How Does the Length of My Marriage Affect My Divorce?
February 2, 2026
Did you know that in a divorce case, the length of a marriage effects the division of assets? It’s true. The length of a marriage plays a significant role during many aspects of a divorce case. If you are about to file for divorce from your spouse, make sure you have a trustworthy attorney on your side.
During a divorce case, the length of a marriage impacts how much of the property is given to each spouse. The trial judge is tasked with equitably dividing the marital assets. Equitable does not always mean equal. Often, the longer a marriage has lasted, the greater the chance there is an equal split of the marital assets.
Which spouse caused the grounds for the divorce is not an issue in property division. For instance, infidelity does not play a role in the property division phase of a divorce case. Alimony after retirement can be a topic which requires legal assistance. If you and your spouse are fighting over these issues and you have questions, be sure to contact the divorce attorneys at Hagar & Phillips today.
In some longer marriages, the division of property can prove to be a difficult task. For instance, individuals in longer marriages tend to have a diverse portfolio of assets, investments, real property, and other types of property. Dividing these assets may require expert or technical assistance from individuals trained in evaluating the value of each asset or investment.
The simple answer is yes. Tennessee law has a list of factors that a judge must consider before alimony is awarded. The most important factors are the need of the receiving spouse and the ability to pay the paying spouse. Among the other factors the judge considers is fault and length of marriage.
Alimony is known as the legal obligation of one spouse to support the other after a divorce. The longer the marriage lasted, the greater the chance that alimony will be awarded to support the future needs of the supported spouse. For shorter marriages, alimony is rarely awarded unless there is a unique set of circumstances or if the receiving spouse needs time to transition from being a married person to a single person. Alimony may be impacted after retirement, so it is important to ask for legal assistance to review your details.
Your Lebanon divorce lawyer will explain each type of alimony to you and help determine your possibility of either receiving alimony or being responsible for paying alimony. You can speak to a Lebanon divorce attorney to understand how Tennessee annulments and divorces work.
Going through a divorce is a difficult situation. Divorce or an annulment may be a topic of conversation, and no one should go through this challenging time alone. You may have questions about your divorce or annulment in Tennessee. The Lebanon TN attorneys at Hagar & Phillips are ready to fight for your spousal rights and defend your case in court. For more information on divorce cases, how the divorce or Tennessee annulment, or Tennessee common law processes work, contact us, or to speak to one of our Lebanon TN divorce attorneys about your particular case, give us a call today at 615-784-4588!
