Marriage is a legal contract. Because of this, you will need to tell the court why you wish to end the agreement. In some states, there are only a couple of grounds or reasons for asking for a divorce.
But in Tennessee, FindLaw explains there are multiple grounds you can use.
Abusive situations
Grounds rooted in abuse include that your spouse is abusive or tried to kill you. Cheating, which can be emotionally abusive is another option. If your spouse left you and was gone for at least one year without a reason for doing so, that is another grounds. Another situation usable for seeking a divorce is if your spouse refuses to provide for you and has forced you out of the family home.
Problems in the marriage
The most common reason for a divorce is that you no longer wish to be in the marriage and see no potential for a change in your stance. You may also have issues where your spouse was incapable of having children or sexual relations at the time of your marriage and continued to be in the same condition during the marriage, so you wish to end the relationship.
An uncontrolled addiction to drugs or alcohol is also a reason for divorce in the state. You also have ground if you moved to Tennessee, your spouse refused to do so and you have lived apart for two years.
Criminal issues
Some requests for divorce come from criminal situations. For example, if your spouse already had a spouse when marrying you, then that is a crime and a good reason to end your marriage. You may also request a divorce if your spouse had a criminal conviction of a felony and received time in prison.
When you present the grounds for divorce, you will need to provide the court with evidence of your claim, so keep that in mind.