Tennessee Divorce Records: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 11:56, 25 April 2025
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Online Resources[edit | edit source]
- 1706-1850 Acts of Tennessee 1796-1850 (Legislative Papers) at Tennessee State Library and Archives — index & images
- 1800-1965 Tennessee Divorce and Other Records, 1800-1965 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Tennessee Divorces at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
Print Publications
- Tennessee Divorces, 1797 to 1858: Taken From 750 Legislative Petitions and Acts, by Gale Williams Bamman. Nashville, Tennessee: G.W. Bamman, 1985. FS Catalog book 976.8 P2b; At various libraries (WorldCat); This book contains abstracts of divorce decrees in alphabetical order by the name of the person requesting the divorce
Office to Contact - Get Copies[edit | edit source]
Restrictions
- Divorce records in Tennessee are confidential for 50 years.
Tennessee Office of Vital Records
1st Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
710 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-1763
Website
- They have records from 1945 to present.
- Divorce Request Form from TN Office of Vital Records
Tennessee State Library & Archives (TSLA)
1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: 615-741-2764
Email: ask@tsla.libanswers.com
Website
- 1945-50 years ago Divorce Records available through TSLA
Tennessee Virtual Archive (TEVA)
Website
- 1945-50 years ago Divorce Records online at TEVA
County Courthouses
- Early to 50 years ago Contact the clerk of courts in the county where the decree was granted.
- Tennessee Clerks of Court contact information at University of Tennessee.
Coverage and Compliance[edit | edit source]
- Divorces are court records and have high compliance.
- Many couples separated leaving no divorce record.
Information in the Records[edit | edit source]
| Names of Parties* | x |
| Original Marriage Place | x |
| Divorce Place | x |
| Divorce Date | x |
| # of Children Affected | x |
| * Usually not maiden name of the woman | |
Prior to 1834, divorces are found in legislative papers (Acts of Tennessee under Online Resources). Tennessee divorce records have been kept at the county level since 1834.[1]
- If the divorce involved a dispute over the division of property, then it would have been heard in the Chancery Court. Otherwise it would have been heard in the Circuit Court.[2]
- For divorces prior to 1994, the husband's name is required to search the records. After 1994, a search can be done using either the wife's maiden name or the husband's name.
Divorce records may include:
- Petitions, which started the process, include at least names of parties and the grievance. May include date and place of marriage.
- Certificates or registers contain date marriage was dissolved and names of parties.
- Case files contain the papers created and include marriage and divorce details, residences, and name changes. May include children's names, ages, birth dates.
See also:
- Divorce Records TSLA article
- Courts Where Tennessee Court Cases Were Tried TSLA article
- Tennessee Court Records
- United States Divorce records
Strategy[edit | edit source]
- Divorces can be difficult to locate. The divorce may have occurred in another county. Try all the residences of both the husband and wife.
- Newspapers often printed information about separations and divorces in the area to help you determine if a divorce exists.
- Many couples simply separated, leaving no divorce record.
- See United States Divorce Records for more information.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Historical Records Survey (Tennessee), Guide to Public Vital Statistics in Tennessee, (Nashville: The Tennessee State Planning Commission, 1941), 84. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; "Divorce Records," pp. 84-116 (images 92-124 of 166).
- ↑ Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Office of Vital Records, "Divorce Records," https://sos.tn.gov/tsla/guides/vital-records-at-the-library-and-archives#divorce, accessed 22 August, 2024.