Thinking of Getting Married in Tennessee - Don't!

If you are thinking of spending the rest of your life with that special woman we are happy for you.  What could be better living as one, raising a family, and eventually playing with the grandchildren together?  Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way.  The reality of marriage is while there were 57,295 marriages in Teneessee in 2016 (latest figures available), there were 26,851 divorces.   It is unfortunate enough that so many dreams become nightmares, but the Tennessee Legislature has seen fit to make divorce into a growth industry for lawyers, a power fulfilment engagement for judges, and indentured servitude for you.

While contemplating taking those vows, please take the time to consider what happens if the marriage doesn't work.  What will happen if you find your wife has chosen to have an affair with someone else, gets bored and just wants out, or has lost interest in you because you have lost your youthful virulence, your charm, and your hair.  She can take you to court and the Tennessee Legislature has provided her the legal means to:

• Receive more than 1/2 of the marital assets.
• Force you to pay alimony until the day you die
• Take 1/2 of your retirement
• Make you delay or permanently cancel your retirement
• Force you, after the divorce, to divulge every penny you spend, every check you write, every dollar you earn, every piece of property you own - and the same for a new spouse you might have.
• Drag you into court any time she wishes
• Force you to pay her health insurance
• Force you to make her the beneficiary of a court mandated life insurance on you.
• And on top of the above, you may have to pay her lawyer fees

^{So, before you ask "Will you marry me", think again!}