Courts in Chattanooga have broad powers to make decisions concerning the futures of parties to a divorce or separation. Perhaps nowhere is this clearer than in the concept of property division. The goal of the court is to place both parties on equitable and fair financial footing moving forward.
According to Tennessee Code Annotated §36-4-121(a)(1), courts must make this distribution in a just manner without regard to fault for the end of the relationship. As a result, equitable distribution doesn’t always mean a 50/50 split and courts may order a forced sale of a home or business to facilitate an equitable distribution. However, this equitable process only applies to marital property. A Chattanooga property division lawyer could provide clarification as to what the law means when it mandates an equitable distribution of property.