Can Stepparents Get Visitation Rights in Tennessee?
Family structures are constantly changing throughout the country and in the State of Tennessee. The law in Tennessee recognizes this and considers a stepparent’s important role in a minor child’s life. In some instances, a biological parent will allow visitation between the child and a stepparent. However, when the biological parent does not allow for this visitation, there are certain legal rights that the stepparent might be able to assert.
If you are in the midst of divorce proceedings and you and your spouse have minor children, it is extremely likely that the legal issues of child custody and visitation will arise. The Murfreesboro child custody and visitation lawyers at Dotson & Taylor can help you resolve those issues and work to facilitate an agreement with the other side. If an agreement cannot be reached, your lawyer can take the necessary action to litigate your case in the court system on your behalf. Please give us a call today to find out more about how we could assist you with resolving your Tennessee legal custody issues.
Tennessee Law Regarding Stepparent Visitation
Tennessee law supports a minor child’s visitation with a stepparent under certain circumstances – specifically, when one spouse files a lawsuit for annulment, separate maintenance, or divorce. When it comes to allowing for stepparent visitation, the law takes two separate considerations into account.
First, courts will take into account the best interests of the minor child. In other words, the court will ask whether stepparent visitation actually serves the child’s best interests. In addition, courts will take economic considerations into account. Specifically, the court will ask whether the stepparent is contributing toward the minor child’s support or otherwise providing for the minor child. If the stepparent is not doing this, it is unlikely that visitation will be allowed under those circumstances.
In many cases, children form close relationships with their stepparents. However, Tennessee law assumes that if the relationship is sufficiently important for a stepparent to seek visitation rights, then he or she will automatically take some interest in financially supporting the minor child. This added financial requirement helps to eliminate stepparents who are more interested in seeking revenge against a biological parent than actually spending time with the minor child.
The law also allows a family court judge a certain amount of discretion when it comes to making the necessary modifications to child custody and visitation arrangements. This is a catch-all provision that allows a court to consider the totality of circumstances in helping to ensure that the final outcome is truly in the best interests of the minor child.
Speak with a Knowledgeable Murfreesboro Child Custody and Visitation Lawyer Today
The experienced legal team at Dotson & Taylor is ready to assist you with resolving – and if necessary, litigating – all of your child custody and visitation issues. To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Murfreesboro child custody and visitation attorney, please call us at (615) 890-1982 or contact us online today to learn more about how we could help.