Tennessee Divorce & Family Law Guide
Key Words | Legal Sources (print) | Do-It-Yourself Guides | Online Sources
Introduction
Family law and divorce are common legal issues researched by attorneys, students, and pro se (self-representing) individuals at the University of Tennessee Law Library. While not an exhaustive list, this guide serves as an introduction to resources available on divorce and family law in Tennessee. The law library has all of the print resources listed here and access to the online resources through our public access computers.
Key Words:
When searching for divorce materials, the following are good search terms to try in the library catalog, in the index or table of contents of the books you find, and/or as keywords in searching online sources like the web sites at the bottom of this page:
domestic relations, family law, divorce, dissolution of marriage, marriage, spousal support, alimony, parent and child, child custody, child support, bankruptcy, marital property, domestic violence, forms.
Legal Sources:
Tennessee Code Annotated. Updated annually with pocket parts.
The Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) is the official collection of Tennessee statutes currently in effect. The T.C.A. is arranged by subject. Volume 6A includes the subject of Domestic Relations. To find other, related topics, use the A-Z index to the code in Volumes 14-16. The Tennessee Code Annotated includes not just the text of the statute itself, but references to cases that have interpreted that statute, as well as references to secondary material such as encyclopedia articles.
Call No: KFT30 1955.A2
Location: Reserve Reading Room, Secured Reserve (ask at the Circulation Desk), and Law Stacks (fourth floor).
The Tennessee Code is also available online for free at www.michie.com. However, this version has the text of the statutes only, no references to related cases or articles.
Tennessee Practice, Vol. 19 and Vol. 19A. These volumes were previously known as Tennessee Divorce, Alimony and Child Custody: with Forms, by W. Walton Garrett, or simply “Garrett.” St. Paul, Minn.: Thomson West. Published annually. Includes forms.
A comprehensive scholarly treatment of Tennessee divorce law with references to supporting case law and statutes. Good for beginning research when unfamiliar with legal issues and arguments related to divorce in Tennessee. Organized by topical sections. Includes an alphabetical subject index and appendices. Appendices include child support guidelines from the Tennessee Department of Human Services Child Support Services Division, and divorce checklists.
Call No: KFT80.T4 v. 19 and KFT80.T4 Vol. 19A
Location: Secured Reserve (inquire at Circulation Desk).
Richards, Janet L. Richards on Tennessee Family Law, 3rd edition.
Another good source for background research on family law issues in Tennessee. Topics include marital rights and obligations; dissolution of marriage; child custody jurisdiction and venue; child custody determinations; visitation; domestic violence; spousal support; and bankruptcy. Also includes Table of Cases, Table of Statutes, and an alphabetical index arranged by topic. Includes over 80 forms dealing with divorce, child support guidelines, child custody, and other family law topics. Updated annually with pocket supplements.
Call No: KFT94.R43
Location: Secured Reserve (inquire at Circulation Desk).
Tennessee Jurisprudence: An Encyclopedia of Tennessee Law. Updated annually by pocket supplements.
A comprehensive legal encyclopedia of Tennessee law. As with other encyclopedias, it is arranged alphabetically by topic title. The topics "Divorce and Alimony" and "Parent and Child" may be of particular interest. Tennessee Jurisprudence includes extensive citations to primary materials, such as the Tennessee statutes and Tennessee case opinions. A separate index volume is shelved at the end of the set.
Call No. KFT65.T4
Location: Secured Reserve and Reserve Reading Room
Tennessee Digest, 2d. Updated annually.
The Tennessee Digest contains summaries of Tennessee case opinions, organized by topic. Topics that may be of particular interest include Divorce, Parent-and-Child, Infants, and Adoption. Use the index volumes at the end of the set to look up your terms.
Call No.: KFT57.T4 2d
Location: Reserve Reading Room, and Law Stacks.
Tennessee Forms, Updated annually by pocket parts.
Tennessee Forms includes forms for complaints, motions, interrogatories, trials, and appellate proceedings, etc. on many topics, including divorce. There are four volumes. Use the table of contents in each volume or the general index in Volume 4 to find relevant forms.
Call No.: KFT68.T46 2d
Location: Secured Reserve (ask at Circulation Desk) and Reserve Reading Room.
