--- name: tn-law-references description: > Matter-neutral reference catalog for Tennessee civil practice. Contains Tenn. R. Civ. P. / Tenn. R. Evid. summaries, fees-and-costs framework, citation format (Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 4 published/unpublished; Bluebook), court structure (Circuit, Chancery, General Sessions with its $25k cap + unlimited detainer jurisdiction; 10-day de novo appeal), and local-rules index. Emphasizes 803(6) business-records exception and 902 self- authentication (critical for debt matters). Hosts the reference corpora: verbatim court-rules (Tenn. R. Civ. P., Tenn. R. Evid., local rules), tn-statutes-debt (Tennessee Code chapters), federal-debt-laws (symlink), federal-bankruptcy (symlink), ucc-model (symlink). Other skills cite this one for rule numbers and case authorities. version: 0.2.1 --- # Tennessee Law References > **NOT LEGAL ADVICE.** Reference catalog only. Read the cited rule, > statute, or case in full — and confirm it is current — before > relying on it. This is the **matter-neutral** reference index for Tennessee civil practice. Other skills in the `tn-court-docs` plugin point here for rule numbers, statute citations, and case authorities. This skill is also the physical **host** of the plugin's reference corpora. ## What's here ``` references/ ├── court-rules/ # Verbatim rule text (Tenn. R. Civ. P., │ # Tenn. R. Evid., local rules) — corpus ├── tn-statutes-debt/ # Tennessee Code Annotated chapters most │ # relevant to civil practice — corpus ├── federal-debt-laws/ # FDCPA, FCRA, TILA, etc. (symlink into │ # the shared claude-legal-federal-laws plugin) ├── federal-bankruptcy/ # Title 11 U.S.C. (symlink into shared plugin) └── ucc-model/ # Model UCC Articles 1/2/3/9 (symlink into # shared plugin) ``` The three symlinked corpora (`federal-debt-laws/`, `federal-bankruptcy/`, `ucc-model/`) point into the shared `claude-legal-federal-laws` plugin so the federal text is stored once, not copied per state. The Tennessee-specific corpora (`court-rules/`, `tn-statutes-debt/`) live physically under this skill. ## Court structure — terminology Tennessee trial courts and the vocabulary used across this plugin: | Court | Jurisdiction | |---|---| | **Circuit Court** | General-jurisdiction court of **law** (torts, contracts, larger civil matters, divorce) | | **Chancery Court** | General-jurisdiction court of **equity** (injunctions, specific performance, many divorces; the Clerk & Master is the equity clerk) | | **General Sessions Court** | **Limited**-jurisdiction court; civil cap **$25,000** (Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-15-501), unlimited in forcible entry & detainer (eviction); informal practice — see below | Tennessee has **95 counties** organized into roughly 31 judicial districts. Flagship counties: **Davidson (Nashville) — 20th JD**, **Shelby (Memphis) — 30th JD**, **Knox (Knoxville) — 6th JD**, and **Hamilton (Chattanooga) — 11th JD**. Divorce jurisdiction lies in both Circuit and Chancery; **Juvenile Courts** (Title 37) handle parentage, custody/support of children of unmarried parents, dependency & neglect, and termination of parental rights. > **General Sessions is informal.** The Tenn. R. Civ. P. do **not** > apply in General Sessions except where specifically made > applicable, and there is **no formal discovery as of right**. A > party dissatisfied with a General Sessions civil judgment may appeal > **de novo to Circuit Court within 10 days** of entry (Tenn. Code > Ann. § 27-5-108) — verify the current period. ## Tenn. R. Civ. P. — Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure The Tenn. R. Civ. P. (often "TRCP") govern civil actions in the Circuit and Chancery Courts. Rules every Tennessee civil practitioner uses: | Rule | Subject | |---|---| | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 4 | Process — summons and service (90-day issuance / return) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5 | Service and filing of subsequent papers | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 6 | Time computation (6.01) and the 3-day mail add-on (6.05) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 7 | Pleadings allowed; designation of parties | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 8 | General rules of pleading | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 10 | Form of pleadings (10.01 caption; 10.02 numbered paragraphs; 10.03 attach written instrument) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 11 | Signing of pleadings and motions | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 12 | Defenses and objections (12.01 answer; 12.02 grounds, incl. 12.02(6) failure to state a claim) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 13 | Counterclaim and cross-claim (compulsory vs. permissive) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 15 | Amended and supplemental pleadings | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 26 | Discovery — scope and general provisions | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 30 / 31 | Depositions (oral / written questions) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 33 | Interrogatories (no statewide numeric cap) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 34 | Production of documents and things | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 36 | Requests for admission | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 37 | Failure to make discovery; motion to compel; sanctions | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 54 | Judgments; costs | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 55 | Default | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 56 | Summary judgment (56.04 — motion served at least 30 days before the