Are You Considering or Anticipating a Divorce?
In the State of Tennessee, if you’re thinking about a divorce – or should your spouse choose to divorce you – how much is it going to cost? In many divorce cases, a can estimate your costs before the divorce process begins.
Because a number of factors will influence and determine the cost of a divorce, without specific details, there is no way to guess what a divorce may cost. There are also several ways to reduce the cost of a divorce if the divorcing spouses can cooperate.
If you are considering or expecting a divorce in Tennessee, you will need to meet with a who will explain your rights and options in a divorce proceeding and discuss how the cost of your divorce will be determined.
What Are Agreed and Uncontested Divorces?
The quickest and least expensive way to divorce in Tennessee is called an “agreed divorce,” but an agreed divorce is only available to couples who do not have minor children, who do not own businesses or property, and who have no retirement benefits.
If you and your spouse are not eligible for an agreed divorce, your divorce may be either contested or uncontested. In an “uncontested” divorce, there are irreconcilable differences, but neither spouse has to prove that the other spouse is “at fault.”
What is a Contested Divorce?
If the spouses cannot agree to an uncontested divorce, the divorce will be contested. Your lawyer may have to develop a legal strategy, compile evidence, and call witnesses at a divorce trial. Neither spouse can stop the other from divorcing, but a contested divorce is longer and costlier.
Mutual agreements are generally the only way you can lower the cost of a divorce. If children are involved, it can take considerable time and effort to resolve a custody or child support dispute unless the parents can agree on the questions of custody, child support, and visitation privileges.
If you are accusing your spouse of adultery, your Kingston family law attorney may have to hire a private investigator to uncover the evidence of that adultery, and as you might surmise, a private investigator’s fees can add a considerable amount to the cost of a divorce.
What Else Adds to the Cost of a Divorce?
In most divorces, the spouses have one or more disagreements. Each dispute – whether it’s alimony, child support, custody, or who gets the family dog – increases the cost. Subpoenas, interrogatories, depositions, transcripts, and discovery requests all increase the cost of divorce.
If a trial is required, it can be expensive. When the spouses are affluent, with properties and investments or a family business, a divorce will be costlier than a divorce for a working couple who rent an apartment with no children, property, or savings.
If expert witnesses are required, or if the expertise of property appraisers, child custody evaluators, or financial experts is needed, those experts will have to be compensated.
How Will You Be Billed?
Some attorneys will bill you throughout the divorce process as the costs add up. A divorce attorney’s hourly rate will usually depend on the type of divorce and the attorney’s experience. Some attorneys offer flat fees, but only if the divorce is straightforward and uncontested.
Without knowing any details, it is impossible to say what a divorce in Tennessee will cost. Most divorce attorneys in this state offer several ways to pay, but you will need to discuss the billing and payment details with your Kingston divorce attorney at your first legal consultation.
How Long Does a Divorce Take?
A divorce that involves minor children requires a ninety-day waiting period. If the divorcing spouses have no children, the waiting period is sixty days. This is a “cooling off” period required by Tennessee law, when the spouses may seek counseling or attempt to resolve their differences.
In an uncontested divorce, the process can take up to six months, and divorces that involve minor children often take about a year. The divorce process can take even longer when the divorcing spouses don’t agree on alimony, custody, child support, or the division of properties and assets.
What Else Should You Know About Divorcing in Tennessee?
In the State of Tennessee, the filing fees for a divorce run from $184 to $301, depending on whether children are involved and whether a county sheriff serves the divorce papers to the spouse who did not file for the divorce.
Before you can file for a divorce in Tennessee, you must be a resident of the state for a minimum of six months. If you are a resident and your spouse has moved to another state, a Kingston divorce lawyer will explain – and help you sort through – the jurisdiction and venue issues.
Davis Law Firm is Here for You
Award-winning Tennessee family law attorney Tyler Davis and the legal team at Davis Law Firm will see to it that you are treated justly and fairly by the court throughout the divorce process and that you receive everything that is rightfully yours.
Attorney Tyler Davis has substantial experience resolving the most complicated and acrimonious divorce disputes. He’s the father of two, so he understands that nothing is a higher priority to you than your children, their well-being, and their future.
If you expect a fight over properties and assets, alimony, or child custody – or if you would simply like to learn more – promptly call the Kingston or Crossville law offices of Davis Law Firm at 865-830-6286 and schedule your first legal consultation without any cost or obligation.
