Part Definitions

  1. Law
  2. Tennessee Code
  3. Domestic Relations
  4. Child Custody and Visitation
  5. Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act
  6. Part Definitions

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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:
    1. 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
    2. 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. “Warrant” means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child.


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