Court Jurisdiction and Venue for Adoption Petitions - Tennessee

Date: January 2022

Jurisdiction

Citation: Ann. Code § 36-1-102(17)

The chancery or circuit court has jurisdiction over adoption proceedings.

The juvenile court has the authority to accept the surrender or revocation of surrenders of a child and to issue any orders of reference, orders of guardianship, or other orders resulting from a surrender or revocation that it accepts for the purpose of authorizing the termination of parental rights.

Venue

Citation: Ann. Code § 36-1-114

The adoption petition may be filed in the county in which one of the following applies:

  • Where the petitioners reside
  • Where the child resides
  • Where any respondent resides at the time the petition is filed
  • Where the licensed child-placing agency that has custody or guardianship of the child or to which the child has been surrendered is located
  • Where the child became subject to the care and control of a public or private child-caring or child-placing agency
  • Where the child became subject to partial or complete guardianship or legal custody of the petitioners