Adoption Law School Now ON-DEMAND

by Dawn Coppock | Aug 29, 2025 | Adoption, Attorneys & Courts, General, Legislation, Seminars

Registration will open by the end of September for Good Law’s flagship seminar, Adoption Law School*, but this time as an on-demand course. You asked for it, and finally, Dawn’s done it. 15 hours of CLE, including 3 hours of ethics credit, will be open for...

Class Action Filed Against DCS

by Dawn Coppock | Aug 3, 2025 | Adoption, Attorneys & Courts, Foster Parents, Legislation, News Events

On May 19, 2025, a class action on behalf of 13 Tennessee foster children was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, alleging significant systemic failures,...

Update your termination of parental rights pleadings with the new notice to incarcerated respondent birth parents effective July 1, 2024.

by Dawn Coppock | Nov 18, 2024 | Adoption, Legislation

Effective for Petitions filed on or after July 1, 2024, the new notice is: T.C.A. § 36-1-113 (f) (1) A parent or guardian who is incarcerated at the time the parent is served with a petition to terminate parental rights shall receive notice that: (A) A...

A Foster Child’s Relationship to Foster Parents Acquires More Legal Significance As Time Passes

by Dawn Coppock | May 13, 2024 | Adoption, Attorneys & Courts, Foster Parents

At 6 months, the foster child’s relationship with foster parents becomes a “significant relationship,” so it has weight when compared with other nonparental, pre-removal relationships. At 9 months, the foster parents don’t just get notice of hearings regarding the...

Adoption Assistance for Drug-Exposed Infants

by Dawn Coppock | Apr 4, 2024 | Adoption, Attorneys & Courts, Foster Parents

Adoption assistance is a program to assist adoptive families of special needs children. The program is state-administered with the majority of funding from the federal government and a state contribution as well. The benefits are usually a monthly stipend and health...

Finalization – Six Months or Three Months?

by Dawn Coppock | Mar 26, 2024 | Adoption, Attorneys & Courts, Foster Parents, General, Legislation

Question: I understand that the waiting period for adoption, the time the child must live with the prospective adoptive family before the adoption can be finalized, has been reduced from 6 months to 3 months, correct? Answer: Not exactly. The waiting period is still 6...