You know that you are done with your marriage. You want to get a divorce, and you would ideally like to do it as fast as possible. You just want to put this stage of your life behind you, and you want to move on.
But there are many reasons why it may take time to get divorced. For one thing, divorce is faster when both you and your spouse agree on the terms and agree that you would like to get divorced. If your spouse does not want to end the marriage, they may drag their feet and delay the process. If there are conflicts over issues like child custody or splitting up marital assets, this can also extend the process.
The waiting period
Another thing to consider is that Tennessee has a waiting period. After you file for divorce, you will have to wait for either 60 or 90 days. The court cannot finalize your divorce until this waiting period has concluded, even if you and your spouse both agree on all of the details and there are no conflicts between the two of you.
The timeframe that is used depends on whether or not you have unmarried minor children living in the home with you. If you do, then the waiting period is 90 days. If you do not—perhaps you never had children, or maybe you are empty nesters after your children have moved out—then you have 60 days.
There is much you can do in terms of gathering evidence or negotiating during this waiting period. Take the time to carefully look into all the legal steps you should take.