Cole Law Group Blog

Does Each Co-Tenant Have the Right to Use 100% of Joint Property? In Tennessee, 95.2% of the land is privately owned.[i] In many cases, private land is concurrently owned by two or more individuals as tenants in common. Although each co-tenant in a tenancy in common holds an undivided interest in the property and retains…

Is Operating a Business Out of Your Home Illegal in Nashville?  With over 1,600 home-based businesses operating in the city of Nashville, Tennessee, could it be true that many of them are illegal?¹ Section 17.16.250 of Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws that governs residential zoning ordinances contains a provision regarding “home occupations”.²…

On November 12, 2021, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a new law addressing several issues related to the response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and COVID-19 vaccinations. The new law became effective immediately upon being signed by Gov. Lee on November 12, 2021. Among other things, the new law significantly curtails…

U.S. Military retirement benefits allow military service members to elect to purchase a Survivor Benefit Plan (“SBP”).¹ SBP was created by Congress in 1972 and has been amended several times. The SBP is a monthly annuity that, upon the service member’s death, will be paid to the service member’s designated beneficiary, such as a surviving…

The main concern of most parents in Tennessee is the welfare of their child.  However, occasionally a single parent or a family will find themselves in the unfortunate and often heart-wrenching situation of dealing with the legal issue of emergency child custody. Emergency custody matters may arise due to any of the following:  the commitment…

Grayson v. Grayson Tennessee Court of Appeals A recent Tennessee Court of Appeals case spent significant time analyzing and discussing United States Department of Defense Financial Management Regulations regarding military retirement benefits in divorce. Grayson v. Grayson, No. E2020-01339-COA-R3-CV, 2021 Tenn. App. LEXIS 354 (Ct. App. Sep. 3, 2021). Grayson v. Grayson Facts In the…

VA disability law can be daunting for many eligible veterans who want to submit a VA disability claim or wish to appeal a negative disability determination. One of the main concepts that is difficult for service members to understand is which injuries or illnesses VA disability will cover. The answer is “only those disabilities that…

“Where there’s no will, there’s no say” Approximately 60% of Americans are said to die “intestate”.1 Simply put, this means that the deceased individual (i.e. the “decedent”) did not create a legally valid and enforceable will during his or her lifetime. Nevertheless, the decedent’s estate must be distributed in some manner. In general, most state…

As if our city hadn’t had a tough enough year as it was, early on Christmas morning a bomb was detonated in downtown Nashville that caused massive destruction. 2nd avenue, just off Broadway, was left completely in ruin and in need of urgent assistance. Luckily, if there is anything the year 2020 didn’t take away…

Many current or former service members and their current or former spouses are generally aware of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act. However, from my experience in working with military family law matters, it is an area of law that many people misunderstand. The purpose of this article is to help members and former…