Franklin Parental Rights Attorneys

Standing Up for Tennessee Mothers & Fathers

One of the most significant considerations in divorce is the determination of child custody and visitation, whether as part of a parenting plan or a total parenting agreement. The legal processes behind these determinations are often referred to as deciding which parental rights each party will have. These are the legal rights and responsibilities for a child that a parent has in a family law agreement and, therefore, both parents may have different rights to their children. Understanding what this entails and whether or not you're being asked to sacrifice your public and legal status as a parent is important and one that our firm can help you answer.

What Is the Difference Between Custody & Parental Rights?

When divorce involves children, the courts plan on keeping decision-making and child-rearing stability within the family unit. To do this, the courts seek out a family parenting plan in order to determine who will have child-care decision-making authority and which parent will keep primary custody and the ability to have a home base with the children. The less able parents can both be fit parents yet need to split their scheduled times with their children. This allows the child to keep a home base as well, which may not be possible with frequent switching or relocation between private homes. Determining how each parent's rights are shared, divided, and split is an important part of this decision-making and one that our firm can help.

Should I Sign Away My Parental Rights Before Birth?

Maternity brings about excitement and joy mixed with the anticipation of the responsibilities that are to come. While women anticipate taking on those responsibilities, the responsibility can lead some to overwhelming emotions and concerns. This can be especially overwhelming if you're an unmarried mother with no paternity agreement. While you go through your emotions, some people will bring up adoption to avoid being a single mother, and while pregnant, you may ask yourself the following questions:

What are my rights to my child?
Legally, you have all the rights to your child upon delivering them, but knowing how to enforce these rights and when you're at risk of having them taken away is the responsibility of the parent. Following childbirth, Tennessee requires that the mother be given state-authorized information about establishing and acknowledging parentage and the importance of both parents and support orders. Knowing you can make an adoption plan by ending the rights of an absent father is important as well should your partner refuse to commit consistently to you through marriage as well but that is a topic for another article.

Is the other parent going to take away my rights?
Unless the other parent uses abusive behavior, drug use, or alcohol in front of the child, they cannot legally terminate your rights to the child. In addition, you cannot be forced to terminate your parental rights unless the said factors are present. However, there are ways for you to file an action to establish a parental relationship and a parenting schedule, so you can keep your rights and protect your future and the future of your child. You may also sign documents to transfer temporary physical custody to a guardian such as a parent or grandparent.

Should I give my child my last name if the other parent is not involved?
When the other biological parent is not involved, placing your name on your child's birth certificate with your last name is important. This is considered notice to collect child support payments for pregnancy-related costs as well.

What Are the Different Types of Parental Rights?

Physical custody establishes who the children will live with on a daily and full-time basis. While a parenting-agreement can dictate that this will be joint physical custody between both parties or even a relative, one parent has otherwise been awarded full custody. Legal custody, conversely, determines who will make the educational and personal decisions concerning your child's overall care and establishes how these decisions can be changed in the future.

• Temporary custody can be given to emergency foster care or immediate family members if child services determines that daycare, schooling, or any other institutions would pose a threat for your child.
• Joint custody, meanwhile, is a special type of custody for divorcing parents who, while deciding to have separate time share with the child and alternating weeks, are able to maintain a strict and separate education, curfew, and health/religious routines.
• Virtual visitation is another substitute for contact in the rare cases when either parent is restricted from supreme parenting. While this has been upheld in the state, virtual contact has not been wholly approved, and restricted to an hour of video phone call, intended only for emergencies when travel cannot be made, is the trend. Marital status also greatly affects what type of parental authority you have, and exploring Tennessee adoption rights following a marriage and parent agreement or a birth certificate and information session prior to parenthood can help establish your reign as a legal parent and your ultimate parental rights and abilities.

Talk to a Lawyer About Your Parental Rights

Issues with co-parenting, financial situations, changing custody arrangements, relocating to a new city to separate schools and family members, and maintaining custody over a long distance will all be situations that you encounter even if a friend or family member has an agreement or an obligation to you. The right to meet your child in the beginning of his/her life and the legal ability to be a part of your child's decisions, school relationships, religious education, welfare, and care are guaranteed for the unmarried and divorcing parent and one that this firm firmly fights for on your behalf. If you are experiencing a loss or an injustice in making contact and care arrangements, we may have multiple avenues to protect your legal title as a parent and find the best outcome for your future relationship as a parent. Deciding how to stop in advance the child's education, care, and overall developmental plan with your supposed family is equally great and complicated and one that this firm celebrates as you start to think. Whether you are planning major decisions as a married couple, celebrating the birth of a child, or dealing with unplanned parenting, our lawyers can sit down and confidentially answer your questions about planning safe negotiations, effective communications, parenting time, dispute resolution, parental authority, custody, guardianship, foster care, minor children adoption, paternity, and child support payments. At the end of the day, the primary goal of our lawyers protecting your roles as authorized parents is to protect your ultimate ability to reach an amicable and loving relationship with your supposedly present-age child extending beyond graduation and into adulthood. Defining child parenting is another sacred and complex issue not yet talked about here as well, and one that can be vital to proofreading and successive transition by the mother and or the father raising an effective and loving relationship and care status with their child. We would love to help and can answer all of your questions. Call the firm and talk to us if you are interested in otherwise.

Talk to Us Today About How We Can Help You

If you would like to learn more about what McGill Law is doing to advocate for parental rights and show you how we can help you, then please do not hesitate to contact our firm. We can hire a knowledgeable lawyer to give you a fair and aggressive review of what can be obtained under Tennessee law in your family parenting plans and the best way to achieve them. You can call us here.

Contact us today for more information.