Grounds For Divorce In Tennessee
Grounds For Divorce In Tennessee
Legally Acceptable Reasons For Ending Your Marriage
When you file a petition for divorce, you must cite the grounds upon which you are seeking a dissolution of marriage. Tennessee grants divorces based on a number of different grounds. At the Stover Law Group, we have experience handling a wide range of divorces based on each one of these grounds and know how to fight for your best interests.
No-Fault Divorce
No-fault divorce means that neither spouse is solely responsible for destroying the marriage. The two no-fault grounds for divorce in Tennessee are as follows:
- Irreconcilable differences if any of the following applies.
- There is no denial or contesting this ground
- Both spouses have signed and submitted a marital dissolution agreement
- Irreconcilable differences is combined with another fault-based ground
- The spouses have been legally separated or living apart for at least two years and there are no minor children
Fault-Based Divorce
State law identifies a number of causes for which you can file for divorce:
- Impotence
- Adultery
- Felony conviction with subsequent imprisonment
- Abuse of or addiction to alcohol, drugs or other controlled substances
- Willful desertion for one year or longer
- Previous marriage still intact (bigamy)
- Putting a spouse’s life in danger
- Conviction of an infamous crime
- Refusal to cohabitate with spouse in Tennessee, and/or willingly vacating oneself from the marital residence for two years or longer
- Cruel or inhuman treatment, or unsafe and improper conduct
- Intentionally making one’s spouse’s life intolerable
- Abandonment, neglect or barring one’s spouse from entry into the home
Annulments
In certain cases, you may wish to seek an annulment instead of a divorce. Annulments erase any record of a marriage — in essence, treating the marriage as if it never existed. But the grounds for annulment in Tennessee are much stricter than those for divorce:
- Underage marriage without proper consent
- Marriage occurred when one spouse was already legally married
- Incestuous marriage (between any blood relatives except cousins and certain nonblood relatives, including stepparent/stepchild, adoptive parent/child, half-siblings, adopted siblings)
- Fraud, coercion or malicious intent
As a family law attorney for more than a decade, William H. Stover has helped countless clients initiate their divorce petitions. He is a knowledgeable attorney who provides his clients with unparalleled support during what is often a difficult time.
Trustworthy Nashville Attorney Who Can Help You Cite Grounds For Divorce
For more information on our services, call the Stover Law Group at 615-613-0541 or contact us online to schedule a free initial phone consultation to discuss your case. We represent clients in Nashville and throughout Middle Tennessee, including Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Gallatin, Shelbyville and Lebanon.