Do-It-Yourself Guides
The library has several books on Do-It-Yourself divorce and family law issues. These books are located in the Reserve Reading Room, the room to the right as you enter the library. They focus on the divorce process generally rather than on the specific Tennessee process. Among the titles we have are:
Nolo’s Essential Guide to Divorce, by Emily Doskow. 2008.
A practical guide to the divorce process that focuses on ways to make a divorce as simple and as inexpensive as possible. Includes advice on understanding the divorce process, how to work with mediators and lawyers, determining alimony, child custody, and child support, and how to divide property fairly.
Call No.: KF535.Z9 N64
Location: Reserve Reading Room
A Judge’s Guide to Divorce: Uncommon Advice from the Bench, by Judge Roderic Duncan. 2007.
A judge’s perspective on the divorce process: what actions to take, what actions to avoid, how to make the process go as smoothly as possible. As a judge who signed over 25,000 divorce judgments and orders, Roderic provides practical advice on division of property, alimony, child support and custody, and how and where to get legal help.
Call No.: KF535.Z9 J83
Location: Reserve Reading Room
Building a Parenting Agreement that Works: How to Put Your Kids First When Your Marriage Doesn’t Last, by Mimi E. Lyster. 2007.
This guide explains the purpose and goals of a successful parenting plan, as well as how to create parenting plans, negotiate parenting plans, and add to parenting plans. Some of the topics of parenting plans include where the child will live, where the child will go to school, where the child will spend vacations and holidays, and what religious instruction the child will receive. A discussion of special issues and complicating factors such as parenting styles, multiracial and multicultural families, military service, and the involvement of non-relatives is included.
Call No.: KF547.Z9 L97
Location: Reserve Reading Room
Prenuptial Agreements: How to Write a Fair and Lasting Contract by Katherine E. Stoner and Shae Irving. 2008
Call No.: KF29.Z9 P7
Location: Reserve Reading Room
A Legal Guide for Lesbian & Gay Couples, by Hayden Curry and Denis Clifford. 2007.
Call No.: KF 539 .Z9 L43
Location: Reserve Reading Room
The following titles are part of the Oceana’s Legal Almanac Series: Law for the Layperson and are located in the Self-help/Reserve Reading Room:
Marriage and Divorce, KF510.Z9 J37 2008
The Law of Adoption, KF545.Z9 J374 2008
Custodial Rights, KF547.Z9 J368 2006
Rights of Single Parents, KF547.Z9 J377 2005
Your Child’s Legal Rights, KF479.Z9 J374 2003
International Adoption, KF545.Z9 J37 2003
Online Sources:
Tennessee Code (unannotated): This free version of the code provides the text of the statutes only, without summaries of related case law or references to helpful secondary materials. Once at the linked page, scroll down to click on Tennessee Code. You can browse the code by title using the plus and minus signs on the left menu, or use the search box in the upper left corner.
Tennessee Bar Association: Family Law Topics: Sponsored by the Tennessee Bar Association, this site provides general information on divorce in Tennessee. Topics include legal separation, obtaining a divorce, grounds for annulment, child custody, division of property, rights of battered women, changing names, visitation, and debt responsibility. A good beginning point for information.
Public Access Westlaw (Available on College of Law Library public access computers.)
The library maintains a subscription to Westlaw for attorney and public use. Our subscription includes statutes, cases, and regulations from all fifty states, as well as from the federal government, together with KeyCite, law reviews, forms, and other practice materials.
Tennessee Divorce: The Tennessee Family Law Center is a resource on divorce and family law in the State of Tennessee for non-lawyers and pro se litigants. Resources on this site include information about courts and community resources, state statutory resources, divorce law, and child custody.
Tennessee Divorce Source: On this page you can locate divorce lawyers, mediators, and other professionals by county as well as learn about the laws and related family law issues such as child custody, visitation, child support, alimony, and property division.
Divorce Tennessee: Sponsored by DivorceNet.com, includes links to Tennessee Department of Human Services, Tennessee Bar Association, and bar associations by county; information on residency requirements, alimony, child custody and visitation, child support. Also includes a section on frequently asked question concerning alimony, child support, lawyer selection, legal fees, mediation, property division, and state laws and filing. A legal dictionary is also included.
Back to top.Last Modified: August 11, 2010