Divorce can change where you live, how often you see your children, what happens to the home you built, and what your finances look like for years.
You do not need more uncertainty. You need to know what your rights are, what your spouse can and cannot do, and what steps you should take now to protect yourself.
At the Law Office of Amanda Gentry, we help people throughout Nashville and Davidson County navigate divorce with a clear plan. Whether your separation is cooperative or already turning into a fight over children, money, or property, we prepare from the beginning to protect what matters most.
If you are considering divorce—or your spouse has already filed—call (615) 604-6263 to schedule a confidential consultation.
Why Choose Our Nashville, Tennessee Divorce Attorneys
You should not have to explain your family to a new person every time you call your lawyer.
Our approach is personal and direct. We take the time to understand what is at stake for you, whether that means keeping your relationship with your children strong, protecting a business, staying in the family home, securing financial support, or simply getting through the divorce without unnecessary conflict.
We also know when a cooperative approach makes sense and when it is time to push back.
A divorce does not need to become a battle over everything. But if your spouse is hiding assets, refusing reasonable parenting arrangements, ignoring financial obligations, or trying to gain an unfair advantage, waiting can make the problem harder to fix.
Our job is to help you see those risks early and make informed decisions before they become expensive mistakes.
Grounds for Divorce in Tennessee
Tennessee recognizes both fault and no-fault grounds for divorce.
Many divorces proceed on the ground of irreconcilable differences. Tennessee also recognizes fault-based grounds including adultery, inappropriate marital conduct, abandonment, habitual drunkenness or drug abuse arising after marriage, and several other statutory grounds.
Which ground should be used depends on what happened in the marriage and what issues are actually disputed.
Fault does not automatically determine who gets the house, children, or every other issue in the divorce. It can, however, become relevant in certain financial and alimony decisions depending on the circumstances.
Our guide to fault vs. no-fault grounds explains the distinction in greater detail.
Contested Divorce vs. Uncontested Divorce
An uncontested divorce means you and your spouse have reached agreement on the issues that must be resolved before the marriage can legally end.
That may include property, debts, alimony, and—when children are involved—a parenting plan and child support.
An uncontested divorce can often be faster and less expensive than litigation because there are fewer issues for a judge to decide.
A contested divorce means one or more important issues remain unresolved. You may disagree over parenting time, the value of a business, who should keep the house, whether alimony is appropriate, or how marital debt should be divided.
Contested does not necessarily mean trial. Many disputes are resolved through negotiation or mediation. But when an agreement cannot be reached, the court can decide the remaining issues.
Our firm prepares contested cases carefully from the start so that you are positioned for negotiation without being unprepared if court becomes necessary.
What Divorce Attorney Should You Hire in Nashville?
Do not choose a divorce lawyer based only on an advertisement, hourly rate, or a claim to be the “best.”
Look for someone who understands Tennessee family law, knows the Davidson County court system, communicates clearly, and is willing to tell you both the strengths and weaknesses of your position.
You should also ask practical questions:
- Who will actually handle your case?
- How quickly can you expect calls or emails to be returned?
- What is the likely strategy?
- What problems does the attorney see immediately?
- How are fees billed?
- What can you do to keep the case focused and control costs?
The right lawyer should help you make decisions—not make you feel more confused.
How the Divorce Process Works, Step by Step
A Tennessee divorce begins when one spouse files a complaint. The other spouse is then formally notified and has an opportunity to respond.
From there, the process depends heavily on how much the parties agree.
Filing and Temporary Issues
Early in the case, immediate questions may need to be addressed. These can involve access to money, responsibility for household expenses, temporary parenting arrangements, or temporary support.
Financial records are also exchanged so both sides can identify income, assets, debts, and other information needed to resolve the case.
Negotiation, Mediation, and Trial
Many divorces resolve through direct negotiation or mediation.
When the spouses reach an agreement, the terms can be incorporated into the final divorce documents. If children are involved, the parties generally also need an acceptable parenting plan.
If important issues remain unresolved, the court may conduct a hearing or trial and decide them.
Tennessee imposes a statutory minimum waiting period before a divorce can be heard: generally at least 60 days after filing when the spouses have no unmarried child under 18 and 90 days when they do. Those are minimum periods, not promises that the case will be finished on day 60 or 90.
Read more about the full divorce process in Tennessee.
Dividing Marital Property and Debt
Tennessee uses equitable distribution, which means the court divides marital property and marital debt in a way it considers equitable. Equitable does not necessarily mean an automatic 50/50 split.
Marital property can include homes, bank accounts, retirement benefits, investments, vehicles, businesses, and other assets acquired during the marriage. Certain property owned before marriage or acquired by gift or inheritance may qualify as separate property, although tracing and appreciation issues can complicate that distinction.
