Statutes: Tennessee

(a) The chancery and circuit courts shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the juvenile court to terminate parental or guardianship rights to a child in a separate proceeding, or as a part of the adoption proceeding by utilizing any grounds for termination of parental or guardianship rights permitted in this part or in title 37, chapter 1, part 1 and title 37, chapter 2, part 4. All pleadings and records filed in the chancery and circuit courts pursuant to this section shall be placed under seal and shall not be subject to public disclosure, in the same manner as those filed in juvenile court, unless otherwise provided by court order.
 

(b)(1) The prospective adoptive parent or parents, including extended family members caring for a related child, a licensed child-placing agency having physical custody of the child, the child’s guardian ad litem, or the department have standing to file a petition pursuant to this part or title 37 to terminate parental or guardianship rights of a person alleged to be a parent or guardian of the child, pursuant to § 36-1-117(a). The prospective adoptive parents, including extended family members caring for a related child, have standing to request termination of parental or guardianship rights in the adoption petition filed by them pursuant to this part.
 

(2)(A) When one (1) of the child’s parents has been convicted of aggravated rape pursuant to § 39-13-502, rape pursuant to § 39-13-503, or rape of a child pursuant to § 39-13-522, from which crime the child was conceived, the child’s other parent has standing to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the convicted parent.
 

(B) When one (1) of the child’s parents has been convicted of one (1) of the offenses specified in subdivision (g)(11)(A)(ii), the child’s other parent has standing to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the abusive parent.
 

(C) When one (1) of the child’s parents or legal guardians has been convicted of attempted first degree murder or attempted second degree murder of the child’s other parent or legal guardian, the child’s non-offending parent or legal guardian has standing to file a petition to terminate the parental or guardianship rights of the convicted parent or legal guardian.
 

(3) This section does not give a parent or legal guardian standing to file a petition to terminate parental or guardianship rights based on grounds other than those listed in subdivision (b)(2).
 

(4) The court shall notify the petitioning parent that the duty of future child support by the parent who is the subject of the termination petition will be forever terminated by entry of an order terminating parental rights.
 

(c) Termination of parental or guardianship rights must be based upon:
 

(1) A finding by the court by clear and convincing evidence that the grounds for termination of parental or guardianship rights have been established; and
 

(2) That termination of the parent’s or guardian’s rights is in the best interests of the child.
 

(d)(1) The petition to terminate parental rights may be made upon information and belief and shall be verified. If a parent whose parental rights are proposed for termination is the legal parent of the child, as defined in § 36-1-102, and if such parent is alleged to be deceased, then diligent efforts must be made by the petitioner to verify the death of such parent. Upon proof satisfactory to the court that such parent is deceased, no further action shall be required to terminate parental rights of that person.
 

(2)(A) The petition to terminate parental rights shall state:
 

(i) The child’s birth name;
 

(ii) The child’s age or date of birth;
 

(iii) The child’s current residence address or county of residence or that the child is in the custody of the department or a licensed child-placing agency;
 

(iv) Any other facts that allege the basis for termination of parental rights and that bring the child and parties within the jurisdiction of the court;
 

(v) Any notice required pursuant to subdivision (d)(4) has been given; and
 

(vi) The medical and social history of the child and the child’s biological family has been completed to the extent possible on the form promulgated by the department pursuant to § 36-1-111(j); provided, however, the absence of such completed information shall not be a barrier to termination of parental rights.
 

(B) Initials or pseudonyms may be used in the petition in lieu of the full names of the petitioners to promote the safety of the petitioners or of the child, with permission of the court;
 

(3)(A) The petition to terminate parental rights must state that:
 

(i) The Tennessee putative father registry has been consulted prior to the filing of the petition or will be consulted within ten (10) working days thereafter unless the biological father has been identified through DNA testing as described in § 24-7-112 and that identification is set out in the petition; and a copy of the response to this inquiry shall be provided to the court immediately upon receipt by the petitioner; and
 

(ii) Notice of the filing of the termination petition has been provided to the Tennessee putative father registry if the child is less than thirty (30) days old at the time the petition is filed.
 

