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Committee advances bill creating rebuttable presumption of equal parenting time; lawyers and advocates urge caution
Summary
Senate Bill 13-31 would create a rebuttable presumption that shared (roughly 50/50) parenting time is in the child's best interest. Family-law groups and child-safety advocates testified against the presumption, arguing it would raise burdens and present risks in domestic-violence cases; the committee advanced the bill to calendar.
Senate Bill 13-31 would add a statutory presumption in family-law proceedings that shared fiscal custody and equal parenting time is the starting point in custody disputes. Sponsor Senator Blake Music said the measure is intended to prioritize relationships with both parents and provide children the stability of meaningful time with each parent.
Opponents — including the Tennessee Bar Association Family Law Executive Council and…
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