Source: https://www.womenslaw.org/laws/tn/custody/all
Timestamp: 2020-08-07 12:59:32
Document Index: 229422502

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36', '§ 36']

Tennessee Custody
This section has information about child custody in Tennessee, including the best interest factors that a judge will consider, whether a parent who has committed domestic violence or child abuse can get custody, and how military deployment affects a custody order. There is also a page with general custody information that you may find helpful. In our general Custody page, we have information about custody that is not specific to any state. The page includes a section about how to try to transfer your custody case to a new state where you are living so that you can modify the custody order from your new state.
Unless the parents are living together and have actual knowledge of one parent’s deployment, the deploying parent must notify the other parent within 7 days of receiving the notice of deployment (or as soon as possible if the circumstances of military service prevent him/her from giving notice within 7 days). Each parent must then provide the other with a proposed parenting plan to account for the deployed parent’s custodial responsibilities and/or visitation during his/her deployment.1
Note: If either parent has a court order requiring that his/her address remain confidential, the parents can submit the notice of deployment and the proposed parenting plan directly to the court that issued the order instead of sending it to the other parent.2
1 TN ST § 36-7-105(a),(b),(d)
2 TN ST § 36-7-105(c)
The parents have the option of entering into a temporary custody agreement to assign (give to another person) custodial responsibility while one parent is deployed. The agreement must be in writing and signed by both parents and by any non-parent who is getting custodial responsibility.1 The agreement should include:
Provide that the agreement will terminate and go back to the terms of the original custody order once the deployed parent returns.2
If parents are unable to come to a temporary custody agreement, either parent can file a request with the court to issue a temporary order assigning (giving to someone else) the deployed parent’s custodial rights and responsibilities. If a custody case is already started, either parent can file a motion in that case. If a custody case is not already started, either parent can file an initial custody complaint to request that the court issue a custody order to address custody during a parent’s deployment.3
1 TN ST § 36-7-201(a),(b)
2 TN ST § 36-7-201(c)
3 TN ST § 36-7-302
An order granting custody or custodial responsibility during a parent’s deployment is temporary (unless it says otherwise). The court cannot issue a permanent custodial responsibility order without the consent of the deploying parent.1 Once the deployed parent returns, the temporary order ends (unless a court order has already terminated the custodial rights and responsibilities before s/he returns).2 A non-parent who is granted any caretaking or decision-making responsibilities has the right to continue to seek that those rights be enforced until the order is terminated by a court or terminated upon the deployed parent’s return.3
1 TN ST § 36-7-302(a)
2 TN ST § 36-7-307(a)
3 TN ST §§ 36-7-307(b); 36-7-401
When making a decision about which parent gets custodial responsibility, the judge is allowed to consider any significant impact of a parent’s past or possible future deployments on the best interest of the child. However, the court may not consider past or future deployment as the sole factor for determining custodial responsibility.1
1 TN ST § 36-7-107