(B) The petition to terminate, or the adoption petition that seeks to terminate parental rights, shall state that:
 

(i) The petition or request for termination in the adoption petition, if granted, shall have the effect of forever severing all of the rights, responsibilities, and obligations of the parent or parents or the guardian or guardians to the child who is the subject of the order, and of the child to the parent or parents or the guardian or guardians;
 

(ii) The child will be placed in the guardianship of other person, persons or public or private agencies who, or that, as the case may be, shall have the right to adopt the child, or to place the child for adoption and to consent to the child’s adoption; and
 

(iii) The parent or guardian shall have no further right to notice of proceedings for the adoption of the child by other persons and that the parent or guardian shall have no right to object to the child’s adoption or thereafter, at any time, to have any relationship, legal or otherwise, with the child, except as provided by contract pursuant to § 36-1-145.
 

(4) The petition to terminate parental rights, if filed separately from the adoption petition, may be filed as provided in § 36-1-114. If the petition is filed in a court different from the court where there is a pending custody, dependency, neglect or abuse proceeding concerning a person whose parental rights are sought to be terminated in the petition, a notice of the filing of the petition, together with a copy of the petition, shall be sent by the petitioner to the court where the prior proceeding is pending. In addition, the petitioner filing a petition under this section shall comply with the requirements of § 36-1-117(e).
 

(e) Service of process of the petition shall be made as provided in § 36-1-117.
 

(f) Before terminating the rights of any parent or guardian who is incarcerated or who was incarcerated at the time of an action or proceeding is initiated, it must be affirmatively shown to the court that such incarcerated parent or guardian received actual notice of the following:
 

(1) The time and place of the hearing to terminate parental rights;
 

(2) That the hearing will determine whether the rights of the incarcerated parent or guardian should be terminated;
 

(3) That the incarcerated parent or guardian has the right to participate in the hearing and contest the allegation that the rights of the incarcerated parent or guardian should be terminated, and, at the discretion of the court, such participation may be achieved through personal appearance, teleconference, telecommunication or other means deemed by the court to be appropriate under the circumstances;
 

(4) That if the incarcerated parent or guardian wishes to participate in the hearing and contest the allegation, such parent or guardian:
 

(A) If indigent, will be provided with a court-appointed attorney to assist the parent or guardian in contesting the allegation; and
 

(B) Shall have the right to perpetuate such person’s testimony or that of any witness by means of depositions or interrogatories as provided by the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure; and
 

(5) If, by means of a signed waiver, the court determines that the incarcerated parent or guardian has voluntarily waived the right to participate in the hearing and contest the allegation, or if such parent or guardian takes no action after receiving notice of such rights, the court may proceed with such action without the parent’s or guardian’s participation.
 

(g) Initiation of termination of parental or guardianship rights may be based upon any of the grounds listed in this subsection (g). The following grounds are cumulative and nonexclusive, so that listing conditions, acts or omissions in one ground does not prevent them from coming within another ground:
 

(1) Abandonment by the parent or guardian, as defined in § 36-1-102, has occurred;
 

(2) There has been substantial noncompliance by the parent or guardian with the statement of responsibilities in a permanency plan pursuant to title 37, chapter 2, part 4;
 

(3)(A) The child has been removed from the home or the physical or legal custody of a parent or guardian for a period of six (6) months by a court order entered at any stage of proceedings in which a child is alleged to be a dependent and neglected child, and:
 

(i) The conditions that led to the child’s removal still persist, preventing the child’s safe return to the care of the parent or guardian, or other conditions exist that, in all reasonable probability, would cause the child to be subjected to further abuse or neglect, preventing the child’s safe return to the care of the parent or guardian;
 

(ii) There is little likelihood that these conditions will be remedied at an early date so that the child can be safely returned to the parent or guardian in the near future; and
 

(iii) The continuation of the parent or guardian and child relationship greatly diminishes the child’s chances of early integration into a safe, stable, and permanent home;
 

(B) The six (6) months must accrue on or before the first date the termination of parental rights petition is set to be heard;
 

(4) The parent or guardian has been found to have committed severe child abuse, as defined in § 37-1-102, under any prior order of a court or is found by the court hearing the petition to terminate parental rights or the petition for adoption to have committed severe child abuse against any child;
 

