Family Law Attorney in Nashville

June 14, 2026

A family law attorney handles some of the most consequential events in a person’s life, from divorce and the division of marital property to child custody, support, and adoption, and local counsel offers advantages that a remote or national service cannot match. A Nashville attorney appears regularly before the Davidson County Circuit and Chancery Courts, knows the local judges and the practical rhythms of the docket, and can meet a client in person to review financial records, parenting schedules, and settlement options. That familiarity with how matters actually proceed in the county where a case will be heard often shapes both strategy and outcome.

Nashville is Tennessee’s largest city, with a population of roughly 715,388 as of the 2024 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), and its sustained growth has expanded the range of family law matters local firms handle, from straightforward uncontested divorces to high-asset and business-owner cases involving complex property division. The city’s size supports a deep field of practitioners, including boutique firms that focus exclusively on family law and larger practices that pair domestic relations work with mediation and appellate advocacy.

Attorneys in Tennessee are licensed and regulated by the Tennessee Supreme Court under its inherent authority over the practice of law. The Board of Law Examiners, part of the judicial branch, assists the Court with admission and administers the Tennessee Bar Examination under Supreme Court Rules 6, 7, and 21, while the Board of Professional Responsibility oversees attorney discipline under Supreme Court Rule 9. Family law itself is governed by Tennessee statute. Grounds for divorce, including the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences and thirteen fault-based grounds, are set out in Tennessee Code Annotated 36-4-101, and a divorce generally cannot be heard until a complaint has been on file for at least 60 days when the couple has no minor children, or 90 days when they have an unmarried child under 18. Child support and alimony fall under TCA 36-5-101, and Tennessee calculates child support using an Income Shares Model under the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04), a program administered by the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

Family lawyers in Nashville typically handle divorce and legal separation, child custody and parenting plans, child support, alimony, division of property and business interests, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, adoption, and orders of protection. Before retaining counsel, a prospective client can verify a lawyer’s standing through the Board of Professional Responsibility, which maintains an Online Tennessee Attorney Directory at tbpr.org. That directory shows whether an attorney is active or suspended and reflects any public disciplinary history, while private reprimands remain confidential under Court Rule 9. Ethics or consumer complaints about an attorney are directed to the Board of Professional Responsibility rather than to the Division of Consumer Affairs, which is the appropriate channel for most other businesses.

Top Family Law Attorney Providers in Nashville

1. Miller Upshaw Family Law, PLLC

Address: 631 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206
Phone: 615-391-4200
Website: https://www.nashvillefamilylaw.com
Services: divorce and legal separation, child custody and modification, child support, alimony, property and business division, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, parenting plans, paternity, father’s and grandparents’ rights, same-sex family law, appellate advocacy, restraining orders
Description: Miller Upshaw Family Law is a Nashville firm located on Woodland Street in the historic Edgefield neighborhood, near the courthouse. The practice focuses on family law and describes more than 50 years of combined experience among its attorneys. Karla C. Miller is the founding partner and has been selected as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and the firm’s attorneys were recognized on the 2025 Mid-South Super Lawyers list. The team includes partner Rachel Sharp Upshaw and attorney Taylor L. Rippe. Its work spans divorce, custody and support, alimony, property and business valuation and division, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, and appellate matters, and it serves Nashville along with surrounding communities including Franklin, Hendersonville, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Gallatin, Lebanon, and Mt. Juliet.

2. Rogers, Shea & Spanos Attorneys at Law

Address: 2205 State Street, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 320-0600
Website: https://www.midtnlawyers.com
Services: divorce, child custody and visitation, alimony, high-asset divorce, high-conflict divorce, business-owner divorce, property division, uncontested divorce, legal separation, mediation, adoption, orders of protection
Description: Rogers, Shea & Spanos is a Nashville family law firm with more than 30 years in practice and a second office in Franklin. Its attorneys include Helen Sfikas Rogers, who holds an AV Preeminent rating, along with Siew-Ling Shea, George D. Spanos, Laura Blum, Lawrence J. Kamm, Stella K. Mallinak, and Christian Schloegel. Several of the firm’s lawyers are Rule 31 Listed Mediators and NBTA board-certified specialists, and the firm reports Super Lawyers recognition and membership in the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association. The practice handles the full range of domestic relations matters, with particular attention to high-asset, high-conflict, and business-owner divorces, and it appears regularly in the Davidson County Circuit and Chancery Courts as well as in Williamson, Rutherford, and surrounding counties.

3. Stratton Family Law

Address: 3102 West End Avenue, Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: 615-252-5791
Website: https://strattonlawtn.com
Services: divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, adoption, property division
Description: Stratton Family Law is a Nashville firm that concentrates exclusively on family law matters. Its attorneys include Bryan Stratton, Evan Henderson, and Sarah Jones, and the firm offers a free initial consultation with no obligation to retain its services. The practice handles divorce, child custody and support, alimony, adoption, and property division for clients across the Nashville area, and it positions itself as a group focused solely on domestic relations rather than spreading across unrelated practice areas. Its West End Avenue office places it centrally in the city, convenient to clients throughout Davidson County.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Law Attorney in Nashville

Q: How do I verify that a Nashville family law attorney is licensed and in good standing?

Tennessee attorneys are licensed by the Tennessee Supreme Court, and the Board of Professional Responsibility maintains an Online Tennessee Attorney Directory at tbpr.org where the public can confirm whether a lawyer is active or suspended and review any public disciplinary history. The Board of Law Examiners handles admission and the bar examination, while the Board of Professional Responsibility handles discipline under Supreme Court Rule 9. Checking the directory before signing an engagement letter is a sensible first step.

Q: What are the grounds for divorce in Tennessee?

Tennessee Code Annotated 36-4-101 sets out the grounds for divorce, which include the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences as well as thirteen fault-based grounds such as adultery, habitual drunkenness, cruel and inhuman treatment, and abandonment. A couple pursuing an uncontested divorce typically proceeds on irreconcilable differences, while contested cases may involve one or more fault grounds. A family law attorney can explain which grounds fit a particular situation.

Q: How long does a divorce take to finalize in Nashville?

State law sets a minimum waiting period before a divorce can be heard. A divorce generally cannot be finalized until the complaint has been on file for at least 60 days when the couple has no minor children, or at least 90 days when there is an unmarried child under 18. These are minimums, not typical timelines, and contested matters involving custody or property disputes often take considerably longer to resolve.

Q: How is child support calculated in Tennessee?

Child support is governed by Tennessee Code Annotated 36-5-101 and the Tennessee Child Support Guidelines (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-02-04), which use an Income Shares Model. That approach combines both parents’ incomes to determine a basic support obligation, then allocates each parent’s share in proportion to income while accounting for parenting time and certain expenses. The Tennessee Department of Human Services administers the state’s child support program.

Q: What family law matters do Nashville attorneys handle besides divorce?

In addition to divorce and legal separation, Nashville family law attorneys handle child custody and parenting plans, child support, alimony, division of property and business interests, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, paternity, adoption, and orders of protection. Many firms also offer mediation, and some handle post-divorce modifications and appellate advocacy. The specific services a firm provides are listed among its practice areas.

Q: How do I file a complaint against a family law attorney in Tennessee?

Ethics complaints about a Tennessee attorney are directed to the Board of Professional Responsibility, which investigates and acts on disciplinary matters under Supreme Court Rule 9, rather than to the Division of Consumer Affairs that handles most consumer disputes. Only public discipline is disclosed in the attorney directory; private reprimands and admonitions remain confidential. Keeping copies of the engagement agreement, billing records, and relevant correspondence supports any complaint.