For this reason, if one spouse has an order of protection, or if a court has found domestic abuse between the spouses, or if one spouse has been criminally convicted of domestic abuse, Tennessee law requires that a court can order mediation only if the abused spouse consents to mediate. If the abused spouse consents, he or she may have a support person of his or her choice present during the mediation. The support person may be an attorney or an unpaid advocate. The mediator in such a case must be trained to deal with domestic and family violence and the mediation must be conducted in a way that protects the abused person's safety. These safeguards are intended to make mediation possible when one spouse has abused the other, but you need to seek advice from an attorney, counselor, or mediator before agreeing to mediate under these circumstances.
Mediation can be quicker and less costly than litigation.
To be divorced, you still need to file a suit in court but mediation can help you and your spouse reach an agreement to present to the court, so that a trial is unnecessary. The Community Mediation Center is located at 912 South Gay Street, Suite L300, Knoxville, TN 37902. You and your spouse must agree, however, about child custody, visitation, child support, division of property and division of debts. The court must make sure that the agreement conforms to the state's guidelines on the appropriate amount of child support. To get an irreconcilable differences divorce, you must wait 60 days from the date the complaint is filed if there are no minor children of the marriage and 90 days if there are children.