(5) The parent or guardian has been sentenced to more than two (2) years’ imprisonment for conduct against a child that has been found under any prior order of a court or that is found by the court hearing the petition to be severe child abuse, as defined in § 37-1-102. Unless otherwise stated, for purposes of this subdivision (g)(5), “sentenced” shall not be construed to mean that the parent or guardian must have actually served more than two (2) years in confinement, but shall only be construed to mean that the court had imposed a sentence of more than two (2) years upon the parent or guardian;
 

(6)(A) The parent has been confined in a correctional or detention facility of any type, by order of the court as a result of a criminal act, under a sentence of ten (10) or more years, and the child is under eight (8) years of age at the time the sentence is entered by the court; or
 

(B) The parent has been confined in a correctional or detention facility of any type, by order of the court as a result of one (1) or more criminal acts, under a sentence of six (6) or more years, and one (1) or more other grounds within subsection (g) have been satisfied;
 

(7) The parent has been:
 

(A) Convicted of first degree or second degree murder of the child’s other parent or legal guardian; or
 

(B) Found civilly liable for the intentional and wrongful death of the child’s other parent or legal guardian;
 

(8)(A) The chancery and circuit courts shall have jurisdiction in an adoption proceeding, and the chancery, circuit, and juvenile courts shall have jurisdiction in a separate, independent proceeding conducted prior to an adoption proceeding to determine if the parent or guardian is mentally incompetent to provide for the further care and supervision of the child, and to terminate that parent’s or guardian’s rights to the child;
 

(B) The court may terminate the parental or guardianship rights of that person if it determines on the basis of clear and convincing evidence that:
 

(i) The parent or guardian of the child is incompetent to adequately provide for the further care and supervision of the child because the parent’s or guardian’s mental condition is presently so impaired and is so likely to remain so that it is unlikely that the parent or guardian will be able to assume or resume the care of and responsibility for the child in the near future; and
 

(ii) That termination of parental or guardian rights is in the best interest of the child;
 

(C) In the circumstances described under subdivisions (8)(A) and (B), no willfulness in the failure of the parent or guardian to establish the parent’s or guardian’s ability to care for the child need be shown to establish that the parental or guardianship rights should be terminated;
 

(9)(A) The parental rights of any person who, at the time of the filing of a petition to terminate the parental rights of such person, or if no such petition is filed, at the time of the filing of a petition to adopt a child, is the putative father of the child may also be terminated based upon any one (1) or more of the following additional grounds:
 

(i) The person has failed, without good cause or excuse, to make reasonable and consistent payments for the support of the child in accordance with the child support guidelines promulgated by the department pursuant to § 36-5-101;
 

(ii) The person has failed to seek reasonable visitation with the child, and if visitation has been granted, has failed to visit altogether, or has engaged in only token visitation, as defined in § 36-1-102;
 

(iii) The person has failed to manifest an ability and willingness to assume legal and physical custody of the child;
 

(iv) Placing custody of the child in the person’s legal and physical custody would pose a risk of substantial harm to the physical or psychological welfare of the child; or
 

(v) The person has failed to file a petition to establish paternity of the child within thirty (30) days after notice of alleged paternity, or as required in § 36-2-318(j), or after making a claim of paternity pursuant to § 36-1-117(c)(2);
 

(B)(i) For purposes of this subdivision (g)(9), “notice” means the written statement to a person who is believed to be the biological father or possible biological father of the child. The notice may be made or given by the mother, the department, a licensed child-placing agency, the prospective adoptive parents, a physical custodian of the child, or the legal counsel of any of these people or entities; provided, that actual notice of alleged paternity may be proven to have been given to a person by any means and by any person or entity. The notice may be made or given at any time after the child is conceived and, if not sooner, may include actual notice of a petition to terminate the putative father’s parental rights with respect to the child;
 

(ii) “Notice” also means the oral statement to an alleged biological father from a biological mother that the alleged biological father is believed to be the biological father, or possible biological father, of the biological mother’s child;
 

