Source: http://tennesseewillsandestates.com/Default.aspx?month=6&year=2013
Timestamp: 2019-01-21 16:00:21
Document Index: 794922594

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 31', '§ 31', '§ 34', '§ 34', '§ 34']

Tennessee Wills and Estates: 2013 June
In Tennessee what are the requirements for a physical or mental examination for the appointment of a conservator over a person?
Posted on Jun 27 2013 9:37PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
T.C.A. § 34-3-105 provides specific requirements for a physical or mental examination in conjunction with a petition for conservatorship under Tennessee law. A conservatorship can be an important way to transfer legal and other powers to a responsible person to help someone who can no longer take care of themselves physically and/or mentally. T.C.A. § 34-3-105(a) discusses the requirements for a physical or mental examination in order to establish the appropriateness of a conservatorship as follows:
(a) If the respondent has been examined by a physician or, where appropriate, a psychologist or senior psychological examiner not more than ninety (90) days prior to the filing of the petition and the examination is pertinent, the report of the examination shall be submitted with the petition. If the respondent has not been examined within ninety (90) days of the filing of the petition, cannot get out to be examined or refuses to be voluntarily examined, the court shall order the respondent to submit to examination by a physician or, where appropriate, a psychologist or senior psychological examiner identified in the petition as the respondent's physician, psychologist or senior psychological examiner or, if the respondent has no physician, psychologist or senior psychological examiner, a physician, psychologist or senior psychological examiner selected by the court. The physician, psychologist or senior psychological examiner, on completing the examination, shall send a sworn written report to the court with copies to the petitioner and the guardian ad litem. The physician's, psychologist's or senior psychological examiner's report shall be made a part of the court record.
As a result, a written medial report should be submitted in support of the petition for conservatorship as long as it pertains to an examination made not more than 90 days prior to the filing of the petition. If an examination has not been made within the 90 days of the filing of the petition then the court is required to order the respondent to submit to an examination and that report is made a part of the court record.
The reports required under T.C.A. § 34-3-105 must contain specific information. T.C.A. § 34-3-105(c) provides as follows:
When a child is born outside of marriage, when is the child considered a child of the father for purposes of intestate succession (when someone dies without a will)?
Posted on Jun 24 2013 8:22PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
T.C.A. § 31-2-105(a)(2) provides the rules to determine when child is considered a child of a father when the child was born outside of marriage ("wedlock" is the term used in the statute). Specifically, T.C.A. § 31-2-105 provides as follows:
(b) In no event shall a parent be permitted to inherit through intestate succession until all child support arrearages together with interest thereon at the legal rate of interest computed from the date each payment was due have been paid in full to the parent ordered to receive support or to the parent's estate if deceased.
As a result there are two possible ways to determine whether a child born outside of marriage is considered a child of the “father” before or after the death of the father. Basically the child is considered to be a child of the “father” if the parents participated in a marriage ceremony before or after the birth of the child (even when the atte...
What standard of evidence does the Court use to determine whether a proposed conservatorship is appropriate under Tennessee law?
Posted on Jun 15 2013 4:43PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
Conservatorships serve a very important role to help take care of our aging population as baby boomers get older and American’s live longer. This will only become more and more important as our society continues to age due to advances in medicine. The Tennessee legislator recently passed Public Chapter 435 which is a new bill in the 2013 legislative session changing conservatorship law. This new legislation modifies current Tennessee conservatorship law in many ways in an attempt to provide more protections for the entire process. This bill was signed into law by Governor Bill Haslam on May 16, 2013 and takes effect on July 1, 2013. I will have subsequent blog posts that address the changes in this bill at a later time.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
One issue that is important in Tennessee conservatorship law is the standard of evidence the court must use to determine is an individual should have a conservatorship appointed for them. Under T.C.A. § 34-1-126 the court must find by “clear and convincing evidence” that the respondent (disabled person) is “fully or partially disabled” and is in “need of assistance from the court” before a fiduciary (conservator) can be appointed. T.C.A. § 34-1-126 provides as follows:
The court must find by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent is fully or partially disabled and that the respondent is in need of assistance from the court before a fiduciary can be appointed.
The clear and convincing evidence standard is a high standard under Tennessee law. The Tennessee Supreme Court discussed this standard of evidence in Hodges v. S.C. Toof & Co., 833 S.W.2d 896, 901 (Tenn. 1992). In footnote number three the Court stated that "clear and convincing evidence means evidence in which there is no serious or substantial doubt about the correctness of the conclusions drawn from the evidence." Hodges at 901.
Under Tennessee law, what is a durable power of attorney document – and do I need to have one?
Posted on Jun 3 2013 8:54PM by Attorney, Jason A. Lee
A durable power of attorney document is a very important tool available in Tennessee to assist people in designating people who have power to act as their attorney in fact in various situations. It is an important part of proper estate planning. The durable power of attorney can become effective immediately upon execution. This would allow the designated “attorney in fact” to act for the principal in various situations discussed more fully below (like signing legal documents on the principal’s behalf). <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
The durable power of attorney can also be drafted in such a way that it only takes effect upon the disability or incapacity of the principal. This can be very important because it allows many people to avoid the cost of Tennessee conservatorship proceedings if they ever become incapacitated due to dementia, Alzheimer’s or some other problem. If there is no power of attorney document, often a conservatorship proceeding is required to obtain the powers that could have otherwise been provided in a properly executed power of attorney document.
A durable power of attorney document is defined by Tennessee statute in T.C.A. § 34-6-102 as follows:
A durable power of attorney is a power of attorney by which a principal designates another as the principal's attorney in fact in writing and the writing contains the words “This power of attorney shall not be affected by subsequent disability or incapacity of the principal,” or “This power of attorney shall become effective upon the disability or incapacity of the principal,” or similar words showing the intent of the principal that the authority conferred shall be exercisable, notwithstanding the principal's subsequent disability or incapacity.
This document basically gives another individual the power to act just like they were the principal who granted the powers to the attorney-in-fact.
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