A court of this state has jurisdiction to appoint a conservator or guardian or issue a protective order for a respondent if:

(1) This state is the respondent’s home state;

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 34-8-203

  • Court: means any court having jurisdiction to hear matters concerning guardians or conservators. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: means any individual, nonhuman entity or governmental agency. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
  • Respondent: means a person who is a minor or is alleged to be a person with a disability for whom a fiduciary is being sought. See Tennessee Code 34-1-101
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(2) On the date the petition is filed, this state is a significant-connection state and:

(A) The respondent does not have a home state or a court of the respondent’s home state has declined to exercise jurisdiction because this state is a more appropriate forum; or
(B) The respondent has a home state, a petition for an appointment or order is not pending in a court of that state or another significant-connection state, and, before the court makes the appointment or issues the order:

(i) A petition for an appointment or order is not filed in the respondent’s home state;
(ii) An objection to the court’s jurisdiction is not filed by a person required to be notified of the proceeding; and
(iii) The court in this state concludes that it is an appropriate forum under the factors set forth in § 34-8-206;
(3) This state does not have jurisdiction under either subdivision (1) or (2), the respondent’s home state and all significant-connection states have declined to exercise jurisdiction because this state is the more appropriate forum, and jurisdiction in this state is consistent with the constitutions of this state and the United States; or
(4) The requirements for special jurisdiction under § 34-8-204 are met.
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