Montgomery County Divorce Law Blog

Military marriages and domestic violence

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky on Thursday, May 17, 2018.

Every marriage has its problems, but the challenges can be unique when one or both spouses are in the military. Unfortunately, as you may have experienced, domestic violence can also be an issue in military marriages. Members of the armed forces are under a great deal of stress, with deployments and frequent moves further straining a marriage. This does not mean you or other Tennessee residents should put up with abuse in your marriage, however.

Statistics show that domestic violence among military couples is increasing throughout the United States. How does military life complicate abuse, you may wonder? The following factors can clarify:

Military spouses often have access to weapons in their homes or bases, including firearms.
Members of the armed forces know how to handle a weapon, as well as how to utilize their combat training to cause harm to a victim and avoid harm to themselves.
Combat situations can cause or exacerbate emotional and mental trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and may contribute to domestic violence in the home.

Stay-at-home parents and divorce

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in Divorce on Thursday, May 17, 2018.

If you're planning a divorce and you're a stay-at-home parent, you're probably concerned about your ability to stay financially afloat and your ability to support your children after you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse go your separate ways. In many cases, stay-at-home parents shouldn't need to concern themselves about falling into poverty after their divorces conclude. In fact, many stay-at-home parents can pursue alimony or spousal maintenance payments in their divorce proceedings.

Your ability to pursue spousal maintenance successfully will depend on the answers to the following questions:

Special needs children and child custody

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in spousal and child support on Friday, May 11, 2018.

State family law courts are beginning to support the idea of joint 50/50 child custody more and more. In these arrangements, children divide their time living with each parent half of the time. Many children adapt well to these arrangements and enjoy spending as much time as they can with both parents, but other children may have difficulty with this kind of schedule.

From a purely logistical perspective, for example, a child with special needs may require one home base. For example, a child with a severe disability may need to have special equipment at home to ensure his or her health and well-being. Perhaps the parent needs to modify the home so it's accessible to the child. While two homes could be modified, health insurance is not likely to pay for such additional modifications.

Family care plans for military service personnel

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in Military Divorce on Thursday, May 3, 2018.

If you're a single parent serving in the armed forces, or if both you and your spouse are service members, you need to create a "family care plan" that maps out how your children will receive care in the event of your deployment. As a part of your military family care plan, there are three things you need to codify:

Who is the short-term caretaker?

How to talk to biological children about adopted siblings

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in blog on Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

Many families have gotten a little bigger with the help of the Department of Children's Services. This agency is an asset whether you want to adopt a child in the same state or internationally.

There is much to prepare for an impending adoption, but you do not want to forget one of the most important parts of the process. If you and your partner share any biological children, then you want to make sure they play an active role. You do not want your kids to have any ill will toward the new family member, and there are a few things you want to talk about beforehand.

Have you considered your child's other relationships?

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in Child Custody and Visitation on Thursday, April 26, 2018.

When drafting a child custody plan, most parents think about themselves and their relationship with their children, but not all of them remember to consider grandparents, siblings, family friends, coaches and other people their children have developed important relationships with.

If you and your spouse are going through a divorce and deciding on how to divide your time with your children, make sure to remember that your child has key relationships with other people too.

When you and your spouse don’t have anything in common

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in Divorce on Friday, April 20, 2018.

Many people stay in a toxic or difficult marriage until they die. Others, on the other hand, make the hard choice to unravel their marriage so they can live happier lives, and perhaps look for a better relationship that reflects who they truly are and who they want to be.

Do you feel like you have absolutely nothing in common with your spouse's family and friends? Do you prefer skipping family functions or staying at home when your spouse goes out to socialize? You might be on the fast-track to divorce.

4 reasons people choose adoption

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in blog on Tuesday, April 17, 2018.

Adoption is an extremely personal choice for you to make. As a prospective parent, you may have a lot of questions about adopting. If you are on the fence about adopting a child, you may be wondering why other people choose this route.

There is no single reason why someone adopts a child because every family is unique. However, here are some common reasons you may want to pursue adoption.

Are you supporting your children to deal with divorce?

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in Divorce on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

If you're a divorcing parent and you're worried how your kids will deal emotionally and psychologically with the separation, you're not alone. Most parents worry about how their kids will experience and survive the emotions associated with the breakup of their mother and father.

Fortunately, concerned parents can do a few things to make sure that they support their children as best they can.

Is this why you and your spouse got a divorce?

On behalf of The Law Office of Steven C. Girsky posted in Divorce on Friday, April 6, 2018.

There are many reasons why couples get a divorce and – in most cases of a failed marriage – the reason for the divorce will not always be clear. However, in certain instances, one of the spouses may be able to precisely point his or her finger at the cause. Here are two common reasons for divorce that a spouse might point to in this regard:

Infidelity