State guide
Tennessee
In Tennessee, adult conservatorship and guardianship practice is handled by the county court exercising probate jurisdiction, and the local court structure matters a lot. Davidson County’s Probate Division publishes extensive conservatorship and guardianship forms and a current fee schedule, while Shelby County Probate Court publishes its own probate forms and handles both guardianships and conservatorships.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Court that handles adult guardianship
- Petitions are filed in the county court exercising probate jurisdiction; in practice this is often a probate court or a probate division of circuit or chancery court, depending on the county.
- What it's called
- guardian (minor/person) and conservator (adult person and/or property)
- Official forms and self-help
- Official page →
- Filing fee
- $334.50 in Davidson County Probate Court for a petition for conservatorship or guardianship (effective January 1, 2026).
- Less-restrictive alternatives
- Tennessee has a Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act and state-backed decision-making resources; official state pages also discuss powers of attorney and other supports as alternatives.
- Law
- Tenn. Code Ann. Title 34, including Chapter 3 (conservatorship) and Chapter 9 (Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act)
Official resources in Tennessee
State judiciary self-help page that points residents to court-system resources and notes that most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk & Master in the county.
Official Davidson County probate forms page with conservatorship and guardianship forms, accounting packets, and court instructions.
Official Davidson County probate fee page listing the filing fee for a petition for conservatorship or guardianship.
Official state page explaining supported decision-making resources and linking residents to the Tennessee Center for Decision-Making Support.
Key facts for Tennessee
- Davidson County Probate Court lists a petition for conservatorship or guardianship filing fee of $334.50 effective January 1, 2026.
- Davidson County Probate Court publishes separate conservatorship and guardianship forms, including physician reports, inventories, annual accountings, and status reports.
- Shelby County Probate Court’s official forms page includes Conservator/Guardian Oath of Person & Estate and Inventory Form for Guardianship/Conservatorship.
- Tennessee’s Supported Decision-Making Agreement Act was enacted as Public Chapter 605 in 2018.
- State judicial self-help says most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk & Master in the county.
County court guardianship pages in Tennessee
| Court | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probate Court Shelby | Memphis | (901) 222-3750 | Official Shelby County Probate Court page listing guardianships and conservatorships among probate matters handled. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Check which local court in your county is exercising probate jurisdiction before preparing papers; Tennessee court structure is county-specific.
- If you are filing in Davidson or Shelby County, start on that county probate court’s own forms page rather than using generic samples.
- Review less-restrictive options first, including supported decision-making and powers of attorney, before seeking a full conservatorship.
Not seeing your court or county?
Not every court publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Tennessee's population center, for comparison only):
- Madison County Probate Judge, Alabama · about 81 miles
- Madison County Probate Court Costs, Alabama · about 81 miles
- Probate Court of Jefferson County, Alabama - Birmingham Division, Alabama · about 162 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Tennessee Courts Self Help Center
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Tennessee page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.