High-Asset Divorce · Nashville Office
High-Asset and Business-Owner Divorce Lawyer in Nashville, TN
Wise Law handles high-asset and business-owner divorces in Davidson County and surrounding Tennessee counties, including business valuation, separate property claims, retirement and investment accounts, and alimony. Tennessee divides marital property equitably and lets each spouse keep separate property. At Wise Law, upfront flat fees range from $1,500 to $5,000. Wise Law is the Nashville office of Wise & Associates, Louisville, Kentucky.
High-Asset Divorce in Tennessee: Key Facts
| Our fees | At Wise Law, upfront flat fees range from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on how much litigation is required. Mediation, court appearances, and trial are priced separately before each begins. Costs for outside experts, such as business appraisers or forensic accountants, are separate from attorney fees. See pricing |
|---|---|
| Court | Davidson County divorces are usually heard in Circuit Court. We also handle divorces in Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, and Sumner counties. |
| Marital property | Generally, property acquired by either spouse during the marriage, divided equitably, which is not always 50/50 |
| Separate property | Generally, property owned before the marriage and gifts and inheritances to one spouse. Growth in value of separate property during the marriage can become marital if both spouses substantially contributed to it. |
| Businesses | A business started during the marriage is generally marital. A business owned before the marriage can have a marital portion if both spouses substantially contributed to its growth. |
| Protecting assets | Once the complaint is filed and served, automatic injunctions generally bar both spouses from hiding, transferring, or wasting marital property |
| Alimony | Four types: rehabilitative, transitional, in futuro (periodic), and in solido (lump sum) |
| Governing law | Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-4-121 (property) and § 36-5-121 (alimony) |
| Handled by | Paige Redd, Managing Attorney, Nashville |
Issues We Handle in High-Asset Divorces
Business valuation
Determining what a business is worth, and how much of it is marital, often with an independent business appraiser. Protecting your business in a divorce
Separate property claims
Showing which assets came from before the marriage, gifts, or inheritances, and whether any growth in their value is marital.
Retirement and investment accounts
Dividing 401(k)s, pensions, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and deferred compensation, including the orders needed to divide them.
Full financial disclosure
Using discovery, subpoenas, and, where needed, forensic accountants when a spouse's finances are incomplete or unclear.
Real estate
The marital home, rental properties, and other real estate, including who keeps a property and how equity is divided.
Tax consequences
How a division of assets, alimony, and the sale of property will be taxed. Tax consequences of divorce
How a High-Asset Divorce Works in Tennessee
Free phone consultation
An attorney reviews the assets involved and quotes your upfront fee.
Complaint and temporary orders
The complaint for divorce is filed, the automatic injunctions take effect on service, and the court can set temporary support while the case is pending.
Financial disclosure and discovery
Both spouses disclose their assets, income, and debts. Discovery and subpoenas fill in what is missing.
Valuation
Businesses, real estate, and other assets are valued, often by independent experts.
Classification and division
Each asset is classified as marital or separate, and the marital estate is divided equitably.
Settlement or trial
Most cases settle through negotiation or mediation. Issues that do not settle are decided at trial.
Credentials
- Paige Redd, managing attorney, Nashville: licensed in Tennessee since April 2020, practicing family law in the Nashville area for nearly her entire career. Read her bio
- Christopher Wise, founder of Wise & Associates: Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2023–2027; Louisville Business First 20 People to Know in Law, 2023 and 2026.
- Wise & Associates: Best Law Firm in Louisville, The Courier Journal Best of Louisville (reader-voted), Winner 2022 and 2023, Top 3 2025 and 2026. All awards
Nashville High-Asset Divorce Questions
How much does a high-asset divorce lawyer cost in Nashville?
At Wise Law, upfront flat fees range from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on how much litigation is required. Mediation, court appearances, and trial are priced separately before each begins. Outside experts, such as business appraisers, are billed separately by the expert. The firm does not bill hourly.
Is my business marital property in Tennessee?
It depends on when it was acquired and who contributed to it. A business started during the marriage is generally marital. A business owned before the marriage is generally separate, but growth in its value during the marriage can be marital if both spouses substantially contributed to it.
How is a business valued in a divorce?
Usually by an independent business appraiser, who considers the company's earnings, assets, and market. Each spouse can also hire their own expert, and the court decides if the values differ.
Is an inheritance marital property in Tennessee?
Generally no. An inheritance to one spouse is separate property, but it can become marital if it is mixed with marital assets or treated as marital property during the marriage.
How are retirement accounts divided in a Tennessee divorce?
The portion earned during the marriage is generally marital and can be divided. Employer plans such as 401(k)s and pensions are usually divided with a qualified domestic relations order, which can avoid early withdrawal penalties.
Will a prenuptial agreement be enforced in Tennessee?
Generally yes, if it was entered freely, knowledgeably, and in good faith, without duress or undue influence. Full disclosure of each spouse's finances, or independent knowledge of them, is important to enforceability.
Talk to a Nashville Divorce Lawyer
Consultations are free and by phone. Book a time, then call the office at your scheduled time.
Wise Law4235 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 300, Nashville, TN 37215
(615) 208-9190
Wise Law is the Nashville office of Wise & Associates, Louisville, Kentucky.
Attorney advertising. This page provides general information, not legal advice. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.