(C) For the purposes of this subdivision (g)(9), resuming or starting visitation or support after the filing of a petition seeking to terminate parental or guardianship rights or seeking the adoption of a child does not rectify a ground for termination pursuant to this subdivision (g)(9) and is not a defense to a ground for termination pursuant to this subdivision (g)(9);
 

(10)(A) The parent has been convicted of one (1) of the following offenses from which the child was conceived:
 

(i) Aggravated rape, pursuant to § 39-13-502;
 

(ii) Rape, pursuant to § 39-13-503;
 

(iii) Rape of a child, pursuant to § 39-13-522;
 

(iv) Especially aggravated rape, pursuant to § 39-13-534; or
 

(v) Especially aggravated rape of a child, pursuant to § 39-13-535; and
 

(B) A certified copy of the conviction suffices to prove this ground;
 

(11)(A)(i) The parent has been found to have committed severe child sexual abuse under any prior order of a criminal court;
 

(ii) For the purposes of this section, “severe child sexual abuse” means the parent is convicted of any of the following offenses, or an offense under the laws of another state that is substantially similar, toward a child:
 

(a) Aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect or endangerment, pursuant to § 39-15-402;
 

(b) Aggravated rape of a child, pursuant to § 39-13-531;
 

(c) Aggravated rape, pursuant to § 39-13-502;
 

(d) Aggravated sexual battery, pursuant to § 39-13-504;
 

(e) Aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, pursuant to § 39-17-1004;
 

(f) Especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor, pursuant to § 39-17-1005;
 

(g) Incest, pursuant to § 39-15-302;
 

(h) Promoting prostitution, pursuant to § 39-13-515;
 

(i) Rape, pursuant to § 39-13-503;
 

(j) Rape of a child, pursuant to § 39-13-522;
 

(k) Sexual battery by an authority figure, pursuant to § 39-13-527;
 

(l) Statutory rape by an authority figure, pursuant to § 39-13-532; or
 

(m) Trafficking for a commercial sex act, pursuant to § 39-13-309;
 

(B) Deleted by 2022 Pub.Acts, c. 937, § 4, eff. July 1, 2022.
 

(12) The parent or guardian has been convicted of trafficking for commercial sex act under § 39-13-309, or an offense under the laws of another state that is substantially similar;
 

(13) The parent or guardian has been convicted on or after July 1, 2015, of sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion under 18 U.S.C. § 1591, or a sex trafficking of children offense under the laws of another state that is substantially similar to § 39-13-309;
 

(14) A parent or guardian has failed to manifest, by act or omission, an ability and willingness to personally assume legal and physical custody or financial responsibility of the child, and placing the child in the person’s legal and physical custody would pose a risk of substantial harm to the physical or psychological welfare of the child; and
 

(15)(A) The parent or legal guardian has been convicted of attempted first degree murder or attempted second degree murder of the child’s other parent or legal guardian;
 

(B) Deleted by 2022 Pub.Acts, c. 937, § 5, eff. July 1, 2022.
 

(h)(1) The department shall file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the child’s parents (or, if such a petition has been filed by another party, seek to be joined as a party to the petition), and, concurrently, to identify, recruit, process, and approve a qualified family for an adoption, under the following circumstances:
 

(A) In the case of a child who has been in foster care under the responsibility of the department for fifteen (15) of the most recent twenty-two (22) months; or
 

(B) If a court of competent jurisdiction has determined a child to be an abandoned infant as defined at § 36-1-102; or
 

(C) If a court of competent jurisdiction has made a determination in a criminal or civil proceeding that the parent has committed murder of a child, committed voluntary manslaughter of a child, aided or abetted, attempted, conspired, or solicited to commit such a murder or such a voluntary manslaughter of a child, or committed a felony assault that has resulted in serious bodily injury or severe child abuse as defined at § 37-1-102 to a child. For the purposes of this subsection (h), such a determination shall be made by a jury or trial court judge designated by § 16-2-502 through an explicit finding, or by such equivalent courts of other states or of the United States;
 

(D) If a juvenile court has made a finding of severe child abuse as defined in § 37-1-102, then a petition required by this subdivision (h)(1)(D) must be filed within ninety (90) days of the finding;
 

(E) If a child has been in foster care under the responsibility of the department for six (6) months or more and the child’s parents have not made reasonable progress toward obtaining custody of the child during the six-month period; or
 

(F) If two (2) or more of the grounds for termination of parental rights set out in subsection (g) apply to the child’s parent.
 

