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Legal Information: Tennessee

Custody

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Updated: 
November 27, 2023

Can a parent who committed violence get custody or visitation?

Custody
The judge is supposed to take into account a parent’s history of physical or emotional abuse towards you, the child, or anyone else when making a custody decision. However, the best interests of the child and other factors will also be considered, and the abusive parent may still receive custody rights.1 If a parent has been convicted of any criminal sexual offense listed here against a minor, the judge will assume that the parent should not get custody.2 Also, if a parent is under indictment for aggravated child abuse, child sexual abuse, or severe child sexual abuse, s/he cannot get any sort of custody while the criminal case is pending unless s/he can prove to the judge that s/he does not present a substantial risk of harm to the child.3

Visitation
Visitation may be awarded to a parent who has committed violence unless, after a hearing, the judge finds that visitation is likely to endanger the child’s physical or emotional health. If the judge determines that the non-custodial parent has physically or emotionally abused the child, the judge can require that visitation be supervised or that visitation is not allowed until such abuse has stopped or until there is no reasonable likelihood that such abuse will happen again.4 If the judge determines that the parent has committed child abuse or child sexual abuse, the judge can only award visitation under circumstances that guarantee the safety of the child. For example, the judge can order:

  • all visits must be supervised by a responsible adult or agency;
  • the abusive parent must go to counseling;
  • there can be no overnight visits;
  • the child’s address be kept confidential; and
  • anything else to keep the child safe.5

If a parent has been convicted of any criminal sexual offense listed here against a minor, the parent can only get supervised visitation if s/he is granted visitation at all.6

If a parent has willfully abandoned the child for 18 months or more, the parent’s residential time should be limited and s/he will likely be granted only limited visitation with the child. The term “willful abandonment” includes a situation where the parent substantially refuses to perform parenting responsibilities.7

1 TN ST § 36-6-106(a)(11)
2 TN ST § 36-6-101(a)(2)(A)(ii)
3 TN ST §§ 36-6-101(a)(2)(A)(v); 36-6-112(c)(2)
4 TN ST § 36-6-301
5 TN ST § 36-6-107(b)
6 TN ST § 36-6-101(a)(2)(A)(ii), (a)(2)(A)(iii)
7 TN ST §§ 36-6-406(a)(1); 36-6-101(a)(2)(A)(iv)

If my child was conceived from rape, can the offender get custody or visitation rights?

If your child was conceived due to sexual assault, the offender cannot get custody or visitation rights if the abuser was convicted of, pleads guilty to, or pleads no contest to any of the following crimes or to a lesser-included offense:

  1. aggravated rape;
  2. rape;
  3. rape of a child;
  4. aggravated statutory rape; or
  5. statutory rape by an authority figure.1

The only exception to this law is if you file in court to ask the judge to order visitation rights anyway.2

In addition, the judge can order the offender to pay child support for the child even without having any custody or visitation rights.3

In addition, you can file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent if s/he is convicted of one of the crimes listed above in numbers 1 through 3 that led to the conception of your child.4 There are also multiple other crimes for which you could file to terminate the parental rights of the other parent even if the crimes are not committed against you. See If the other parent is convicted of a serious crime, can I file to terminate his/her parental rights? for more information.

1 TN ST § 36-6-102(a)
2 TN ST § 36-6-102(b)
3 TN ST § 36-6-102(c)
4 TN ST § 36-1-113(b)(2)(A)

If the other parent is convicted of a serious crime, can I file to terminate his/her parental rights?

You can file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent if the parent has been convicted of:

1 TN ST § 36-1-113(b)(2)(A)
2 TN ST § 36-1-113(b)(2)(B), (g)(11)(A)(ii)
3 TN ST § 36-1-113(b)(2)(C)

If I am a domestic violence victim, would I be required to participate in mediation?

Most custody or visitation cases are referred to mediation to try to come to an agreement with the help of a mediator instead of going to trial. However, if you have a valid order of protection in effect or there was a court determination (“findings”) of domestic abuse, the judge can only send you to mediation if you agree to it and if the mediator is specifically trained in domestic violence. You would also have the right to have a support person with you, such as an attorney or advocate.1

1 TN ST §§ 36-6-107(a); 36-6-305