Title 36, Domestic Relations

Except as otherwise provided in § 36-6-235, the petition and order must be served, by any method authorized by the law of this state, upon the respondent and any person who has physical custody of the child.

(a) Unless the court issues a temporary emergency order pursuant to § 36-6-219, upon a finding that a petitioner is entitled to immediate physical custody of the child, the court shall order that the petitioner may take immediate physical custody of the child unless the responden…

(a) Upon the filing of a petition seeking enforcement of a child-custody determination, the petitioner may file a verified application for the issuance of a warrant to take physical custody of the child if the child is immediately likely to suffer serious physical harm or be remo…

The court may award the prevailing party, including a state, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by or on behalf of the party, including costs, communication expenses, attorney's fees, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child care during the c…

A court of this state shall accord full faith and credit to an order issued by another state and consistent with this part which enforces a child-custody determination by a court of another state unless the order has been vacated, stayed, or modified by a court having jurisdictio…

An appeal may be taken from a final order in a proceeding under this part in accordance with the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure and may be accelerated under Tennessee Rules of the Court of Appeals, Rule 13. Unless the court enters a temporary emergency order under § 36-6-…

(a) In a case arising under this part or involving the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the prosecutor or other appropriate public official may take any lawful action, including resort to a proceeding under this part or any other available c…

At the request of a prosecutor or other appropriate public official acting under § 36-6-239, a law enforcement officer may take any lawful action reasonably necessary to locate a child or a party and assist a prosecutor or appropriate public official with responsibilities under §…

If the respondent is not the prevailing party, the court may assess against the respondent all direct expenses and costs incurred by the prosecutor or other appropriate public official and law enforcement officers under § 36-6-239 or § 36-6-240.

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

A motion or other request for relief made in a child-custody proceeding or to enforce a child-custody determination which was commenced before June 14, 1999, is governed by the law in effect at the time the motion or other request was made.

After making an award of custody, the court shall, upon request of the noncustodial parent, grant such rights of visitation as will enable the child and the noncustodial parent to maintain a parent-child relationship unless the court finds, after a hearing, that visitation is lik…

(a) (1) (A) If a child is removed from the custody of the child's parents, guardian or legal custodian; and(B) If a child is placed in a licensed foster home, a facility operated by a licensed child care agency, or other home or facility designated or operated by the court, wheth…

(a) (1) In extraordinary cases, the court is authorized to order stepparent visitation under the following circumstances: If a stepparent or former stepparent presents a petition, or a motion in a pending case to which the stepparent is a party, for visitation with the stepparent…

No person who has been granted visitation rights to a child shall, during the child's minority, expose the child to any facility organized or operated as a nudist colony without the consent of the custodial parent. Any court of competent jurisdiction shall have the ability to enf…

(1) In any proceeding concerning the visitation of a child, if an order of protection issued in or recognized by this state is in effect or if there is a court finding of domestic abuse or any criminal conviction involving domestic abuse within the marriage that is the subject of…

(a) Any of the following circumstances, when presented in a petition for grandparent visitation to the circuit, chancery, general sessions courts with domestic relations jurisdiction, other courts with domestic relations jurisdiction or juvenile court in matters involving childre…

(1) In determining the best interests of the child under § 36-6-306, the court shall consider all pertinent matters, including, but not necessarily limited to, the following:(1) The length and quality of the prior relationship between the child and the grandparent and the role pe…

(a) Parents have the responsibility to make decisions and perform other parental duties necessary for the care and growth of their minor children. In any proceeding between parents under this chapter, the best interests of the child shall be the standard by which the court determ…

(1) As used in this part, unless the context requires otherwise:(1) “Dispute resolution” means the mediation process or alternative dispute resolution process in accordance with Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 unless the parties agree otherwise. For the purposes of this part, suc…

(1) Except as may be specifically provided otherwise herein, a temporary parenting plan shall be incorporated in any temporary order of the court in actions for absolute divorce, legal separation, annulment, or separate maintenance involving a minor child. A temporary parenting p…

(a) Any final decree or decree of modification in an action for absolute divorce, legal separation, annulment, or separate maintenance involving a minor child shall incorporate a permanent parenting plan; provided, however, that this part shall be inapplicable to parties who were…

(a) In a proceeding for a modification of a permanent parenting plan, a proposed parenting plan shall be filed and served with the petition for modification and with the response to the petition for modification. Such plan is not required if the modification pertains only to chil…

