Divorce

There are two pathways to divorce couples can choose to take; contested divorce and agreed, or no-fault divorce. At The Cantrell Law Firm, we handle both contested and agreed divorces. Whichever path you choose, our focus is to ensure your divorce settlement ends with a fair disbursement of your marital estate.

Agreed Divorce

An agreed divorce, also known as no-fault divorce or uncontested divorce in Tennessee, is a mutual decision to dissolve the marriage. You must agree on everything, including property division, joint debts, a parenting plan and child support. If you do not have children, you can be officially divorced in 60 to 90 days. Our role is to ensure that all issues have been addressed and to draft the agreement in the appropriate "legalese" so that you can go your separate ways and not wind up in court later.

Contested Divorce

One party must assert statutory grounds for divorce. In most cases, there are significant disputes about children, property or financial support, and the court may consider grounds for divorce in its rulings on those issues. Tennessee statutes require divorcing spouses to enter Rule 31 mediation to try to reach an out-of-court agreement before they can proceed to trial. In this type of divorce, your Clinton divorce lawyer’s role is to help you identify your goals and priorities and to provide the creative solutions or litigation strategies to resolve your divorce in the most favorable and efficient way. We avoid unnecessary courtroom battles.

Our Clinton divorce lawyers have handled high-conflict and high-asset divorces, including complex asset division involving real estate, large pensions, business valuations, separately owned property or alimony.

‍What are grounds for divorce in Tennessee?
‍While there are likely many reasons Tennessee couples choose to divorce, the state only recognizes certain causes which can be justified as grounds for divorce. Abandonment and adultery are both grounds for divorce. Tennessee legal code states that to file a valid complaint about divorce, one spouse must prove at least one of the following grounds apply:

• Adultery
• Bigamy
• Cruel & Inhumane Treatment
• Irreconcilable Differences
• Impotence
• Willful and/or Malicious Desertion for at Least One Year
• Conviction of a Felony

• Drug or Alcohol Abuse
• Attempted Murder
• After Two Years of Separation without Minor Children
• Pregnancy because of Infidelity
• Refusal to Move to Tennessee

If one of the spouses is proven at fault for one or more of the above grounds for divorce, it will affect child custody, spousal support, and division of assets. Our Clinton divorce lawyers have experience handling even the most acrimonious of divorces; you can count on our team to help you and your family reach a fair and desirable settlement.

‍Hear it from Our Satisfied Clients!

"My case was complicated and evolved, from starting out in one court to a follow-up action in another court, with lots of dynamic parts. During the process Mr. Goodge was very accessible, he was timely in his filing of necessary documents, his advice and counsel on various decisions I had to make were clear and complete, and he treated my family and I with compassion. He was a very calming presence in an emotional situation. I will recommend him to anyone in such circumstances as mine, and in the unfortunate event that I need legal counsel again I will definitely call on Mr. Goodge."
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We offer a free initial consultation to assess your situation and answer your questions. Call 865-457-9100, or contact us online.