{"data":{"id":"us-tn/tenn.-code-ann.-36-6-205","jurisdiction":"us-tn","citation":"Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-6-205","heading":"Part definitions","body":"As used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) \"Abandoned\" means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision; (2) \"Child\" means an individual who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age; (3) \"Child custody determination\" means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. \"Child custody determination\" includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order. \"Child custody determination\" does not include an order relating to child support or other monetary obligation of an individual; (4) \"Child custody proceeding\" means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. \"Child custody proceeding\" includes a proceeding for divorce, separation, neglect, abuse, dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. \"Child custody proceeding\" does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual emancipation, or enforcement under part 3 of this chapter; (5) \"Commencement\" means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding; (6) \"Court\" means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child custody determination; (7) \"Home state\" means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six (6) consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than six (6) months of age, \"home state\" means the state in which the child lived from birth with any of the persons mentioned. A period of temporary absence of any of the mentioned persons is part of the period; (8) \"Initial determination\" means the first child custody determination concerning a particular child; (9) \"Issuing court\" means the court that makes a child custody determination for which enforcement is sought under this part; (10) \"Issuing state\" means the state in which a child custody determination is made; (11) \"Modification\" means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination; (12) \"Person\" means an individual, corporation, business, trust estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity; (13) \"Person acting as a parent\" means a person, other than a parent, who: (A) Has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six (6) consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one (1) year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and (B) Has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state; (14) \"Petitioner\" means a person who seeks enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or enforcement of a child custody determination; (15) \"Physical custody\" means the physical care and supervision of a child; (16) \"Respondent\" means a person against whom a proceeding has been commenced for enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or enforcement of a child custody determination; (17) \"State\" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; (18) \"Tribe\" means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state; and (19) \"Warran\nchild custody determination; (17) \"State\" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; (18) \"Tribe\" means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state; and (19) \"Warrant\" means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child. Acts 1999, ch. 389, § 6.\nAs used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires:\n(1) \"Abandoned\" means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision;\n(2) \"Child\" means an individual who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age;\n(3) \"Child custody determination\" means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child. \"Child custody determination\" includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order. \"Child custody determination\" does not include an order relating to child support or other monetary obligation of an individual;\n(4) \"Child custody proceeding\" means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. \"Child custody proceeding\" includes a proceeding for divorce, separation, neglect, abuse, dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. \"Child custody proceeding\" does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual emancipation, or enforcement under part 3 of this chapter;\n(5) \"Commencement\" means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding;\n(6) \"Court\" means an entity authorized under the law of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child custody determination;\n(7) \"Home state\" means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least six (6) consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding. In the case of a child less than six (6) months of age, \"home state\" means the state in which the child lived from birth with any of the persons mentioned. A period of temporary absence of any of the mentioned persons is part of the period;\n(8) \"Initial determination\" means the first child custody determination concerning a particular child;\n(9) \"Issuing court\" means the court that makes a child custody determination for which enforcement is sought under this part;\n(10) \"Issuing state\" means the state in which a child custody determination is made;\n(11) \"Modification\" means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, whether or not it is made by the court that made the previous determination;\n(12) \"Person\" means an individual, corporation, business, trust estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, public corporation, or any other legal or commercial entity;\n(13) \"Person acting as a parent\" means a person, other than a parent, who: (A) Has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six (6) consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one (1) year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and (B) Has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state;\n(A) Has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six (6) consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one (1) year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and\n(B) Has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state;\nms a right to legal custody under the law of this state;\n(A) Has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of six (6) consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within one (1) year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and\n(B) Has been awarded legal custody by a court or claims a right to legal custody under the law of this state;\n(14) \"Petitioner\" means a person who seeks enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or enforcement of a child custody determination;\n(15) \"Physical custody\" means the physical care and supervision of a child;\n(16) \"Respondent\" means a person against whom a proceeding has been commenced for enforcement of an order for return of a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction or enforcement of a child custody determination;\n(17) \"State\" means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States;\n(18) \"Tribe\" means an Indian tribe or band, or Alaskan native village, which is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state; and\n(19) \"Warrant\" means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child.","path":["TN Code","Title 36","Chapter 6"],"source_url":"https://oss-data-us.vaquill.ai/v2026.08/us_tn_statutes.parquet","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:26Z","sha256":"ff536fee0a045ab5db922ab097b3624cab568791e6d4fe54b8dd3fbeafea0199","source_id":"us-tn","stale":false,"prev":"us-tn/tenn.-code-ann.-36-6-204","next":"us-tn/tenn.-code-ann.-36-6-206"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}