Davidson County Juvenile Court Forms for Guardianship and Custody

Why There Is No Statewide Minor Guardianship Packet

Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a universal form packet for minor guardianship petitions. Each county clerk's office maintains its own set of forms and local rules, which means the paperwork you need in Davidson County looks different from what you would file in Shelby, Knox, or Hamilton County.

This creates real problems for grandparents and relatives trying to get started. You search for "Tennessee guardianship forms" and find adult conservatorship paperwork, or parental divorce parenting plans that do not apply to a non-parent seeking custody of a grandchild.

Davidson County (Nashville)

Davidson County Juvenile Court handles person-only guardianship and custody petitions at 100 Woodland Street in Nashville. For property guardianships or combined person-and-property cases, you file instead at the Circuit Court Probate Division at the Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Suite 302.

The Juvenile Court Clerk publishes a downloadable Uniform Affidavit of Indigency. The clerk's posted fee schedule, effective January 2, 2026, lists $100 for all other petitions, a $2 mediation litigation tax, and $52 for in-state service ($154 total). For indigent petitions, it lists $2 in taxes and $52 with in-state service. Self-represented filers can file paper documents at the clerk's counter.

Shelby County (Memphis)

Shelby County Juvenile Court is at 616 Adams Avenue and handles juvenile custody matters. Probate cases — including guardianship of a minor's property — go to Shelby County Probate Court at 140 Adams Avenue, Room 124. The posted Juvenile Court fee schedule lists $100 for custody or modification filings and $52 for service of process.

Paper filing is available for pro se filers at both clerk offices. Call ahead for current hours, especially if you are driving from a rural part of West Tennessee.

Knox County (Knoxville)

Knox County Juvenile Court at 3323 Division Street hears person-only guardianship and custody petitions. Property or combined guardianships are filed through Knox County Chancery Court's Probate Division at 400 Main Street, Suite 352.

Forms are available at the clerk's window. Rural East Tennessee residents who cannot easily reach Knoxville should check whether their local General Sessions court sitting as a Juvenile Court can accept their petition — many smaller counties handle these cases locally.

Hamilton County (Chattanooga)

Hamilton County Juvenile Court handles custody and dependency matters. As with the other metropolitan counties, probate-jurisdiction guardianships go through Chancery Court. Contact the clerk for current forms and fee schedules before making the trip.

Rural and Smaller Counties

In counties without a dedicated juvenile court, the General Sessions Court sitting as a Juvenile Court hears person-only matters. Property guardianships go through the local Chancery Court or Circuit Court. The county's Clerk and Master office is usually your starting point for forms and fee information.

Many rural clerk offices do not post forms online, so an in-person visit or phone call is often the only way to get the right paperwork. Ask specifically for minor guardianship or non-parent custody petition forms — if you just say "guardianship," staff may hand you adult conservatorship documents by default.

What Every Petition Needs

Under T.C.A. § 34-2-104, a sworn guardianship petition should include the minor's name, date of birth, residence and mailing address; the petitioner's and proposed guardian's identifying details; the closest relatives and present custodian who should receive notice; and the reason for seeking a guardian. For a property guardianship, it should also include known property, income and expenses, and a proposed property-management plan, or a request to investigate unknown assets.

The Tennessee Guardianship and Custody Court Process Guide walks through each element of the petition with fill-in worksheets that help you organize your documents before you reach the clerk's window.

Getting the Right Forms Matters

Filing the wrong forms — or filing in the wrong court division — wastes your filing fees and delays protection for the child. A dismissed petition in Chancery Court when you needed Juvenile Court means starting over, paying again, and losing weeks. Identify your county's correct court division first, then get the matching forms from that specific clerk's office.

The complete court process guide includes a jurisdiction selection matrix that maps your situation to the right court and the right forms, county by county.

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