(2) At the option of the department, the department may determine that a petition to terminate the parental rights of the child’s parents shall not be filed (or, if such a petition has been filed by another party, shall not be required to seek to be joined as a party to the petition), if one of the following exists:
 

(A) The child is being cared for by a relative;
 

(B) The department has documented in the permanency plan, which shall be available for court review, a compelling reason for determining that filing such a petition would not be in the best interests of the child; or
 

(C) The department has not made reasonable efforts under § 37-1-166 to provide to the family of the child, consistent with the time period in the department permanency plan, such services as the department deems necessary for the safe return of the child to the child’s home.
 

(i)(1) In determining whether termination of parental or guardianship rights is in the best interest of the child, the court shall consider all relevant and child-centered factors applicable to the particular case before the court. Those factors may include, but are not limited to, the following:
 

(A) The effect a termination of parental rights will have on the child’s critical need for stability and continuity of placement throughout the child’s minority;
 

(B) The effect a change of caretakers and physical environment is likely to have on the child’s emotional, psychological, and medical condition;
 

(C) Whether the parent has demonstrated continuity and stability in meeting the child’s basic material, educational, housing, and safety needs;
 

(D) Whether the parent and child have a secure and healthy parental attachment, and if not, whether there is a reasonable expectation that the parent can create such attachment;
 

(E) Whether the parent has maintained regular visitation or other contact with the child and used the visitation or other contact to cultivate a positive relationship with the child;
 

(F) Whether the child is fearful of living in the parent’s home;
 

(G) Whether the parent, parent’s home, or others in the parent’s household trigger or exacerbate the child’s experience of trauma or post-traumatic symptoms;
 

(H) Whether the child has created a healthy parental attachment with another person or persons in the absence of the parent;
 

(I) Whether the child has emotionally significant relationships with persons other than parents and caregivers, including biological or foster siblings, and the likely impact of various available outcomes on these relationships and the child’s access to information about the child’s heritage;
 

(J) Whether the parent has demonstrated such a lasting adjustment of circumstances, conduct, or conditions to make it safe and beneficial for the child to be in the home of the parent, including consideration of whether there is criminal activity in the home or by the parent, or the use of alcohol, controlled substances, or controlled substance analogues which may render the parent unable to consistently care for the child in a safe and stable manner;
 

(K) Whether the parent has taken advantage of available programs, services, or community resources to assist in making a lasting adjustment of circumstances, conduct, or conditions;
 

(L) Whether the department has made reasonable efforts to assist the parent in making a lasting adjustment in cases where the child is in the custody of the department;
 

(M) Whether the parent has demonstrated a sense of urgency in establishing paternity of the child, seeking custody of the child, or addressing the circumstance, conduct, or conditions that made an award of custody unsafe and not in the child’s best interest;
 

(N) Whether the parent, or other person residing with or frequenting the home of the parent, has shown brutality or physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse or neglect toward the child or any other child or adult;
 

(O) Whether the parent has ever provided safe and stable care for the child or any other child;
 

(P) Whether the parent has demonstrated an understanding of the basic and specific needs required for the child to thrive;
 

(Q) Whether the parent has demonstrated the ability and commitment to creating and maintaining a home that meets the child’s basic and specific needs and in which the child can thrive;
 

(R) Whether the physical environment of the parent’s home is healthy and safe for the child;
 

(S) Whether the parent has consistently provided more than token financial support for the child; and
 

(T) Whether the mental or emotional fitness of the parent would be detrimental to the child or prevent the parent from consistently and effectively providing safe and stable care and supervision of the child.
 

(2) When considering the factors set forth in subdivision (i)(1), the prompt and permanent placement of the child in a safe environment is presumed to be in the child’s best interest.
 

(3) All factors considered by the court to be applicable to a particular case must be identified and supported by specific findings of fact in the court’s written order.
 

(4) Expert testimony is not required to prove or disprove any factor by any party.
 

(5) As used in this subsection (i), “parent” includes guardian.
 

