“When people divorce, it’s always such a tragedy. At the same time, if people stay together it can be even worse.” – Monica Bellucci
You never thought you’d hear the words come out of your mouth. Sitting down for dinner at Puleo’s Grille, telling your friends something you thought would never happen. You’re getting a divorce. Your college sweetheart and you are breaking up after meeting at The University of Tennessee, many years ago. Divorce… you still can’t believe it. Divorce is a word that in your mind has always been associated with ex, dissolution, separation, or worst of all, failure.
“I don’t see divorce as a failure. I see it as the end to a story. In a story, everything has an end and a beginning.” – Olga Kurylenko
We want you to know you’re not a failure. You deserve to be happy. You need to protect what you love, and we’re here to help.
Your friends start swarming you with questions ranging from, “what are you going to do now?” to “what about the kids?” You were expecting support, which you know they will give you once everything settles down. Finally a friend across the table speaks up. She came to Hodges, Doughty, and Carson after her divorce.
“When two people decide to get a divorce, it isn’t a sign that they ‘don’t understand’ one another, but a sign that they have, at last, begun to.” – Helen Rowland
You know she had a good experience with us, but that’s all you really know. We want you to know more about us, because we want to help you. We understand that this is an extremely difficult time for you, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you. You shouldn’t have to worry. You shouldn’t have to feel lonely.
“I firmly believe that every six years, a person goes through a serious change. Think about it: At 6, you start school. At 12 you start hitting puberty. And then it goes on. You start hitting these different mental levels, and people change. I think that’s part of the reason the divorce rate is so high.” – Randy Houser
It is said that 40 to 50% of married couples in the United States divorce. Don’t think of yourself as another statistic. There are countless contributors to a couple getting a divorce. The number one reason couples give for getting a divorce is growing apart. You’d probably agree with this answer. You met young, you married young, you had a child young, and slowly you found yourselves wanting different things.
“Once you do embark upon the separation or divorce process, it is very important to remember three key things: Be kind, be reasonable, be brief. Remember that this person will no longer be your spouse, but he or she will continue to be your co-parent, family member, and perhaps business partner in certain assets or entities.” – Laura Wasser
It was an amicable split, but you still find yourself wondering so many things. What will you do with your son? How will he be affected by this divorce? You know he’s not the only one being raised by split parents. You also know that 40% of children growing up in America today are being raised without fathers. You don’t want your son to be another statistic either. Your son loves both of his parents. He wants to spend time with both of you, but are you willing to give time up with him?
These are difficult questions with difficult answers. We want to be there for you every step of the way. We want you to be informed and we want you to get what you deserve. We offer a variety of services that will help you no matter the situation.
Choosing a parenting plan that will fit for both parents can be arduous but your son may be the one thing that you agree on. Family law attorneys at Hodges, Carson & Doughty, PLLC can help ease the situation and provide the outcome that you rightfully deserve.
“Divorce isn’t such a tragedy. A tragedy’s staying in an unhappy marriage, teaching your children the wrong things about love.” – Jennifer Weiner
Within our family law division, we are prepared to fight for you in basically every area. We’ll help you fight for child support, child custody, and visitation and parenting plans. We want you to know that we don’t only think of you in this situation, but also think about your child.
You may not have even known that Tennessee has a VISA debit card that can be issued to you to access your child support payments. That’s okay. This is the type of thing we want to help you figure out.
Child custody is also a huge question for parents. Even if the divorce is amicable, questions and decisions still arise. What does it mean to be the primary residential parent? How does the court decide who will be a primary residential parent? We want to sit down and talk to you about these questions. They are all very important questions that you need to make sure you’re familiar with and confident with your decision. We want you to feel safe and protected.
When you come into our offices we want you to feel welcome. We understand this is a hard time for you and we want to be the support and reassurance you need. We’re one of the largest law firms in Knoxville, but that doesn’t mean you’re just another person to walk into our office.
Ask us any questions you want. Ask us what you need to know. We’re here to help you through this difficult time. You don’t need another thing to worry about. Reach out to the family law attorneys at Hodges, Carson & Doughty today so that we can help you through this process.
