"How much is this going to cost?" is usually the second question people ask when they decide to get divorced, right after "How long will it take?" In Tennessee, the answer depends mostly on two things: whether you and your spouse agree, and who prepares and files your papers.
This guide breaks down what you actually pay for, where the hidden costs are, and how to keep your divorce affordable.
The short answer: Every Tennessee divorce has a court filing fee set by the county, usually a few hundred dollars. What you pay on top of that depends on the path you choose. An uncontested divorce, where you and your spouse agree on everything, costs far less than a contested one. The most expensive divorces are the ones where spouses fight in court, often costing many thousands of dollars in attorney fees.
How much does a divorce cost in Tennessee?
Here's how the common ways to get divorced compare:
| Your option | Who prepares and files | Going to court | What you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | You fill out the forms and file them | You go to the courthouse, and sometimes go back | The filing fee, plus your time and the cost of any mistakes |
| Online papers only | Papers are prepared from your answers; you file them | You go to the courthouse to file | One flat fee, plus the filing fee |
| Online Full Service | A licensed Tennessee attorney prepares and files them | You never go to court | One flat fee, plus the filing fee |
| Hiring a lawyer the usual way | Your lawyer | Usually some trips to the office or court | A retainer and hourly billing |
| Contested divorce | Each spouse's lawyer | Hearings, mediation, maybe a trial | Often many thousands of dollars |
Tennessee divorce filing fees
Every divorce starts with a filing fee paid to the court clerk when the complaint is filed. In Tennessee, each county sets its own amount, so the fee in Shelby County isn't the same as the fee in Davidson or Knox County. It's usually higher if you have children together who are under 18, and counties change their fees from time to time.
With our Full Service Package, your county's filing fee is shown as its own line before you pay, and the attorney pays it to the court for you. There's no trip to the clerk's office and no guessing at the amount.
The hidden costs of doing it yourself
On paper, doing your own divorce looks like the cheapest option because you only pay the filing fee. In practice, it often costs more than people expect:
- Time off work. Filing, fixing and finalizing the papers usually means trips to the courthouse during business hours.
- Mistakes in the paperwork. When people fill out and file the papers on their own, it's common for the court to send them back for a missing form, the wrong county, or an agreement the judge won't approve. Each mistake means fixing the papers, refiling, and another trip to court.
- Lost time. Some mistakes can restart the 60-day waiting period, so your divorce takes weeks or months longer.
- Problems that show up later. An agreement that leaves out a retirement account, a vehicle title or a debt can be costly to fix after the divorce is final.
With our Full Service Package, a licensed Tennessee attorney prepares your papers and files them with the court, so you never have to go to court. Do-it-yourself filers sometimes do, which is one more reason the papers need to be right the first time.
Why a contested divorce costs so much more
A contested divorce is one where you and your spouse can't agree on one or more issues, like who keeps the house or whether there will be alimony. Each of you usually hires a lawyer, and lawyers in contested cases typically bill by the hour. The bill grows with every letter, phone call, document request, mediation session and court hearing. If the case goes to trial, the cost can climb much higher.
That's why settling your differences before you file is the single biggest thing you can do to keep a divorce affordable. Even one issue left open can turn a simple case into an expensive one.
How to keep the cost of your divorce down
- Agree on everything first. Decide who keeps the house, vehicles, accounts and debts, and whether there will be alimony, before anything is filed.
- Make a list of what you own and owe. A clear list of your property and debts makes the paperwork faster and helps you avoid leaving something out.
- Choose a flat fee instead of hourly billing. A flat fee tells you the cost up front, so a few extra phone calls don't add to your bill.
- Get the papers right the first time. Papers prepared by a licensed Tennessee attorney avoid the rejections and refiling that cost people time and money.
- Sign and return your papers promptly. The sooner they're filed, the sooner the 60-day waiting period starts.
Is an online divorce cheaper than hiring a lawyer?
For couples who qualify, usually yes. When you hire a lawyer the traditional way, you typically pay a retainer up front and are billed by the hour for meetings, calls and paperwork. With an online uncontested divorce, you answer the questions in our online interview whenever it suits you, and you pay one flat fee plus your county's filing fee. You can see exactly what that includes on our online divorce pricing page.
Our online service is for uncontested divorces where you and your spouse don't have children together who are under 18 and aren't dividing a retirement account. If your situation is different, you can request a free consultation with a Tennessee divorce attorney.
What our Full Service fee includes
With our Full Service Package, a licensed Tennessee attorney:
- Prepares your divorce papers from your interview answers
- Files them with the court and pays your county's filing fee for you
- Handles the court for you, so you never have to go to court
- Mails your Final Decree of Divorce to you once the judge signs it
- Restores your former or maiden name if you want, at no additional fee
You don't pay anything until your interview is finished, every fee is shown before you pay, and the service comes with our 100% money-back guarantee.
The bottom line
The cost of a Tennessee divorce comes down to whether you agree and who handles the paperwork. Every divorce has a county filing fee. If you and your spouse agree on everything, an online uncontested divorce with a flat fee is one of the most affordable ways to get it done, without hourly bills, trips to the courthouse or costly mistakes.
Ready to find out if you qualify? See if you qualify in about a minute, or read how to get an uncontested divorce in Tennessee, step by step.
Sources: Tennessee Code Annotated § 36-4-101 (grounds for divorce) and § 36-4-103 (irreconcilable differences, waiting periods and marital dissolution agreements). Filing fees are set by each county's court clerk.
