is important to know that such conflict can have a long term and very negative impact on one's children.

Football and alcohol frequently go together in Tennessee. Football, alcohol and driving have the potential to be a dangerous combination. Such appeared to have been the case following a game on a recent Sunday when a fan was arrested and charged with a DUI.

A man left a Tennessee Titans game and as he was driving home from the game he rear-ended an ambulance. The ambulance had been stopped at a red light. Officers reported to the scene of the accident and stated that the driver appeared to be impaired. They reported observing slurred speech and blood-shot eyes.

A death caused by a motor vehicle accident is a tragedy. It can be all the more so if caused by a drunk driver. A recent accident in Tennessee that took the life of a man may have been the result of drunk driving by a person who was apparently out on bail for a previous DUI charge.

Two cars collided on a highway near Memphis on a recent Thursday morning. A witness reported seeing a car speeding past him at what he described as speed in excess of 100 mph. A short time later, the person who had reported seeing the speeding vehicle came upon the crash scene. The witness reported stopping to offer assistance, and the driver asked for a ride. Police arriving on the scene caused the driver to flee.

Divorce rates in the United States are on the decrease among younger married couples. This generation is waiting longer to get married, with the couple often living together first. This contributes to the decrease as couples may be more mature and know each other better before entering into marriage. There is one group where the divorce rate is on the rise. The divorce rate for those over 50 is increasing at a very rapid rate for couples in Tennessee and around the nation.

Gray divorces, as they are known, doubled to 10 per 1,000 in 2017 from five per 1,000 in 1990. For couples over 65 the rate tripled from two divorces per 1,000 to six per 1,000 in the same time frame. While the impact of divorce can be devastating at any age the financial implications for older couples can be significant due to older couples often being past their peak earning years. It can cost significantly more to maintain two homes than one. It is also important to remember that when it comes to asset distribution, all retirement dollars are not created equal.