Terms Used In Tennessee Code > Title 36 > Chapter 5 > Part 26 - Uniform Interstate Family Support Act - Registration, Enforcement, and Modification of Support Order

• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attorney general: means the attorney general and reporter and any assistant thereto by whatever name known, any district attorney general and any assistant thereto by whatever name called, and any officer or full-time employee of the general assembly or any committee thereof established by statute, who is duly licensed to practice law in Tennessee, whose duty it is to provide facilities for drafting bills or to assist individual legislators in drafting bills or who renders legal advice and services to the members of the general assembly or committees thereof. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Authority: means the Tennessee local development authority, a public agency and instrumentality of the state, created by this chapter, or if such authority shall be abolished, the board, body, commission or agency succeeding to the principal functions thereof or to which the powers and duties granted or imposed upon the authority shall be given by law. See Tennessee Code 4-31-102
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Bonds: means bonds or interim certificates issued pending preparation or delivery of definitive bonds of a local government issued pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Business: means every trade, occupation, and profession and any other activity, including the holding or ownership of property, entered into for profit. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Child: means an individual, whether over or under the age of majority, who is or is alleged to be owed a duty of support by the individual's parent or who is or is alleged to be the beneficiary of a support order directed to the parent. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Child support order: means a support order for a child, including a child who has attained the age of majority under the law of the issuing state or foreign country. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Code: includes the Tennessee Code and all amendments and revisions to the code and all additions and supplements to the code. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Construction: means building, reconstruction, erection, replacement, extension, repairing, betterment, equipment, development, embellishment, improvement, acquisition by gift, lease, purchase or the exercise of the right of eminent domain, or any one (1) or more or all of the foregoing, including the acquisition of land and of rights in land, and including acquisition of all of the outstanding capital stock of any corporation whose assets consist entirely of one (1) or more public works projects which together constitute a waterworks, sewer system, natural gas system, electric system, or any combination thereof, including, but not limited to, a water, sewer, natural gas and/or electric distribution system, or any combination thereof, serving a local government and assets related to the operation thereof and whose liabilities consist entirely of those related to the ownership and operation thereof. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Convention: means the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support and Other Forms of Family Maintenance, concluded at The Hague on November 23, 2007. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Distribution: means a transfer of money or other property from a partnership to a partner in the partner's capacity as a partner or to the partner's transferee. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Duty of support: means an obligation imposed or imposable by law to provide support for a child, spouse, or former spouse, including an unsatisfied obligation to provide support. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Enterprise: means any one (1) of or combination of two (2) or more public works projects, undertakings or projects which the local government is or may hereafter be authorized to construct and from which the local government has heretofore derived or may hereafter derive revenues, and such enterprise includes all improvements, betterments, extensions and replacements thereto, and all appurtenances, facilities, lands, rights in land, water rights, franchises and structures in connection therewith or incidental thereto. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Equipment: means fire engines, ladders, hooks, hoses and all other equipment necessary for the containing and extinguishing of fires. See Tennessee Code 4-31-503
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Foreign country: means a country, including a political subdivision thereof, other than the United States, that authorizes the issuance of support orders and:
  (A) Which has been declared under the law of the United States to be a foreign reciprocating country. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Foreign support order: means a support order of a foreign tribunal. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Governing body: means the legislative body of any local government of this state or any other authority charged with the governing of the affairs of any local government in this state. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• 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.
• Income: includes earnings or other periodic entitlements to money from any source and any other property subject to withholding for support under the law of this state. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Income-withholding order: means an order or other legal process directed to an obligor's employer or other debtor, as provided for in part 5 of this chapter, to withhold support from the income of the obligor. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Issuing state: means the state in which a tribunal issues a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Issuing tribunal: means the tribunal of a state or foreign country that issues a support order or renders a judgment determining parentage of a child. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• 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.
• Law: includes decisional and statutory law and rules and regulations having the force of law. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Law: means any act or statute, general, special or local, of this state, including, but not limited to, any local government charter. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Local government: means any county, municipality or metropolitan government in this state. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Local government unit: means any county, metropolitan government, incorporated town or city, or special district of the state, water/wastewater authority or any energy authority created by an act of the general assembly. See Tennessee Code 4-31-102
• Metropolitan government: means the political entity created by consolidation of all, or substantially all, of the political and corporate functions of a county and a city or cities pursuant to the authority of title 7, chapters 1-3. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Notes: means notes or interim certificates issued pending preparation or delivery of definitive notes of a local government issued pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Obligations: means bonds, notes and any other evidence of indebtedness lawfully issued or assumed by a local government. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Obligee: means :
  (A) An individual to whom a duty of support is or is alleged to be owed or in whose favor a support order or a judgment determining parentage of a child has been issued. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Obligor: means an individual, or the estate of a decedent that:
  (A) Owes or is alleged to owe a duty of support. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Partnership: means an association of two (2) or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business or other undertaking for profit formed under §. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Partnership agreement: means the agreement, whether written, oral, or implied, among the partners concerning the partnership, including amendments to the partnership agreement. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Person: means an individual, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, estate, trust, partnership (whether general or limited), association, joint venture, government, governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, custodian, nominee or any other individual or entity in its own or any representative capacity, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Person: means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, public corporation, government, or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Personal representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
• Property: means all property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Public works project: includes any one (1) or any combination of the following: acquisitions of land for the purpose of providing or preserving open land. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• real property: include lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights thereto and interests therein, equitable as well as legal. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Register: means to file in a tribunal of this state a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child issued in another state or a foreign country. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Registering tribunal: means a tribunal in which a support order or judgment determining parentage of a child is registered. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Responding tribunal: means the authorized tribunal in a responding state or foreign country. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Secretary of state: means the secretary of state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Service: means service as a general employee, a teacher, a state police officer, a wildlife officer, a firefighter, a police officer, a state judge, a county judge, an attorney general, a commissioner or a county official which is paid for by an employer, and also includes service for which a former member of the general assembly is entitled to under former §. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession under the jurisdiction of the United States. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 9-21-105
• State: means the state of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 8-34-101
• State-shared taxes: means taxes imposed and collected by the state pursuant to law and allocated by law to local government units, whether allocated for a particular purpose or for the general use of such local government units. See Tennessee Code 4-31-102
• Statement: means a statement of partnership authority under §. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Support enforcement agency: means a public official, governmental entity, or private agency authorized to:
  (A) Seek enforcement of support orders or laws relating to the duty of support. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Support order: means a judgment, decree, order, decision, or directive, whether temporary, final, or subject to modification, issued in a state or foreign country for the benefit of a child, a spouse, or a former spouse, which provides for monetary support, health care, arrearages, retroactive support, or reimbursement for financial assistance provided to an individual obligee in place of child support. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Transfer: means an assignment, conveyance, lease, mortgage, deed, and encumbrance. See Tennessee Code 61-1-101
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Tribunal: means a court, administrative agency, or quasi-judicial entity authorized to establish, enforce, or modify support orders or to determine parentage of a child. See Tennessee Code 36-5-2101
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
• written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105