How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Tennessee?
Preparing for divorce, you should be aware that the process can be extended and effortful and that divorce cost in TN can total up to $20,000 or more. The final divorce cost includes expenses for court filings, notary services, legal assistance, etc., which are involved even in a simple divorce procedure. The average cost of divorce in Tennessee mostly depends on how many unresolved divorce issues remained between spouses before the case started.
In this article, we have collected information that may help you get an answer to the question, “How much does a divorce cost in Tennessee, and what factors affect it?” If you are looking for a way to reduce the divorce cost in TN and quickly prepare for it, you can contact our online service to complete the necessary papers at an acceptable price and without stress.
Average Cost of a Divorce in Tennessee
The average cost of divorce in Tennessee is about $500-$3,000 for agreed-upon cases and $5,000-$15,000 for contested ones. Estimating divorce cost is quite difficult since the average cost of divorce depends on various factors. If you have a simple divorce and act on your own, your outlay should be minimal. Typically, the more disputes parties have regarding divorce issues, the more money they should be ready to spend.
However, the cost of divorce in Tennessee is affected not only by the ability of spouses to agree but also by other case conditions, such as the use of legal assistance during the preparation for marriage dissolution, the presence of joint ownership and its amount, etc. Additionally, the way you file will determine the total sum since online divorce cost differs from the expenses when filing in person.
In the following sections, we will discuss in detail the factors influencing the final divorce cost in Tennessee and try to answer the question “How much does it cost to file for divorce in TN?”.
Cost of Uncontested Divorce in Tennessee
The average cost of uncontested divorce in Tennessee ranges from $300-$500 to $1,000-$3,000. The lowest divorce cost equals to court fees, provided that spouses do not hire a lawyer to prepare papers, obtain legal advice, etc. Payments for filing with the clerk’s office can vary by $50-$100 from county to county. The costs of an uncontested divorce can increase if you need to evaluate joint property and notarize documents or decide to involve a lawyer to represent you in court.
In any case, a simple divorce without disagreements between spouses regarding divorce issues is cheaper than a contested one. If you want to reduce your expenses even more, consider filing on your own online, if applicable in your case, since online divorce cost is much lower in Tennessee. In addition, many couples turn to an online document preparation service that helps to complete the necessary papers, is much cheaper than hiring a lawyer, and can greatly facilitate a do-it-yourself procedure.
The average cost of uncontested divorce in Tennessee mostly depends on the amount of court fees. Therefore, it can become higher every time mandatory filing fees increase. However, it rarely exceeds $1,000.
Cost of Contested Divorce in Tennessee
The cost of contested divorce in Tennessee ranges between $5,000 and $15,000 and can reach $17,000 or more. A contested case assumes that spouses cannot come to consent and have numerous disputes over child-related issues and/or division of joint assets, liabilities, and debts. Their disagreements significantly affect the total divorce cost, which consists of filing fees, charges of lawyers and other experts involved, expenses on mediation, etc. The longer court battles between spouses continue, the higher the final cost of marriage dissolution will be.
In contrast to simple divorce, which often requires minimal expenses, the average cost of divorce in TN for contested cases is much higher. Reducing charges during such a divorce is not easy because the only solution you may have is to overcome the disputed divorce issues and turn the case into an uncontested one. In such a case, you can even go for a DIY marriage dissolution and only pay the online divorce cost, which is usually lower than that of a standard offline procedure.
Year after year, the cost of a contested divorce within the state grows due to increased court fees and payments for services of lawyers and other specialists engaged, such as evaluators, child custody experts, etc.
Since the majority of such cases still end with the conclusion of a marital settlement agreement between the parties, it is reasonable to try to resolve the disputes before filing with the court to save money.
Average Fees for a Divorce Lawyer in Tennessee
Depending on the experience and location of an attorney, the scope of services offered, and the complexity of the case, the average fees for a divorce lawyer in Tennessee can vary from $3,000 to $10,000 and beyond. Most attorney fees are calculated based on their hourly rate, which differs by county and ranges from $250 to $400. Sometimes, divorce lawyer cost can be fixed, which mostly applies to uncontested cases.
The total cost of divorce in Tennessee for contested cases with a lawyer will be significantly higher than the divorce cost of a simple divorce, which may only necessitate hiring an attorney to obtain legal counsel rather than to resolve contentious divorce issues.
Anyway, the expenses of engaging a lawyer will significantly affect the final divorce cost in Tennessee. You can avoid them by agreeing with your spouse on the terms of divorce and acting independently. To save time and money, you can use our low-cost online service to complete the necessary paperwork for filing in court offline or online.
Average Filing Fees in Tennessee
The average filing fees in Tennessee for submitting paperwork with the clerk’s office range from about $125 to $350. They mostly depend on the county and whether you have children under 18. Court fees will increase and raise the overall divorce cost if your case is contested and you have to prepare and file additional motions to resolve divorce issues.
Regardless of whether you have a complicated or simple divorce, you can ask the court to exempt you from paying filing fees if you cannot afford them due to a difficult financial situation. You must provide the court with a Request to Postpone Filing Fees for the judge to consider and grant your request.
Factors that Affect the Cost of a Tennessee Divorce
The final divorce cost may vary from case to case depending on whether you hire a lawyer, how much your county charges for court fees, and whether you have shared assets and/or children under 18. If the cost of a simple divorce is unaffected by almost any circumstances, the expenses of complex cases completely depend on them.
Here are the common factors that affect the cost of a Tennessee divorce in most cases:
- Type of divorce. If you have resolved all divorce issues with your spouse before submitting the complaint, your divorce is uncontested. It means that you do not have to hire a lawyer, and your expenses for marriage dissolution will be about $1,000, including average filing fees in Tennessee and online divorce cost, if applicable. Contested cases frequently exceed $10,000-$15,000 because they require attorneys’ or mediators’ involvement.
- Minor children. The presence of minor children does not make your case contested. However, even if there are no disagreements between you and your spouse regarding child custody and support, you may need legal assistance in preparing a parenting plan or child support schedule. In addition, your expenses can increase due to the need to attend court-ordered parenting classes. Such issues can increase the cost of divorce in Tennessee with minor children by $500-$1,500 if the case is uncontested and $1,500-$5,500 or more if contested.
- Presence and amount of joint property. You may need to hire a professional evaluator to estimate the total value of your assets and liabilities. Depending on the amount of property to be evaluated and the appraiser’s rate, their fees can range from $1,000 to $10,000 or more.
The fees charged by all specialists involved in the case play a significant role in determining the overall cost of each divorce. They can be very high due to the professionals’ experience and workload, the county where you file for divorce, etc.
How We Can Help You
If you and your spouse have no unresolved divorce issues and are looking for an opportunity to reduce your offline or online divorce cost without the risk of making mistakes in the paperwork, our service may be a solution for you. With our help, you can prepare a set of necessary documents for your simple divorce quickly and at an affordable price. Our online service is a reliable and high-quality option that will allow you not only to reduce the overall divorce cost but also to save the time needed to determine and fill out the forms for your case.