A judge in Dickson County on the final hearing in Donald K. Patton's divorce granted the petition filed by his wife, Jennifer Patton, and issued a series of orders on custody, property division and support.

The judge found that the statutory grounds for divorce had been met and named Jennifer Patton the primary residential parent for the couple's two minor children. The court kept child support at the prior monthly level and ordered Donald Patton to pay $750 a month in transitional alimony for six years.

The judge said the marital residence had a listed value of $195,000 and an outstanding mortgage balance of about $150,000, leaving roughly $45,000 in equity. The court awarded the home and that equity to Jennifer Patton. Proceeds of $26,006.84 that had previously been deposited in the clerk's registry from the sale of a business were ordered split equally between the parties.

The order addressed several contested personal-property items: a gunsmithing lathe was to be sold for $5,000 and the proceeds divided; a Kubota tractor and an enclosed trailer were awarded to Donald Patton with responsibility for related debt and payments; household furniture, appliances and other items in the marital home stayed with Jennifer Patton. The court said it would credit or hold Donald Patton responsible for an existing $157,000 judgment tied to a vending-machine dispute reflected in the record.

On parenting, the judge left the existing visitation schedule in place but expressed concern about parental behavior and its effect on the children. The court required both parents to enroll the family in joint family therapy and ordered the parents to share costs. The judge reserved any additional summer visitation award pending the parents' performance in therapy and warned that court-ordered changes could be modified if a parent did not comply or if the children' welfare required it.

The judge explained the decision by citing the parties' incomes and debts: Jennifer Patton reported annual earnings of about $52,000 and Donald Patton reported retirement and VA-related income of roughly $7,348.42 per month. After considering monthly obligations and the parties' financial positions, the judge awarded transitional alimony of $750 per month for six years and left the previously ordered child-support payment in place.

The judge also warned both parents against speaking negatively about the other parent to the children and said the court would enforce that prohibition if necessary. The decision emphasized that the overriding priority is the children's emotional welfare and that both parents must avoid actions that push the children into taking sides.

The judge directed counsel for the parties to draft the formal decree and related orders for signature.

The court's ruling contains a mix of final and interim measures: the divorce and some asset allocations are final, while the parenting schedule, additional summer time and enforcement mechanisms are tied to the ordered family therapy and remain subject to later review.

Why it matters: The decision both finalizes the legal end of the Pattons' marriage and sets a framework intended to limit ongoing harm to their children. The combination of property awards, an alimony stream and mandatory therapy is aimed at stabilizing the household Jennifer Patton will continue to head while giving Donald Patton a path to maintain regular contact with the children under court supervision.