Free · Tennessee · Current law
Based on Tennessee's official Income Shares formula. Enter both parents' incomes and get an estimate in under a minute.
Before taxes — wages, self-employment, bonuses
A best estimate is fine for now
Taxes, mandatory retirement, union dues…
Work or school related
Estimated monthly support
The other parent pays you, the parent with primary timesharing.
Estimate only — based on a simplified reading of Tennessee Child Support Guidelines, October 2021 (Revised). Official calculator → A judge can deviate. Not legal advice.
Get a plain-English copy of this estimate, the numbers used, and a short checklist for what to review before relying on it.
Tennessee utilizes an Income Shares Model. The calculation begins by determining each parent's Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), which considers gross income, social security benefits, self-employment taxes, and credits for other children. These AGIs are combined to find the Basic Child Support Obligation (BCSO) from a Child Support Schedule. Each parent's share of the BCSO is then prorated based on their percentage of the combined AGI. Further adjustments are made for parenting time, health care insurance costs, work-related childcare expenses, and recurring uninsured medical expenses to arrive at the Presumptive Child Support Order.
A substantial change in either parent's income — voluntary or involuntary — can trigger a modification.
Changes in childcare costs or the children's health insurance premiums directly adjust the support amount.
If the custody schedule changes significantly, support can be recalculated under Tennessee guidelines.
Medical conditions, disabilities, or educational needs can justify a departure from the guideline amount.
Common questions
Tennessee has a mandatory 60-day waiting period after filing. Uncontested divorces typically finalize in 60–120 days for uncontested cases. Contested divorces involving custody disputes or complex assets can take 12–24 months or longer.
To file for divorce in Tennessee, at least one spouse must have lived in Tennessee for 6 months before filing. Filing in the wrong jurisdiction can result in your case being dismissed, so confirm with your county clerk if you recently moved.
Tennessee is a no-fault divorce state. You can file citing 'irreconcilable differences' or 'irretrievable breakdown of the marriage' without proving the other spouse did anything wrong. Fault grounds (adultery, cruelty, abandonment) still exist but are rarely needed and don't typically affect property division.
Tennessee follows equitable distribution. Courts divide marital property fairly but not necessarily equally, considering factors like each spouse's income, contributions to the marriage, and economic circumstances. Separate property (owned before marriage or received as a gift or inheritance) is generally not divided.
Tennessee uses the Income Shares model to calculate child support. Both parents' incomes are considered along with the number of children, timesharing schedule, childcare costs, and health insurance. The resulting guideline amount is presumed correct but a judge can deviate based on special circumstances.
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