Divorce, Parenting Plans, and Plan Modifications

In uncontested divorce mediation, I help parties complete a Memorandum of Understanding containing all of the terms (assets, debts, property ownership, healthcare, taxes, and other items) of their proposed final settlement of divorce. The parties or their attorney then submit that information as core content of their Marital Dissolution Agreement to the court for final approval.

If a couple has minor children, TN law requires a formal, court approved Parenting Plan and parents must complete a Child Support Calculation based on the “Income Shares Model”, including the income and child expenses allocated to each parent. Using that model, the amount of child support is predicated on the concept that the child should receive the same proportion of parental income that the child would have received if the parents lived together. I will help you complete the State of TN required Child Support Worksheet that produces the support calculation.

Although the court approved Parenting Plan follows a standardized template and was designed to replace legal jargon with common, everyday terminology, it can nevertheless be somewhat complicated. Determining who will make future decisions regarding the child(ren’s) education, religion, extracurricular activities, and medical care may be relatively straight forward and agreed, while deciding on a sustainable visitation schedule, summer vacations, and the required calculation of days with each parent given their respective work schedules may be more difficult. I help parents understand and work within Tennessee guidelines.

I will help you find workable solutions to those and other matters so that your children can experience the best of each parent.

We live in ever changing, evolving circumstances which sometimes require plans developed and agreed under one set of circumstances to change when life changes. I help parents modify existing Parenting Plans consistent with changes in their family needs and the requirements of TN law.