Gates Law Office

Gates Law Office

Brittany graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2007 with a degree of Bachelor of Arts.  After receiving her undergraduate degree, Brittany attended Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida. During her time in Florida, Brittany worked as a volunteer at the Duval County Public Defender’s Office for three (3) years and she also worked as a legal intern for the Department of Children and Families in Jacksonville, Florida. 

While in law school, Brittany was also an active member of the Jacksonville Bar Association Student Division, Criminal Law Society, American Association for Justice Law Student Division, Women Law Student’s Association, Career Services student advisory board, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Club, the American bar association law student Division, Pi Delta Phi and completed over 125 hours of pro bono legal work.

After graduating law school, Brittany moved back to Tennessee, to establish her own law practice. She currently focuses her practice in the Middle Tennessee area. Brittany has extensive experience in Personal Injury Law, Domestic Law (Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support), Criminal and Civil Law, Juvenile Law and Collection Law.

Area of Practice

Personal Injury

If you have been injured in an accident, then an attorney can help you negotiate your accident injury claim and get you results.

Domestic/Family Law

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE IN TENNESSEE

In order to file for divorce, grounds for divorce must be established. A divorce may either be contested or uncontested, but a divorce is rarely ever truly uncontested. If the parties to the divorce cannot agree or compromise on every issue, whether it be a parenting plan, division of property, or alimony, then the divorce is contested. Contested or uncontested, one of the following grounds must be established:

· Abandonment
· Adultery
· Attempt on the life of one’s spouse
· Bigamy
· Conviction of a felony
· Conviction of an infamous crime
· Desertion for one year
· Habitual drunkenness or abuse of narcotic drugs
· Impotence and inability to procreate
· Inappropriate marital conduct (formally called cruel and inhuman treatment)
· Indignities
· Irreconcilable Differences
· Refusal to move
· Pregnancy by another
· Two years separation after an order of legal separation

Criminal Law

A body of rules and statutes that defines conduct prohibited by the government because it threatens and harms public safety and welfare and that establishes punishment to be imposed for the commission of such acts.

The term criminal law generally refers to substantive criminal laws. Substantive criminal laws define crimes and may establish punishments. In contrast, Criminal Procedure describes the process through which the criminal laws are enforced. For example, the law prohibiting murder is a substantive criminal law. The manner in which government enforces this substantive law—through the gathering of evidence and prosecution—is generally considered a procedural matter.

Crimes are usually categorized as felonies or misdemeanors based on their nature and the maximum punishment that can be imposed. A felony involves serious misconduct that is punishable by death or by imprisonment for more than one year. Most state criminal laws subdivide felonies into different classes with varying degrees of punishment. Crimes that do not amount to felonies are misdemeanors or violations. A misdemeanor is misconduct for which the law prescribes punishment of no more than one year in prison. Lesser offenses, such as traffic and parking infractions, are often called violations and are considered a part of criminal law.

A DUI charge can be extremely expensive once court costs and all fines and fees are paid. Potential costs of a DUI conviction commonly include: Court Costs, Fines, Attorney Fees, Bail, Alcohol Education Programs, Ignition Interlock Program Costs, Higher Insurance Premiums, Driver License Reinstatement Fees.

• For a First Conviction: Fines cost $350-$1500. Jail time can range from 24 hours-11 months 29 days. Your license may be revoked for up to 1 year.
• For a Second Conviction: Fines cost $600-$3500. Jail time ranges from 45 days- 11 months 29 days. Your license may be revoked for up to 2 years.
  • A second DUI Conviction occurring within 5 years of the first, other sanctions apply:
  • Mandatory enrollment in the Ignition Interlock Program for 6 months following reinstatement of driver’s license .
  • Your vehicle may be subject to seizure or forfeiture.
• For a Third Conviction: Fines cost $1,100-$10,000. Jail time ranges from 120 days- 11 months 29 days. Your license may be revoked for 3-5 years.
• For a Fourth Conviction: Fines cost $3,000-$15,000. Jail time is no less than 150 consecutive days. Your license may be revoked for 5 years.

DUIs should not be taken lightly. There are certain legal grounds a lawyer may rely on to defend a DUI charge against you. A charge of Driving Under the Influence can be a complicated matter. If you have been charged with a DUI, contact a skilled criminal defense attorney to protect your legal rights.

Juvenile Law

There are two areas of Juvenile law in Tennessee: Criminal Juvenile and Dependency and Neglect. In criminal Juvenile, a person under the age of eighteen (18) is charged with a crime and declared unruly or delinquent. Delinquent just merely means the criminal acts of minors. Juvenile law has its own set of rules than that of adult criminal court.

Dependency and Neglect

The second major area of Juvenile law is the area where the Department of Children Services or DCS is usually involved. This area is more geared towards the parent of the Juvenile than the Juvenile themselves. When a parent abandons, neglects, commits child abuse, has an unsafe environment (such as a house where illegal drugs are used) or fails to financially or physically provide support toward their child, DCS is usually called and removes the child from the unsafe or unstable environment and files a Petition for Dependency and Neglect against the parents. There are many steps to take for a parent to take to get their children back so it is important that they obtain a well experienced attorney to represent them in the Dependency and Neglect proceeding.