Family & Juvenile Law

Family legal matters can affect nearly every part of your life—from where your children spend their time to your finances, your home, and your relationship with the people closest to you. They can also involve difficult decisions that have consequences long after the case itself is over.

Bery Law represents clients in a wide range of family and juvenile matters. We provide candid advice, careful preparation, and practical guidance tailored to the circumstances of each case, whether the matter can be resolved by agreement or requires litigation.

Divorce

No two divorces look exactly alike. Some involve relatively straightforward agreements; others require litigation over parenting, property, support, or other contested issues.

Bery Law represents clients in both contested and uncontested divorces and helps them navigate issues that may include:

• Division of marital property and debt
• Separate property claims
• Parenting plans and residential schedules
• Child support
• Alimony
• Negotiated settlements and mediation
• Divorce litigation and trial

Our focus is not simply on reaching the end of the divorce process, but on helping clients understand the decisions they are making and how those decisions may affect them going forward.

Custody, Parenting Plans & Visitation

Parenting disputes can be some of the most personal and difficult issues families face. Tennessee courts consider a number of factors when determining parenting arrangements, and the right approach depends heavily on the history and circumstances of the particular family.

We represent parents in matters involving:

• Initial permanent parenting plans
• Parenting-time and residential schedule disputes
• Modification of existing parenting plans
• Decision-making authority
• Visitation disputes
• Enforcement of parenting plans
• Relocation issues
• Emergency and temporary parenting matters

Whether the dispute involves negotiating a workable schedule or presenting a contested case to the court, we work with clients to identify realistic goals and build a strategy around the evidence and the needs of their family.

Child Support

Child support issues can arise at the beginning of a case or years after an initial order is entered. Changes in income, parenting time, insurance costs, childcare expenses, and other circumstances can all affect the calculation.

Bery Law assists with:

• Initial child support determinations
• Child support modifications
• Enforcement and collection issues
• Income disputes
• Credits and adjustments under the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines
• Child support issues arising alongside divorce, parentage, or custody proceedings

Post-Divorce & Post-Judgment Matters

A final decree or parenting plan does not always end the need for legal assistance. Circumstances change, disagreements arise, and sometimes one party simply does not comply with the court’s orders.

We represent clients in post-judgment matters involving:

• Modification of parenting plans
• Modification of child support
• Enforcement of court orders, including marital dissolution agreements
• Contempt proceedings
• Disputes involving property or obligations imposed by a final decree or marital dissolution agreement

Parentage

For parents who were not married to one another, establishing legal parentage may be an important first step before the court can address parenting time, decision-making, or child support.

Bery Law assists clients with parentage actions and related parenting and support issues, including establishing parental rights and creating permanent parenting plans.

Adoption

Adoption is one of the few areas of family law centered on creating a new legal relationship rather than resolving a dispute. Even when everyone is in agreement, however, Tennessee adoption law requires specific procedures and documentation.

Bery Law assists with select adoption matters, including stepparent and related-family adoptions.

Orders of Protection

Orders of protection can have immediate consequences for families, housing, parenting arrangements, employment, and pending litigation.

We represent clients in matters involving petitions for orders of protection and contested hearings, including cases where an order of protection intersects with an existing divorce, custody, or juvenile court proceeding.

Juvenile Court Matters

Juvenile court cases often involve sensitive family circumstances and can move quickly. Bery Law represents parents and other parties in juvenile matters involving:

• Dependency and neglect proceedings
• Custody and visitation disputes
• Parentage
• Child support
• Other family-related matters within juvenile court jurisdiction

These cases often require careful attention not only to the immediate hearing, but also to how temporary decisions may affect the family as the case progresses.

Our Approach to Family Cases

Family cases do not all call for the same approach. Some are best resolved through careful negotiation and compromise; others require firm advocacy and a willingness to litigate disputed issues.

We begin by understanding what matters most to the client, identifying the legal and practical issues that may affect the outcome, and developing a strategy suited to the circumstances of the case. Throughout the process, we provide clear explanations and candid advice so that clients can make informed decisions about their families and their futures.