The agreement or court order resolves many of the same issues as in a divorce, but leaves the parties married. Note that after two years a divorce may be sought based upon the parties living apart. This action is seen by some as a way to try to save the marriage, it rarely works. For more detailed information see the Information Guide on the main page . For uncontested divorces Tennessee has a 60 day waiting period, if there are no minor children, and 90 days if there are minor children of the parties from the date the divorce is filed, before the divorce can be final.
Contested divorces can take as much as one or two years to finish.
For more detailed information see the Information Guide on the main page . Personal service may be by either a Sheriff or other person appointed by the court to make legal service. The Sheriff or process server actually hands the divorce papers to the defendant and completes a return of service stating that they did in fact personally deliver the divorce papers to the defendant. The Return of Service is then filed with the clerk as proof that the defendant was duly served. The defendant is not required to sign anything when they are served with divorce papers.