Title 36, Domestic Relations

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), a tribunal of this state shall recognize and enforce a registered Convention support order. (b) The following grounds are the only grounds on which a tribunal of this state may refuse recognition and enforcement of a registered …

If a tribunal of this state does not recognize and enforce a Convention support order in its entirety, it shall enforce any severable part of the order. An application or direct request may seek recognition and partial enforcement of a Convention support order.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (c) and (d), a tribunal of this state shall recognize and enforce a foreign support agreement registered in this state. (b) An application or direct request for recognition and enforcement of a foreign support agreement must be acco…

(a) A tribunal of this state may not modify a Convention child support order if the obligee remains a resident of the foreign country where the support order was issued unless:(1) The obligee submits to the jurisdiction of a tribunal of this state, either expressly or by defendin…

Personal information gathered or transmitted under this part may be used only for the purposes for which it was gathered or transmitted.

A record filed with a tribunal of this state under this part must be in the original language and, if not in English, must be accompanied by an English translation.

(a) For purposes of this part, “governor” includes an individual performing the functions of governor or the executive authority of a state covered by parts 20-29 of this chapter. (b) The governor of this state may:(1) Demand that the governor of another state surrender an indivi…

(a) Before making a demand that the governor of another state surrender an individual charged criminally in this state with having failed to provide for the support of an obligee, the governor of this state may require a prosecutor of this state to demonstrate that at least sixty…

In applying and construing this uniform act, codified in parts 20-29 of this chapter, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.

Parts 20-29 of this chapter apply to proceedings begun on or after March 31, 2016 to establish a support order or determine parentage of a child or to register, recognize, enforce, or modify a prior support order, determination, or agreement, whenever issued or entered.

If any provision of parts 20-29 of this chapter or their application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of parts 20-29 of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or applicatio…

(a) The purpose of this part is to provide procedures for the intercounty enforcement and modification of child support and child custody cases and shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes. (b) The provisions for transfer in this part shall not apply to cases in an…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:(1) “Child's county” means the county in which the child who is subject to a support or custody order resides;(2) “Clerk” means the clerk of the transferor or transferee court, or the clerk of any court who h…

(a) (1) Except as provided in § 36-5-3001(b), a case that includes child support or custody provisions may be transferred between counties in this state without the need for any additional filing by the party seeking transfer by the filing of a request by the requesting party if:…

(1) A case may be transferred by the clerk of the issuing court following a request by a requesting party sending the request for the transfer to the clerk of the transferor court. The request shall include the following information:(1) (A) A sworn statement by the party or the d…

(a) If no request for contest of the request for transfer is filed within fifteen (15) days pursuant to § 36-5-3004(6), or if the contest of the transfer is denied by the transferor court, the clerk of the transferor court shall, within fifteen (15) days thereafter:(1) Remove fro…

(a) A transferee court, upon receipt of the transferred documents from the transferor court shall assign a docket number to the case and establish a case file, and shall create a child support payment record, unless the case is being enforced under Title IV-D of the Social Securi…

(a) A party may contest the transfer of the case by filing a motion in the transferor court for that purpose within fifteen (15) days of the mailing date of the notice from the requesting party. Unless it is shown by the nonrequesting party that notice of the request for transfer…

The transferee court shall accept the transfer and shall not have the discretion to refuse the transfer.

(a) When a transfer request is made by the department of human services or its contractors, the fee and all taxes shall be waived for the department or its contractors. (b) Costs of court and for making copies and for providing certifications, fees and taxes shall be adjudged by …

The purpose of this part is to provide a procedure for the enforcement of support obligations arising under the law against an obligor without a transfer of jurisdiction to modify the order. This part shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise clearly requires:(1) “Clerk” means the clerk of the original or registering court, or the clerk of any court who has been designated by either of those courts to collect support payments for such court;(2) “Court” means a juv…

(a) A support order issued by a court of this state may be registered in the county in this state where the child or children reside, for enforcement purposes only. If the case is a Title IV-D support case, at the option of the department, it may be enforced in the county of the …

(a) A support order issued in another county is registered for enforcement pursuant to this part when the order is filed in the registering court and the requirements of § 36-5-3103(a) are met. (b) A registered order originally issued in another county is enforceable in the same …

When a support order issued in another county is registered, the registering court or the department in Title IV-D child support cases shall send the notice required by § 36-5-3103(a)(4) to the nonregistering party within two (2) days of the registration.

