You may have heard that there is no such thing as custody anymore in Tennessee and that is partially true. The fact is that the courts have eliminated the term custody and replaced it with "parenting time". This term means essentially the same as custody, but was changed in order to push for involvement by both parents in the development and care of the children. If you have any questions about your current custody or parenting time arrangement or if there has been a substantial change in circumstances, call us today so we can discuss your options!

Child support is the money paid by one parent to the other parent to aid in the support of the parties' children. In Tennessee, there is a child support worksheet, in which you fill in specific information such as parenting time, expenses, income, and insurance information and the worksheet calculates a number for monthly support. The support can be paid directly to the other parent or through the Child Support Receipting office. If you do not pay through the Child Support Receipting office, we recommend that you keep a copy of all checks and payments in an organized file.

Many of the questions we get about child support are about getting help with a modification of the child support. In this economy with so many people losing their jobs, people are unable to pay their support. The courts typically do not like to grant modifications and will impute income on people who do not have jobs.

The other circumstance that people need a modification is when they have a child that turns 18 or graduates from high school. Whichever of these events happens later is when the child support obligation can be modified. If you are in this situation or any other in which you feel you need a modification of your support, please email us at info@rweltylaw.com or call us at 615-946-9441 for a consultation. We look forward to working with you!