Nobody wants to think about ending a marriage. Everyone enters a marriage planning to stay together until the bitter end. But sometimes, that end is painful. Maybe you have grown apart in ways that you hadn’t planned, or things even more unthinkable have happened. No matter what, it’s now time to think about a divorce.

First Things First—A Lawyer

Unless you and your spouse are in perfect agreement, have no assets or liabilities, and no children, you should consider retaining the services of a lawyer. At the very least, the documents and procedures of filing are complex, and a missed date or hearing could delay the process by weeks or months. An attorney like Frankie Slaughter, will review your petition and ensure that everything is served and filed correctly.

Second Things Second—Finances

If you and your spouse do have assets—property, cars, boats, airplanes—you will need to determine how to divide them. Tennessee is an equitable division state, meaning that property splits according to how and when the asset or liability was acquired. Lawyers will look at when and who was there during this time. A skilled attorney becomes essential to assist the parties in dividing as equitably as possible. One example is the husband may have purchased the house before marriage. After marriage, both spouses contributed equally to the mortgage payments, and now their children need a home. Here is when assistance with property division is most needed.

Last But Not Least—Children

In Tennessee, as in many states, the child custody and parenting plan portion of the divorce process is separated to some extent from the divorce process. Family courts recognize that children are uniquely vulnerable in a divorce, and will take all steps necessary to ensure that the best interests of the child are at hand. It will not matter what the parents think they want.

Your attorney will be invaluable in keeping your children’s interests paramount during the divorce process. They keep you abreast of all laws and rules regarding parenting, custody, visitation, and child support. This allows the process to go as smoothly and as trauma-free as it possibly can.

If you are interested in more information, please visit us online here or call us at (423) 764-0690 today!