Tennessee Law—How Much Does a Divorce Cost in TN?
One of the biggest hurdles to filing for divorce is the fear that it may ruin you financially.
Popular culture makes us believe that divorce cases involve expensive lawyers, lengthy court cases, and extortionate settlements.
If you are a Tennessee resident, DoNotPay can help explode the myths about the cost of a divorce. How much does a divorce cost in TN? DoNotPay has the answer!
The Basics of Tennessee Divorce Law
There are three basic forms of divorce in Tennessee law, namely:
- Agreed divorce
- Uncontested divorce
- Contested divorce
Agreed divorce
An agreed divorce is a low-cost, friendly divorce option for couples who have no:
- Children
- Joint property
- Shared business interests
The process of an agreed divorce is simple and relatively quick but is only open to you and your spouse if you fulfill the requirements.
Uncontested Divorce
Even if you have children or property, you can file for an uncontested divorce if you and your spouse agree on how your finances and responsibilities should be divided after your marriage is dissolved.
An uncontested divorce may be possible without the involvement of lawyers or courts, both of which will help in keeping your costs down.
Contested Divorce
If you and your spouse cannot agree on how your marriage should be dissolved, you will need to go through the courts to get your divorce.
This route will require attorneys to represent you and your spouse, as well as potentially lengthy court deliberations before a divorce can be granted. This can quickly become prohibitively expensive.
What Is the Average Cost of Divorce in TN?
The costs in a divorce case are made up of:
- Filing fees
- Court costs
- Lawyer’s fees
Filing your divorce papers at your county court costs between $184 and $301, depending on whether or not the case involves children. Court costs can add up to an additional $2,500 if the case is protracted.
The largest expense is incurred if you hire attorneys to fight your case. Tennessee lawyers charge between $200 and $300 per hour, and most will expect you to pay them a retainer for the duration of the case.
Your total costs for a divorce can soon rise to the level of $17,000 to $20,000. The more complicated your case and the more you and your spouse contest details of the settlement agreement, the higher this figure will climb.
An uncontested divorce is your best route if you want to avoid astronomical costs.
How Does an Uncontested Divorce Work in Tennessee?
It is in your best interests to aim for an uncontested divorce if you want the divorce procedure to be as quick and inexpensive as possible.
An uncontested divorce states that the marriage has irretrievably broken down, although neither spouse is at fault.
The steps to getting an uncontested divorce in Tennessee are as follows:
- Filing a petition for divorce
- Drawing up a settlement agreement
Filing a Petition for Divorce
If you and your spouse are looking for an uncontested divorce, you can file your petition for divorce jointly.
In this case, there is no need for one spouse to serve the other with the divorce paperwork—the respondent can sign a waiver to acknowledge that they have received the documents.
The petition for divorce must include lists of:
- Children or dependents
- Assets and liabilities
- Joint and individual business interests
- Income and expenses both as a couple and individually
Drawing Up a Settlement Agreement
Your divorce settlement agreement states what is going to happen to everything listed in your petition and should include agreements on:
- Custody, childcare, and maintenance payments
- Alimony
- Division of assets and liabilities
- Separation of joint business interests
The more detailed and comprehensive your settlement agreement is, the higher the likelihood that a judge will grant your divorce without you having to appear in court.
If you and your spouse can agree on every point in the agreement, you should not need to engage a lawyer.
Even if there are outstanding points you can’t agree on, a cheaper option is for you and your spouse to submit to mediation. In this case, an impartial mediator will help you reach a negotiated settlement.
Where Can You Have a Settlement Agreement Drawn Up in TN?
Drawing up a divorce settlement agreement in Tennessee can be the difference between an easy uncontested divorce and one that takes months and costs the earth.
You can get your divorce settlement agreement in the following ways:
| Settlement Agreement Resource | Explanation |
| Lawyer | A lawyer is the default choice for many couples, but they can quickly become expensive and may not be necessary if you and your spouse are agreed on the major points of your settlement |
| County court | Your local county court may have approved templates for you to fill in, but many couples find them over-complicated—you could find yourself hiring an attorney to decipher them |
| Online | Several companies offer online templates for settlement agreements. A word of warning—these are frequently generic and may not:
|
DoNotPay can remove all these obstacles in one shot. We can in a flash!
DoNotPay Solves Your Tennessee Settlement Agreement Woes!
DoNotPay is committed to helping you make your divorce as easy, cheap, and painless as possible!
We have developed a Divorce Settlement Agreement product that can tailor-make a watertight and comprehensive legal document for you in an instant.
Here’s how to prepare your settlement agreement:
- Go to our Divorce Settlement Agreement product
- Answer our questions
The rest is down to us. We will generate your document in an instant, and all you need to do is sign it together with your spouse in the presence of a notary.
To make the process even easier, DoNotPay can save you the hassle of looking for a local notary—you can use our online notarization service instead!
Can DoNotPay Provide Info on TN County Divorce?
If you are looking for detailed info on divorce procedures in a specific Tennessee county, look no further than DoNotPay. Here are some counties that we can help you with::
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