{"id":376464,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:48","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/tennessee-law\/tennessee-legal-requirements-for-divorce.html"},"modified":"2025-02-26T14:15:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T19:15:09","slug":"tennessee-legal-requirements-for-divorce","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/tennessee-law\/tennessee-legal-requirements-for-divorce.html","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Divorce Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tennessee Divorce Laws <\/h1>\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Divorce is never easy. It often involves emotionally charged disputes and tough decisions, particularly when you have minor children. The good news is that state laws don’t force people to stay married if it’s no longer working out. But, they do have specific legal requirements for divorce<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Here, we’ll highlight Tennessee’s divorce laws<\/a>. We will also explain how the divorce process works in the Volunteer State, specifically about alimony, child custody, and division of marital property.<\/p>\r\n

Divorce Laws in Tennessee: At a Glance<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

If you are considering filing for divorce, review the following provisions of Tennessee’s divorce laws to get started. See FindLaw’s extensive Divorce<\/a> section for more resources.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Code section<\/th>\r\n

\u00a7 36-4-101 et seq. <\/a>of the Tennessee Code<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Residency requirements<\/th>\r\n

Six months<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Waiting period<\/th>\r\n

60 days (90 days if you have minor children)<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

No-fault grounds for divorce<\/th>\r\n

Separation of two years with no minor children; irreconcilable differences<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Defenses to a divorce filing<\/th>\r\n

Collusion, forgiveness, or mutual marital misconduct<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Other grounds for divorce<\/th>\r\n