(a) A nonregistering party seeking to contest the validity or enforcement of a registered order pursuant to this part shall request a hearing within fifteen (15) days after the date of mailing of the notice of the registration. The nonregistering party may seek to vacate the regi…

(a) A party contesting the validity or enforcement of a registered order or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses:(1) The registered order was obtained by fraud;(2) The registered order has been vacated, suspended, or m…

Unless it is shown by the nonrequesting party that notice of the request for transfer was not received, confirmation of an order by operation of law or following a hearing precludes further contest of the order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted at the time …

Whenever the department of human services is acting upon any application for Title IV-D services, whether by assignment of rights of support pursuant to § 71-3-124 or otherwise, it shall have the same right to invoke this part as the obligee who has made application for such serv…

In cases not subject to the centralized collection and disbursement unit pursuant to § 36-5-116, when the clerk of the court of the registering county collects the support that has been enforced by the court of the registering county pursuant to this part, the clerk shall send th…

(a) When an order is registered by the department of human services or its contractors, the fee shall be waived for the department or its contractors. (b) The respondent shall be liable for the costs of the issuing court and the registering court together with the required filing…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Child” means a person entitled to support from such person's parents by virtue of such person's minority or who is entitled to support as provided in § 34-1-102(b);(2) “Magistrate” means a duly licensed attorney…

(a) (1) Hearings in all child support cases that are not being enforced pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), shall be heard within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed forty-five (45) days of the service of process in each county in t…

The magistrate shall have the same authority and power as a circuit court judge to issue any and all process and in conducting hearings and other proceedings in accordance with this part; provided, that all final orders of a magistrate must be reviewed by a judge as provided in §…

The office of the clerk of the court shall provide a sufficient supply of the forms provided for in § 36-5-406. These forms shall be limited to use in causes filed under this part and they shall be made available to all who request assistance in filing a petition. The office of t…

(a) Any person seeking to set, enforce, modify or terminate support may commence such an action by filing a petition and testimony in the form prescribed by § 36-5-406 with the office of the clerk. (b) When a petition is filed, the clerk shall designate a hearing date on the noti…

The department of human services, in consultation with the Tennessee judicial conference, has the authority by regulation to promulgate forms, which must be available for use pursuant to this part. Such forms must be promulgated pursuant to the rulemaking provisions of the Unifor…

(a) (1) For any order of child support issued, modified, or enforced on or after July 1, 1994, the court shall order an immediate assignment of the obligor's income, including, but not necessarily limited to: wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, workers' compensation, disabilit…

(a) The following procedures shall apply to termination of income assignment:(1) Any party or its agents or assignees may seek termination of an order under this section if there are no arrearages owed by the obligor to the obligee parent, any guardian or custodian of the child, …

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “Arrears” means any child support or spousal support associated with a child support order owed under a court or administrative order that is delinquent pursuant to § 36-5-501(b)(1), or any interest owed on those…

(a) (1) In Title IV-D child support enforcement cases pursuant to this part, the department shall be deemed to be the agent of the court to enforce, on behalf of the court, the court's order of support that is in arrears by using the license revocation, denial, suspension or rest…

(a) An obligor may request an administrative hearing upon receiving the notice described in § 36-5-702 to contest the department's intention to issue a finding of noncompliance to a licensing authority. The request for hearing must be made in writing and must be received by the d…

(a) If an obligor timely requests a hearing to contest the issue of compliance, or files a motion to modify support or requests that the support obligation be amended as provided in § 36-5-710, the department shall stay the action and may not certify the name of the obligor to an…

(a) The department shall certify in writing or by electronic data exchange to each licensing authority that licenses the obligor that an obligor is not in compliance with an order of support if:(1) The obligor does not timely request a hearing upon service of notice issued under …

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the certification from the department under § 36-5-705 shall be a basis for the denial, suspension or revocation of a license, for refusal to issue or reinstate a license by a licensing authority or for the is…

(a) When an obligor who is served notice under § 36-5-702 complies with the order of support, the department shall provide the licensing authority with written or electronic data exchange confirmation that the obligor is in compliance with the order and issue a release to the obl…