(j) In the hearing on the petition, the circuit, chancery, or juvenile court shall admit evidence, pursuant to the Tennessee Rules of Evidence, and shall recognize the exemptions to privileges as provided pursuant to §§ 37-1-411 and 37-1-614.
 

(k) The court shall ensure that the hearing on the petition takes place within six (6) months of the date that the petition is filed, unless the court determines an extension is in the best interest of the child. The court shall provide a ruling on the petition within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of the hearing and shall enter an order that makes specific findings of fact and conclusions of law within thirty (30) days of the ruling. If an order has not been entered within thirty (30) days from the court’s ruling, then the petitioner or respondent has grounds to request that the court of appeals grant an order expediting entry of the order.
 

(l)(1) An order terminating parental rights shall have the effect of severing forever all legal rights and obligations of the parent or guardian of the child against whom the order of termination is entered and of the child who is the subject of the petition to that parent or guardian. The parent or guardian shall have no further right to notice of proceedings for the adoption of that child by other persons and shall have no right to object to the child’s adoption or thereafter to have any relationship, legal or otherwise, with the child. It shall terminate the responsibilities of that parent or guardian under this section for future child support or other future financial responsibilities even if the child is not ultimately adopted; provided, that the entry of an order terminating the parental rights shall not eliminate the responsibility of such parent or guardian for past child support arrearages or other financial obligations incurred for the care of such child prior to the entry of the order terminating parental rights.
 

(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (l)(1), a child who is the subject of the order for termination shall be entitled to inherit from a parent whose rights are terminated until the final order of adoption is entered.
 

(m) Upon termination of parental or guardian rights, the court may award guardianship or partial guardianship of the child to a licensed child-placing agency or the department. Such guardianship shall include the right to place the child for adoption and the right to consent to the child’s adoption. Upon termination of parental or guardian rights, the court may award guardianship or partial guardianship to any prospective adoptive parent or parents with the right to adopt the child, or to any permanent guardian who has been appointed pursuant to title 37, chapter 1, part 8. In any of these cases, such guardianship is subject to the remaining rights, if any, of any other parent or guardian of the child. Before guardianship or partial guardianship can be awarded to a permanent guardian, the court shall find that the department or licensed child-placing agency currently having custody of the child has made reasonable efforts to place the child for adoption and that permanent guardianship is in the best interest of the child.
 

(n) An order of guardianship or partial guardianship entered by the court pursuant to this section shall supersede prior orders of custody or guardianship of that court and of other courts, except those prior orders of guardianship or partial guardianship of other courts entered as the result of validly executed surrenders or revocations pursuant to § 36-1-111 or § 36-1-112, or except as provided pursuant to § 36-1-111(o)(4)(D) and (E), or except an order of guardianship or partial guardianship of a court entered pursuant to § 36-1-116; provided, that orders terminating parental rights entered by a court under this section prior to the filing of an adoption petition shall be effective to terminate parental rights for all purposes.
 

(o) If the court terminates parental or guardianship rights, under this part or title 37 or a consent is given pursuant to § 36-1-117(f) or (g), or if there have been surrenders of parental or guardianship rights of all other necessary parties, then no further surrender or consent of that parent or guardian shall be necessary to authorize an adoption; provided, that the adoption court may review and confirm the validity of any denials of parentage made by persons under any statutory provisions from outside the state of Tennessee.
 

(p) A copy of the order or orders obtained by the prospective adoptive parents terminating parental or guardianship rights under this section shall be filed with the petition for adoption.
 

(q) After the entry of the order terminating parental rights, no party to the proceeding, nor anyone claiming under such party, may later question the validity of the termination proceeding by reason of any defect or irregularity therein, jurisdictional or otherwise, but shall be fully bound thereby, except based upon a timely appeal of the termination order as may be allowed by law; and in no event, for any reason, shall a termination of parental rights be overturned by any court or collaterally attacked by any person or entity after one (1) year from the date of the entry of the final order of termination. This provision is intended as a statute of repose.
 

(r) The disability of a parent or guardian alone shall not be considered for or against termination of parental or guardian rights unless the disability impacts the parent’s ability to care for the physical or psychological welfare of the child.