STEPHANIE PAIGE ROPER (NOW STEPHANIE PAIGE BRUCE) v. WESLEY GARRETT ROPER - Articles

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STEPHANIE PAIGE ROPER (NOW STEPHANIE PAIGE BRUCE) v. WESLEY GARRETT ROPER

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Jan 23, 2026

Court: TN Court of Appeals

Attorneys 1: Karla C. Miller, Nashville, Tennessee, for the appellant, Wesley Garrett Roper.

Attorneys 2: Gregory D. Smith, Clarksville, Tennessee, for the appellee, Stephanie Paige Roper.

Judge(s): MCBRAYER

In this post-divorce dispute, a father petitioned to modify the permanent parenting plan and child support. The mother counterpetitioned for civil contempt alleging the father had willfully violated the parenting plan. After a bench trial, the court denied the father’s petition and held him in civil contempt. Because the evidence preponderates in favor of a finding of a material change in circumstance sufficient to modify the residential parenting schedule, we vacate the denial of the father’s petition to modify the parenting plan and remand for the court to determine whether modification is in the child’s best interest. We reverse the court’s decision to hold the father in civil contempt for failure to maintain insurance coverage because the decision lacked sufficient factual support. Given our disposition of these issues, we also vacate the court’s award of attorney’s fees to the mother as the prevailing party. Otherwise, we affirm.

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