The passage of another year presents a good time for us to reflect on past accomplishments (and mistakes), future goals, and how we can make things better.

We’ve been in our new office above Mast General Store for two years, and I cannot overstate how much I love being here. I keep waiting for the joy of working here to fade, but it hasn’t. I’m so fortunate to do what I do in this environment. If you haven’t visited, please do. I’d love to show you around.

The reach and influence of this site continue to grow. I published 156 posts this year, bringing the total number of posts to 1,367 (!!!).

It’s humbling to know that my thoughts, musings, and analyses are read by trial and appellate court judges and lawyers across the state, as well as litigants and those looking for answers to family-law questions. It’s a common occurrence for me to walk into a courthouse or attend a law-related function and have someone approach me with kind words about this site. It’s always good to get feedback from you.

The coming year will bring changes to this site. First, the look of this site will be updated. I’m excited to unveil a new design in January or February. Expect it to look much better.

Second, in the category of past mistakes, I didn’t publish a single podcast in 2019. I have a long list of excuses, but none are good enough. I will resume creating and publishing podcasts this year.

Third, February 18 will mark the 10th anniversary of my first post. It’s hard to believe I’ve been writing about this stuff for so long. I didn’t imagine I’d still be at it 10 years later. I suppose I’ll keep at it for a bit longer. Writing about the law helps keep my mind sharp.

Aside from that, the plan is to keep doing what I’ve been doing, i.e., explaining the latest developments in Tennessee family law and trying to create funny (to me) memes. If you have ideas for things you’d like to see or ways this site can be more helpful to you, let me know.

You can help by sharing posts on social media using the share buttons at the bottom of each post. This site provides a quick and easy way to stay current on the law. Encouraging others to read these posts will elevate the practice of family law for everyone.

These were the 10 most popular posts from 2019:

1. Tennessee Changes Rule about Objections to Discovery Requests, and War is Declared on “General Objections”;
2. Tennessee Family Law Legislative Update 2019;
3. Calculating the New Child Tax Credits in Tennessee Parenting Plans;
4. Severe Child Abuse Examined in Knoxville, Tennessee Dependency and Neglect Case: In re E.Z.;
5. Restricted Parenting Time Affirmed in Roane County, Tennessee Parenting Dispute: Nelson v. Justice;
6. Privilege against Self-Incrimination and Adverse Inferences Examined in Smithville, Tennessee: Smith ex rel. Agee v. Palmer;
7. Ability to Pay Child Support Disputed in Memphis, Tennessee: State ex rel. Groesse v. Sumner;
8. One Day, Two Termination-Of-Parental-Rights Cases, Two Best-Interest Factors, Two Reversals: In re Autumn L. and In re Serenity W.;
9. Failure to File Proposed Parenting Plan Not Fatal to Child-Custody Modification in Tennessee: Freeman v. Freeman; and
10. Tennessee Supreme Court Proposes Mandatory Pretrial Discovery Disclosures in Divorce Litigation.

Finally, here are some personal photos from 2019 that have nothing to do with family law: