SIMPLIFYING YOUR DIVORCE

Which Tennessee Divorce Forms Will You Need?

The forms you need depend on your situation, especially whether you have minor children and whether you and your spouse agree on everything. Tennessee's Supreme Court-approved packet uses numbered forms (Form 1 through Form 10) plus a separate set of parenting documents. Below is what each form does. This is informational only, and not a checklist of what you should file. For guidance on what applies to your case, consult an attorney.

Starting the Case

Form 1 — Request for Divorce (Complaint)
This form initiates the divorce action. It's the plaintiff's verified complaint stating the grounds and requesting a divorce, and it must be signed and notarized.

Form 2 — Spouses' Personal Information
This form collects both spouses' personal contact information and Social Security Numbers. It's filed in a sealed envelope with the clerk to protect privacy.

Form 3 — Request to Postpone Filing Fees and Order
This form addresses how the filing fee is paid or deferred for low-income filers.

Form 4 — Health Insurance Notice
This is a statutory notice and order that prohibits either spouse from canceling, changing, or transferring health or other insurance covering either spouse or the children during the divorce.

Form 7 — Court Order for Divorcing Spouses (Statutory Injunction / Restraining Order)
This is a standing mutual restraining order issued at filing. It's required by statute and prohibits dissipation of assets, harassment, and other specified conduct while the case is pending.

Financial and Disclosure Forms

Tennessee is unusual here: the Supreme Court packet does not include a single statewide "financial disclosure affidavit" form. Instead, financial details are addressed within the Marital Dissolution Agreement (Form 5, below). More complex or contested cases may use county or local-rule affidavits of income and expenses, which vary by court.

Forms for Divorces With Children

When a case involves minor children, additional forms come into play. These address custody, support, and the schedule each parent will follow.

Permanent Parenting Plan Order
This is a mandatory statewide form (required by T.C.A. § 36-6-404) for all divorces with minor children. It specifies each parent's decision-making authority, the residential schedule (weekdays, weekends, holidays, and vacations), and a dispute resolution procedure. It's published on a dedicated page separate from the main divorce packet.

Temporary Parenting Plan
This form sets an interim custody and visitation arrangement that's in effect while the divorce is pending, before the Permanent Parenting Plan is entered.

Child Support Worksheet (Income Shares Model)
This is the mandatory calculation worksheet promulgated by the Tennessee Department of Human Services under the Income Shares model. There's no single numbered AOC form here; the worksheet is published by DHS. Four variants exist: sole custody, split custody, shared parenting equal (50/50), and shared parenting unequal. It's completed alongside the Parenting Plan and filed as an exhibit to the child support order.

Form 9 — Order of Wage Assignment for Child Support (Wage Withholding Order)
This is an income withholding order directing an employer to deduct child support from the paying parent's wages. It's used in cases with minor children.

Form 10 — Title IV-D Child Support Information Form
This federal and state information form supports child support enforcement services through the Tennessee Department of Human Services IV-D program.

Settlement or Separation Agreement

Form 5 — Divorce Agreement (Marital Dissolution Agreement)
This is the settlement agreement that divides marital property and debts and addresses alimony. It must be signed and notarized by both spouses, and it's required for an irreconcilable-differences (no-fault) divorce.

Finalizing Your Case

Form 8 — Notice of Hearing to Approve Irreconcilable Differences Divorce
This form schedules the uncontested divorce hearing before the judge.

Form 6 — Final Decree of Divorce
This is the proposed final order granting the divorce. It incorporates or references the Marital Dissolution Agreement and the Parenting Plan (if applicable), and it's submitted to the judge for signature.

Where to Get Tennessee Divorce Forms

You have several options for obtaining Tennessee divorce forms, depending on how much support you want along the way.

Official State Courts Site

The Tennessee Supreme Court-approved forms are published on the state courts website. You can download the official packet directly from the Tennessee Courts Court-Approved Divorce Forms page. Because these forms are standardized statewide, courts across Tennessee must accept them when they're properly completed. The Permanent Parenting Plan form is published on a separate parenting-plan page on the same site.

County Clerk or Court

Divorces are filed in the Circuit or Chancery Court of the county where either spouse resides. Some counties, such as Davidson (Nashville) and Shelby (Memphis), publish supplemental local instructions alongside the state forms. The underlying forms are the same statewide, but local clerks can tell you about any county-specific filing details.

Legal Aid and Self-Help Resources

Tennessee legal aid organizations and the courts' help-center resources offer self-help guidance for people handling their own paperwork. These are a good fit when your case is straightforward and you mostly need help understanding the steps.

Online Divorce Services (Divorce.com)

If you'd rather not assemble the packet yourself, an online service can guide you through the questions and prepare your documents. Divorce.com walks you through your information step by step and helps organize the paperwork so you're not staring at blank forms wondering what goes where.

Hire an Attorney

If you own real property, have a business, expect a contested case, or simply want professional guidance, an attorney can prepare documents tailored to your situation. The state's self-help packet expressly excludes cases involving real estate ownership, so those cases typically require attorney-drafted documents or county-specific practice.

The Tennessee Divorce Process

Every case is different, but most Tennessee divorces move through a similar set of stages. Here's the general flow.

1. Confirm Residency

At least one spouse must be a bona fide Tennessee resident. If the grounds occurred outside Tennessee, the plaintiff must have lived in the state for six months before filing. If the grounds occurred inside Tennessee, there's no minimum durational residency as long as one spouse is currently a resident.

2. File the Complaint

The case begins when the Request for Divorce (Form 1) is filed with the Circuit or Chancery Court in the county where either spouse resides, along with the other starting forms. The statutory injunction (Form 7) takes effect at filing.

3. Serve or Acknowledge

The other spouse is notified of the case. In an agreed divorce, the spouses are cooperating, so this step is often handled by acknowledgment rather than formal contested service.

4. Reach Agreement and Complete Required Documents

For an irreconcilable-differences divorce, both spouses sign and notarize the Marital Dissolution Agreement (Form 5). If there are minor children, a Permanent Parenting Plan and the DHS Child Support Worksheet are completed as well.

5. Observe the Waiting Period

Tennessee imposes a mandatory waiting period measured from the filing date: 60 days if there are no minor children under 18, and 90 days if there are minor children under 18. These are mandatory minimums that courts cannot waive.

6. Attend the Hearing

For an agreed divorce, a Notice of Hearing (Form 8) schedules a brief uncontested hearing where the judge reviews the paperwork.

7. Final Decree and Certified Copies

The judge signs the Final Decree of Divorce (Form 6), which incorporates the Marital Dissolution Agreement and any Parenting Plan. Certified copies of the signed decree are typically obtained from the clerk for your records and for changing names, accounts, and titles afterward.

Tennessee-Specific Requirements You Should Know

A few features make Tennessee distinct. Understanding them up front can save you time and confusion.

Residency. At least one spouse must be a bona fide Tennessee resident. A six-month residency applies when the grounds occurred outside the state; no minimum durational residency applies when the grounds occurred inside Tennessee and one spouse is currently a resident. Cases are filed in the Circuit or Chancery Court of the county where either spouse lives.

Equitable distribution. Tennessee is an equitable distribution state under T.C.A. § 36-4-121. Marital property is divided equitably, which means fairly but not necessarily 50/50. Separate property is generally excluded from the division.

Grounds, including no-fault. Tennessee recognizes two no-fault paths: irreconcilable differences (which requires both spouses to sign a notarized Marital Dissolution Agreement resolving all issues) and living in separate residences for two or more continuous years with no cohabitation and no minor children. Fault grounds under T.C.A. § 36-4-101 also exist, including adultery, inappropriate marital conduct (cruel and inhuman treatment), willful desertion for a year or more, conviction of an infamous crime or felony with a prison sentence, attempted murder of the other spouse, habitual drunkenness or drug abuse induced after marriage, bigamy, and others.

Waiting period. As noted above, there is a mandatory 60-day wait with no minor children under 18, or 90 days with minor children under 18, measured from filing. Courts cannot waive these minimums.

Two procedural paths. An agreed (uncontested) divorce on irreconcilable differences is the fastest route and uses the Supreme Court-approved self-help forms; it requires a signed, notarized MDA and no contested hearing. A contested divorce, on fault grounds or contested terms, is full adversarial litigation, and the self-help forms do not cover it.

Mandatory parent education seminar. In any action where a Permanent Parenting Plan is or will be entered, each parent must attend a court-approved parent education seminar of at least four hours, as soon as possible after filing. The divorce cannot be finalized until both parents complete it, and waivers require a court motion.

Mediation. In contested custody or parenting cases, courts may, and often do, order mediation before trial. Official forms exist for ordering mediation and appointing a mediator.

No covenant marriage. Tennessee does not have a covenant marriage statute.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Small paperwork errors are the most common reason Tennessee filings get delayed. Here are the ones worth watching for.

Using the Self-Help Packet When It Doesn't Fit

The court-approved packet is built only for agreed divorces where both spouses agree on everything and neither owns real property. Trying to force a real-estate or business case into the standardized forms is a frequent stumbling block.

Skipping Notarization

Several forms, including the Request for Divorce (Form 1) and the Marital Dissolution Agreement (Form 5), must be signed and notarized. Unsigned or un-notarized documents are commonly rejected.

Forgetting the Parent Education Seminar

In cases with a Permanent Parenting Plan, the divorce cannot be finalized until both parents complete the required seminar. People often overlook this and find themselves stalled at the finish line.

Miscounting the Waiting Period

The 60- or 90-day clock runs from the filing date, and it can't be waived. Scheduling a hearing too early is a common reason cases get pushed back.

Leaving the Child Support Worksheet Out

The DHS Income Shares Worksheet must be completed and filed as an exhibit to any child support order. Because it isn't a numbered AOC form, filers sometimes forget it's required.

Assuming One County's Local Rules Apply Everywhere

While the state forms are uniform, some counties add supplemental instructions. Checking with the local clerk avoids surprises.

How Divorce.com Can Help

Pulling together the right Tennessee forms, in the right order, with the right signatures, is the part that wears people down. Divorce.com is designed to take that weight off your shoulders by guiding you through plain-language questions and helping organize your documents so you can focus on moving forward. For advice on your specific situation, consult an attorney; Divorce.com provides document preparation and self-help support, not legal advice.

• Step-by-step guidance that translates the forms into simple questions

• Document preparation organized to match Tennessee's process

• A clearer path for agreed, uncontested divorces

• Support that helps you avoid the common errors that cause delays

• An affordable alternative to handling everything alone or paying full attorney rates for a simple case