Cole Law Group Blog

Alimony – A Primary Issue in Divorce For better or worse, nearly half of marriages in the United States end in divorce. Although the exact statistics on divorce fluctuate slightly from year to year and state to state, the residents of Tennessee are no strangers to breaking the bonds of matrimony. Throughout Tennessee, it is…

The United States immigration system contains millions of pending applications at any given time. Although many immigrants throughout the United States ultimately submit their applications to obtain lawful permanent residence (i.e., a “Green Card”) or other immigration benefits to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), the Immigration Courts located in the Executive Office for…

In the United States, one of the most important goals for millions of immigrants is acquiring a “Green Card” – the symbol of lawful permanent residence and a pathway to citizenship. Although many immigrants apply for a Green Card through a family member who is already a lawful permanent resident or United States citizen, many…

Throughout America, one of the greatest struggles facing millions of immigrants is that of obtaining lawful permanent residence or – as it is commonly called – a “Green Card.” There are dozens of possible paths to obtaining a Green Card. Even many undocumented immigrants have a pathway to legal permanent residence available to them. Part…

The “Green Card” – to some, it is a symbol of hope, accomplishment, and security for a new life in America. To others, it symbolizes peace of mind, enduring stability with loved ones, and extinguishing the fear of deportation. Regardless of background or viewpoint, obtaining a Green Card means successfully completing the path to legal…

Property owned during a marriage in Tennessee is classified as either separate property or marital property. This distinction becomes quite important for many spouses when considering divorce. The concept is worth understanding because only marital property is subject to equitable distribution during a divorce. Separate property includes property which was owned by a spouse before…

Understanding USERRA The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) is a federal law designed to protect the civilian employment of active, reserve, and national guard military personnel in the United States called to active duty.1 The three major purposes of USERRA are protection against discrimination, minimize disruption by providing for prompt…

“Every battle is won or lost before it is ever fought.” Although we say, “until death do us part” and fully expect our lives with that special someone to last forever, unfortunately, sometimes those expectations fall short of the reality.  Whether it’s because one spouse did something unforgivable or you simply grew apart, divorce may…

HIPAA is a complicated law with numerous provisions. HIPAA is the abbreviation of the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Public Law 104-191.1 HIPAA included provisions in the law that authorized the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to adopt national standards to protect the privacy of personal health information. HIPAA mandated…

In most instances under the law, debt is incurred in the capacity of the person(s) involved in the transaction only. Yet, there are several exceptions to this rule. State contract and family law apply to determine if one spouse may be liable for the debt of the other spouse. Tennessee law has provisions for garnishment,…