Child Custody Lawyers in Nashville, TN

Protecting the Parenting Rights of Our Clients

Working out child custody arrangements is one of the most complicated aspects of divorce. After all, there is a lot at stake when you’re trying to determine how much time you’ll get to spend with your child. That’s why you need help from experienced child custody lawyers in Nashville, TN.

When you hire Brighter Day℠ Law to handle your child custody case, you’ll work with caring lawyers who understand how important it is to get the best possible outcome. Contact our Nashville law offices to schedule a free consultation with our team.

What Are the Types of Child Custody in Tennessee?

As you consider your preferred child custody arrangement, make sure you know the two types of custody you can pursue in Tennessee. They include physical and legal custody. 

Physical custody is the amount of time your child is under your care, meaning you’re spending time with them and meeting their needs as their parent. Legal custody is your right to make crucial decisions for your child, such as where they go to school and what medical care they get. 

Many parents want both physical and legal custody, as they want to have a short and long-term influence on their child’s upbringing. In some cases, they want to be the only parent making these decisions, so they pursue sole custody. If they wish for the child to primarily live with them, they’ll seek the role of the primary residential parent, also called the primary custodial parent. 

Parents who want to share these responsibilities with the other parent will pursue joint custody. Judges often prefer this so both parents can be equally involved in the child’s life. But whether you’re seeking sole or joint custody, you’ll need a child custody lawyer to guide you through family court.

How Do Tennessee Courts Determine Custody?

If you plan to pursue full custody but your child’s other parent doesn’t want this arrangement, prepare for a custody dispute. Fortunately, a skilled family law attorney knows what judges look for when determining the primary caregiver. The factors considered include:

• The relationship each parent has with their child
• How involved the parent has been with the child’s care, including their ability to provide food, housing, medical care, and other necessities
• The child’s relationship with siblings, grandparents, and other relatives associated with the parent 
• The amount of stability the child would have at the parent’s home
• The parent’s physical, mental, and emotional fitness as a caretaker
• Any history of domestic violence or abuse by the parent 
• The child’s preferences, if they’re 12 or older

In short, the judge will consider the child’s best interests before deciding which parent should get primary residential custody. Even if you’re sure you’re the best caretaker and deserve primary custody, you’ll need help proving this in court. Contact our law firm to begin the child custody proceeding with a lawyer’s support. 

What Is Visitation?

When one parent gets full custody, the non-custodial parent is often offered visitation. This can also occur when the child custody agreement involves shared custody, but the child lives with one parent primarily. Visitation, also called parenting time, refers to any time the non-primary residential parent spends with the child. 

During your child custody and visitation case, you and your ex-husband or ex-wife will work out a visitation agreement that states how often the non-custodial parent will see the child. For some former spouses, it’s easiest to work out a set visitation schedule for the parent to see the child, such as every other weekend.

But if one parent may be a danger to the child, supervised visitation or no visitation may be the safest solution. Your lawyer will help with this and other elements of your child custody order, so contact our Nashville law office today 

How Can Child Custody Lawyers in Nashville, TN Help You?

At Brighter Day℠ Law, we know how terrifying the idea of losing time with your child can be. Whether you want sole custody, partial custody, or just a chance to have a say in your child’s education and other influential details, you need a lawyer’s guidance. 

When you hire our legal team, you can count on us to help you fill out and file paperwork on time, prove the paternity of a child, create a parenting plan that your ex-spouse will agree to, and more. You shouldn’t have to spend time worrying about whether you’ll be able to see your child after divorcing their other parent. You deserve legal assistance from caring lawyers, so call (615) 437-8808 today.