(a) The permanent parenting plan and the mechanism for approval of the permanent parenting plan shall not utilize dispute resolution, and a parent's residential time as provided in the permanent parenting plan or temporary parenting plan shall be limited if the limitation is foun…

(a) The court shall approve agreements of the parties allocating parenting responsibilities, or specifying rules, if it finds that:(1) The agreement is consistent with any limitations on a parent's decision-making authority mandated by § 36-6-406;(2) The agreement is knowing and …

(a) In an action where a permanent parenting plan is or will be entered, each parent shall attend a parent educational seminar as soon as possible after the filing of the complaint. The seminar may be divided into sessions, which in the aggregate must not be less than four (4) ho…

(1) The following procedures and restrictions are applicable to the use of the dispute resolution process under this part:(1) Each neutral party, the court, or the special master shall apply or, in the case of mediation, assist the parties to uphold as a standard for making decis…

(a) Solely for the purpose of all other state and federal statutes and any applicable policies of insurance that require a designation or determination of custody, a parenting plan must designate the parent with whom the child is scheduled to reside a majority of the time as the …

(a) Nothing in this part shall be construed to alter, modify or restrict the exclusive jurisdiction of the juvenile court pursuant to § 37-1-103. (b) The juvenile court may incorporate any part of the parenting plan process in any matter that the court deems appropriate. (c) Noth…

It is the legislative intent that the gender of the party seeking to be the primary residential parent shall not give rise to a presumption of parental fitness or cause a presumption in favor of or against such party.

(a) The costs of the mediation required by this part may be assessed as discretionary costs of the action. (b) (1) The court may direct that all or part of the cost of court-ordered mediation, education and any related services to resolve family conflict in divorce and post-divor…

The parenting plan processes established by this part shall be evaluated by the administrative office of the courts after the program has been in effect for three (3) years.

When the child is scheduled to reside an equal amount of time with both parents, the address of either parent may be used to determine school zoning.

(1) As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:(1) “License” means a license, certification, registration, permit, approval or other similar document issued to an individual evidencing admission to or granting authority to engage in a profession, trade, occupatio…

(a) In all cases where visitation is ordered, both parents shall comply with such order of visitation by turning over custody of the child on the days and at the times so ordered by the court and by picking up the child and returning the child on the days and at the times so orde…

(a) A parent, who has been victimized by the other parent's intentional violation of § 36-6-502(a) on two (2) or more occasions within any six-month period, may petition the court having jurisdiction over the order of visitation for a finding that the other parent is not in compl…

(a) If a parent requests a hearing pursuant to this part to contest the court's intention to issue a finding of noncompliance to a licensing authority, the court shall conduct the hearing only to determine:(1) Whether the licensee is a parent subject to an order of visitation;(2)…

(a) If a parent timely requests a hearing to contest the issue of compliance, the court shall stay the action and may not certify the name of such parent to any licensing authority for noncompliance with an order of visitation until the court issues a written decision after a hea…

(1) The court may certify in writing or by electronic data exchange to each licensing authority that the offending parent is not in compliance with an order of visitation if:(1) Such parent does not timely request a hearing upon service of notice issued under § 36-6-503;(2) Such …

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the certification from the court under § 36-6-506 shall be a basis for the denial, suspension or revocation of a license, or for refusal to issue, renew, or reinstate a license by a licensing authority. (b) Th…

(a) When a parent who is served notice under § 36-6-503, or whose license was otherwise revoked, denied or suspended by order of the court, complies with the order of visitation, the court shall provide the licensing authority with written or electronic data exchange confirmation…

The various licensing authorities shall cooperate with the court in any manner necessary to effectuate this part, and the court and the various licensing authorities shall enter into any necessary agreements to carry out the purposes of this part.

Nothing in this part prohibits a custodial or noncustodial parent from filing a motion with the court to modify an order of visitation or a custody order.

(a) In addition to other qualifications for licensure or registration and conditions for continuing eligibility to hold a license as prescribed by law, rule or regulation issued under titles 43, 44, 45, 56, 62, 63, 68, 70 or 71, for an individual to engage in a profession, trade,…

This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act.”

(1) In this part:(1) “Abduction” means the wrongful removal or wrongful retention of a child;(2) “Child” means an unemancipated individual who is less than eighteen (18) years of age;(3) “Child-custody determination” means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing f…