Even when individuals enter into a marriage with the best of intentions, a time may come when the marriage irretrievably breaks down, for one reason or another, and the parties decide to divorce.
There are many reasons why spouses in the State of Tennessee might wish to divorce. Tennessee law allows for both contested divorces and uncontested divorces. A contested divorce requires that the Plaintiff prove various legal grounds. With an uncontested divorce, however, the divorce is typically based upon irreconcilable differences that exist between the spouses.
Divorce proceedings can be extremely complicated and emotionally frustrating for everyone involved. Therefore, if you’re contemplating divorce in Tennessee, you need a knowledgeable team of lawyers by your side who can streamline the process for you as much as possible.
The Murfreesboro divorce lawyers at Dotson & Taylor can help you throughout the process and work to resolve as many disputed issues as possible. If and when these disputed issues can’t be resolved, we will zealously advocate for your legal interests in the courtroom. Please give us a call today to find out more about how we could assist you with your Tennessee divorce case.
Contested Divorce Grounds in Tennessee
When a divorce is contested in the State of Tennessee, this typically means that the spouses cannot agree on one or more disputed issues. As a result, the divorce proceeding must either go to trial for a judge to resolve the disputed issues, or the parties must resolve their issues through some form of alternative dispute resolution – such as mediation.
There are several grounds for a contested divorce that one or both of the spouses can raise in a divorce proceeding. Those grounds include the following:
- One or both of the spouses committed adultery with another person
- One of the spouses abandoned the marriage and subsequently refused to provide for the other spouse – even though he or she had the financial means to do so
- One of the spouses has engaged in habitual narcotic drug abuse or drunkenness
- One of the spouses was already married (engaged in bigamy)
- The spouses have lived separate and apart from one another for a period of two years and do not have any minor children together
- One of the spouses is sterile and/or impotent
- One of the spouses maliciously or willfully deserted the other spouse for a period of at least one year – and where there was no reasonable cause for the desertion
- One of the spouses maliciously tried to take the life of the other spouse
- One of the spouses sustained a felony conviction
- One of the spouses refused to move to the State of Tennessee, and the spouses have lived separate and apart for a period of at least two years
- The female spouse became pregnant by someone else, without the male spouse’s knowledge and prior to the marriage taking place
Contact an Experienced Murfreesboro Divorce Lawyer Today
The experienced legal team at Dotson & Taylor can assist you with each and every step of the divorce process. To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Murfreesboro divorce attorney, please call us at (615) 890-1982 or contact us online today to learn more about how we could help you.