Legal Question in Family Law in Tennessee

Re: absent parent now seeks vistitaion and/or custody

If you were not married when the children were born, and there is no court order for visitation, you are not required to allow it.

The best way to accomplish what you want is to file a petition in juvenile court in your county to establish his parenting time and to ask that it initially be either supervised or that it only begin after he and the children first go into counseling together.

Now, while you COULD do that, and likely would get it, you really need to ask yourself if that is genuinely needed.

When your children go to school each fall I am betting you entrust your children to teachers who are perfect strangers to you, and to your children. If their father never did anything to create a genuine concern that he would be likely to cause them harm or put them at risk if they were with him now, it makes no sense to require more of him than you would for a new teacher this fall.

And if you are concerned he will abandon the children again, just make sure they know how to use a phone and can reach you if he does.

Your concern appears to be more justifiable anger than legitimate concern.