hearing) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 59 | Post-trial motions (59.04 motion to alter or amend; 30-day non-extendable window) | | Tenn. R. Civ. P. 60 | Relief from judgment or order (60.02 grounds) | Confirm current day counts and subsection lettering against the verbatim text in `references/court-rules/` before relying on them. ## Tenn. R. Evid. — Tennessee Rules of Evidence The Tenn. R. Evid. track the federal model closely. The two most load-bearing rules for documentary civil practice (especially debt-buyer and business-records matters): - **Tenn. R. Evid. 803(6)** — the **business-records** hearsay exception. A record of a regularly conducted activity is admissible if a **custodian or other qualified witness** lays the foundation (made at or near the time by someone with knowledge, kept in the regular course, regular practice to keep it) — unless the source or circumstances indicate a lack of trustworthiness. A self-authenticating certification can substitute for live testimony. - **Tenn. R. Evid. 902** — **self-authentication**. Certain records (certified copies of public records, and certified domestic business records) are self-authenticating, so no extrinsic foundation testimony is required. The exact subsection number of the certified business-records provision (the 902(11)-equivalent) is **not pulled verbatim here — verify the current subsection lettering** in `references/court-rules/` before citing it. Other commonly cited rules: 401-403 (relevance), 404(b) (other acts), 408 (compromise offers), 602 (personal knowledge), 702-703 (experts), 801-807 (hearsay), 901 (authentication), 1001-1008 (best evidence). ## Fees and costs Tennessee follows the **American rule** — each party bears its own attorney's fees unless a statute, rule, or contract shifts them. Authorities frequently invoked in civil practice: - **Tenn. Code Ann. § 20-12-119(c)** — a party who prevails on a Tenn. R. Civ. P. **12.02(6)** (failure to state a claim) dismissal may recover costs and reasonable attorney's fees, **capped at $10,000**, from the non-prevailing party. A Tennessee-specific fee-shifting hook; see `tn-first-30-days`. - **Tenn. Code Ann. § 47-18-109** — Tennessee Consumer Protection Act: discretionary attorney's fees, and treble damages for a willful or knowing violation. - **15 U.S.C. § 1692k(a)(3)** — FDCPA attorney's fees to a prevailing consumer. - **Contractual fee provisions** — enforceable per their terms; verify reasonableness. Filing-fee schedules are set by statute and by the clerk of each court; confirm the current amount with the clerk of the filing court. ## Citation format Tennessee uses **standard Bluebook** citation; there is no mandatory Tennessee-specific style manual. - **Cases**: South Western Reporter — `S.W.`, `S.W.2d`, `S.W.3d`. - Tennessee Supreme Court: `Rye v. Women's Care Ctr. of Memphis, MPLLC, 477 S.W.3d 235 (Tenn. 2015)` - Court of Appeals: `Smith v. Jones, 123 S.W.3d 456 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2018)` - Court of Criminal Appeals: `State v. Doe, 234 S.W.3d 567 (Tenn. Crim. App. 2007)` - **Statutes**: `Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-109` (or `T.C.A. § 28-3-109`). - **Rules**: `Tenn. R. Civ. P. 56.04`; `Tenn. R. Evid. 803(6)`. - **Publication / citability** — **Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 4** governs. **Published** opinions are controlling authority; **unpublished** opinions are **persuasive** unless designated not-for-citation. Flag an opinion's published/unpublished status when citing it. - **Federal**: `15 U.S.C. § 1692g(b)`; `12 C.F.R. § 1006.34`. ## Local rules — where they live Tennessee has **no single statewide page-limit / margin / font rule**. Document form is governed by **Tenn. R. Civ. P. 10** (caption, numbered paragraphs, exhibits) and **Rule 11** (signature), plus redaction of personal identifiers (verify the current electronic-filing and redaction rule for the venue). Page limits, typography, chambers-copy requirements, and motion-day mechanics are set by **per-county LOCAL RULES**. - Local rules are indexed on the AOC **"Local Rules of Practice"** page at **tncourts.gov**. - E-filing is **county-by-county** with no universal mandate: Davidson Chancery uses Odyssey / eFileTN (Tyler); Shelby uses eFlex; other counties use Tybera (TnCIS) or paper. **Confirm the venue's platform and whether e-filing is mandatory** with the clerk before filing. ## Online sources - **Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts / Judicial Branch**: https://www.tncourts.gov (rules of court, local rules index, opinions) - **Tenn. R. Civ. P. and Tenn. R. Evid.**: published at tncourts.gov - **Tennessee Code Annotated**: via the Tennessee General Assembly at https://www.capitol.tn.gov (plus public / commercial mirrors) - **Tennessee appellate opinions**: tncourts.gov opinions search and **CourtListener** (Tennessee Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals) See the `references/` corpora for verbatim rule and statute text. ## Composition - Every other Tennessee skill cites this one for rule numbers, statute numbers, and case authorities. - For the filing court's mechanics: `tn-davidson`, `tn-shelby`, `tn-knox`, `tn-hamilton`, `tn-county-courts`, `tn-general-sessions`. - For matter-specific bundles: `tn-consumer-debt`, `tn-family-law`, `tn-landlord-tenant`, `tn-personal-injury`. - For timing arithmetic: `tn-deadlines`. ## References - `references/court-rules/` — verbatim Tenn. R. Civ. P. / Tenn. R. Evid. / local-rule corpus - `references/tn-statutes-debt/` — Tennessee Code Annotated chapters most relevant to civil practice - `references/federal-debt-laws/` — federal-law corpus (symlink) - `references/federal-bankruptcy/` — Title 11 U.S.C. corpus (symlink) - `references/ucc-model/` — Model UCC text (symlink)