Right to counsel

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Legislation, Termination of Parental Rights (State) - Birth Parents

Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-126(a)(2)(B)(ii)  provides a right to counsel for "Termination of parental rights pursuant to § 36-1-113."  While this provision refers to terminations conducted pursuant to the Adoption Code, in In re Carrington H., 483 S.W.3d 507, 527 (Tenn. 2016), the court in a state-initiated termination case cited to Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-126(a)(2)(B)(ii) for the proposition that “Tennessee statutorily provides the right to appointed counsel for indigent parents in every parental termination proceeding."

Appointment of Counsel: categorical Qualified: no