July 2019 – Gregory D Smith

Divorce mediation is a peaceful alternative to litigation

The divorce process is never easy. Even if ending your marriage is a mutual decision, it can be full of turmoil and confusion. The thought of courtroom battles may fill you with dread. But there is an alternative to the traditional litigation – mediation. We at The Law Office of Gregory D. Smith offer mediation services because we understand that litigation is not the best method for everyone. Our team helps many couples get divorced amicably and quickly.

Contrary to popular beliefs and portrayals of divorce, it does not need to deplete your emotional and financial resources. yours does not need to be full of anger and fear. Psychology Today points out that mediation is a collaborative and cost-effective alternative to adversarial litigation. Mediating your divorce allows you to negotiate an agreement instead of lashing out at one another.

Mediation is best if you and your spouse are transparent and respectful. The process provides both of you with equal bargaining strength. In mediation, a neutral third party guides you through the dispute resolution process until you both come to an agreement about the issues in your divorce. By maintaining civility and common goals, mediation often eases the psychological pain and monetary expenses of divorce.

The mediation process gives you a peaceful structure to communicate, clarity about the law and a chance to voice your concerns. Just because you are ending your marriage does not necessarily mean you and your spouse cannot work together to make the process easier on yourselves. You can find out more about divorce mediation on our web page.

If you are in Tennessee and have questions about rules regarding mediation, call the Law Office of Gregory D. Smith, 931/647-1299 or visit www.gsmithlawfirm.com. Mr. Smith is listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers and is A-V rated by Martindale-Hubbell. You can read a featured article about Mr. Smith in the November, 2019 ABA Journal, (the national magazine of the American Bar Association), athttp://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/tennessee-attorney-greg-smith.

July 26, 2019/by admin

How Do I Navigate a Special-Needs Child and Divorce?

Civil Law, Family Law

Divorce is a difficult time for anybody, but if there is a special-needs child in the balance the stakes are much higher and things can become much more complex. In the event that you are going through a divorce with a child who has special needs in Tennessee, you likely have concerns that other parents will not need to consider.

According to the Special Needs Alliance, coming up with a solid parenting plan and how the child’s transition to adulthood will look is absolutely paramount. In the event that the divorce between you and your soon-to-be ex-partner is not amicable, then adequate legal representation is needed for both sides. It is important to be aware that child support calculators tend to not take the expenses related to a special-needs child into consideration. Additionally, child support may be counted against governmental benefits like Medicare and SSI, so both you and your ex-partner must keep this in mind.

This is particularly salient in the event that your child will require long-term care. In the majority of divorces, child support ends when the child reaches the age of majority or when he or she graduates university. With many special-needs children, the parents must face the reality of managing a lifelong situation. It is important for both parents to understand if the child will move into a care facility upon the age of majority or if one or both parents are committed to lifelong maintenance.

It is also important for both parties to draw up living wills and estate plans that provide provisions for the care of the child in the event of the death of one or both parents.

If you are in Tennessee and have questions about rules regarding divorce and custody, call the Law Office of Gregory D. Smith, 931/647-1299 or visit www.gsmithlawfirm.com. Mr. Smith is listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers and is A-V rated by Martindale-Hubbell. You can read a featured article about Mr. Smith in the November, 2019 ABA Journal,(the national magazine of the American Bar Association), athttp://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/tennessee-attorney-greg-smith.

July 15, 2019/by admin

Private employers must now comply with the Healthy Workplace Act

Civil Law

Tennessee is the first state to legislate anti-bullying at work, and an employer accused of abusive conduct towards its employees may face a civil action. If you are a business owner, it may be in your best interests to become familiar with a recent change made to the Healthy Workplace Act, which now requires private employers to adopt and address policies to prevent bullying. The Act, which was first passed in 2014, initially only required public sector employers, such as local, state and county governments, to comply. The Law Office of Gregory D. Smith is committed to bringing satisfactory results to both private and public sector employer and employee workplace issues.

The provisions of the updated Healthy Workplace Act are designed to prevent abusive conduct within a more inclusive range of employers. Abusive workplace conduct may include sabotage, verbal or physical actions. Governor Bill Lee’s amendment requiring private companies to also adopt and implement anti-bullying workplace guidelines went into effect on April 23, 2019.

If you are an employee of a company in Tennessee, you may wish to request a copy of your employer’s policy document for promoting a healthy work environment. Some courses of action employers may take to recognize and resolve abusive workplace conduct might include:

Training employees and supervisors to recognize what constitutes respectful conduct versus that which is bullying or abusive
Rewarding employee behaviors that are positive while addressing those that are considered negative
Adopting anti-retaliation policies and providing a reliable process for employees to report complaints, improper behavior or abusive conduct

Employer-employee conflicts may often be resolved quickly through an effective communication channel. When an issue arises without a means for discussing the problem, however, it may fester and lead to negative performance or it may possibly result in a civil action. Visit my page on civil law to learn more about employee rights in the workplace.

If you are in Tennessee and have questions about rules regarding employment law, call the Law Office of Gregory D. Smith, 931/647-1299 or visit www.gsmithlawfirm.com. Mr. Smith is listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers and is A-V rated by Martindale-Hubbell. You can read a featured article about Mr. Smith in the November, 2019 ABA Journal, (the national magazine of the American Bar Association), athttp://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/tennessee-attorney-greg-smith.

July 2, 2019/by admin

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