What Happens to the House?
There is no automatic rule saying the husband or wife keeps the family home.
The house may be sold, awarded to one spouse with an offset to the other, or handled another way depending on equity, finances, children, and the overall property division.
Our discussion of who gets the house addresses that question in more detail.
High-Asset Divorces Need More Preparation
A divorce involving a business, multiple properties, substantial retirement accounts, investments, or complex compensation requires careful valuation.
Our high-asset divorce practice focuses on identifying what exists, determining what is marital or separate, and making sure significant assets are valued before an agreement is signed.
Existing prenuptial agreements can also materially affect property and support issues and should be reviewed early.
Spousal Support and Alimony in Tennessee
Alimony is not automatic in a Tennessee divorce.
Courts can consider each spouse's income, earning capacity, financial resources, education, length of the marriage, health, standard of living, contributions to the marriage, property division, and other statutory factors. Tennessee recognizes several forms of alimony, including rehabilitative, transitional, periodic, and lump-sum support.
One spouse may need temporary help becoming financially independent. Another case may involve a longer marriage and a significant gap between the spouses' earning abilities.
We help clients seeking support as well as those being asked to pay it. Learn more about spousal support in Tennessee.
Child Custody and Parenting Plans
If you have children, the parenting plan may be the most important part of your divorce.
Tennessee courts focus on the child's best interests rather than automatically preferring mothers or fathers. State law expressly provides that a parent's gender does not create a presumption for or against custody.
A permanent parenting plan can address where the child will live, the parenting schedule, holidays, transportation, decision-making responsibilities, and other issues that affect daily family life.
The details matter. A vague plan that seems workable during settlement can create years of conflict after the divorce.
Our child custody attorneys can help you build or challenge a parenting arrangement based on your child's needs and the realities of your family.
Child Support Calculations
Tennessee child support is calculated under statewide guidelines using an Income Shares model.
The calculation considers the parents' adjusted gross income, the number of children, parenting time, and other permitted adjustments and credits. The Tennessee Department of Human Services maintains the guidelines and calculation tools used for support orders.
A support calculation should be based on accurate information.
Income issues can become especially important when a parent is self-employed, earns commissions or bonuses, owns a business, or argues that income has changed.
Our team can help you evaluate child support in Tennessee whether you expect to pay or receive support.
What Does a Divorce Attorney Cost in Tennessee?
There is no single price for a Nashville divorce.
Most contested family-law cases are billed based on the amount of attorney time required, often with an initial retainer. The overall cost depends heavily on how complicated the case becomes.
An uncontested divorce in which the spouses already agree on property, support, and parenting issues will generally require less legal work than a contested case involving extensive discovery, business valuation, custody disputes, experts, repeated hearings, or trial.
The attorney's hourly rate is therefore only one part of the cost.
Ask how the firm bills, what retainer is required, what issues are likely to drive fees, and what you can do to avoid unnecessary litigation.
We discuss fees and expectations with you before you commit so you can make an informed decision about your representation.
Talk to Our Nashville Divorce Attorneys at the Law Office of Amanda Gentry Today
You do not need to wait until your spouse has moved money, filed first, or turned a disagreement about the children into an emergency.
The earlier you understand your options, the more control you have over your next move.
Our team can help you identify what needs immediate attention, what can wait, and what steps will best protect your children, property, and financial future.
Schedule your confidential consultation or call (615) 604-6263 today.
Divorce FAQs
What Is a Wife Entitled to in a Divorce in Tennessee?
Tennessee divorce law does not provide an automatic financial preference for a wife or husband.
Either spouse may receive an equitable share of marital property. Alimony depends on statutory factors such as need, ability to pay, earning capacity, marriage length, and financial circumstances.
If the spouses have children, child support and parenting arrangements are analyzed separately.
What Are the Three C's of Divorce?
Communication. Compromise. Cooperation.
Those can help in an amicable divorce, but they are not legal requirements and should not replace advice about protecting your financial or parental rights.
How Long Does a Divorce Take in Davidson County?
Tennessee requires a minimum waiting period of 60 days in cases without an unmarried child under 18 and 90 days when the parties have one.
An uncontested case may be completed relatively soon after the applicable waiting period if the paperwork and agreement are ready and the court can hear the matter.
A contested divorce may take substantially longer because discovery, valuation, mediation, motions, custody disputes, or trial may need to occur.
Do I Have to Go to Trial?
No.
Many Nashville divorces are resolved through negotiation or mediation.
If you and your spouse cannot resolve important issues, however, a judge may need to decide them. We prepare for that possibility even while working toward an agreement.
