Court clerks must provide protection-order forms and help unrepresented petitioners file them; the administrative office of the courts must develop and revise the forms, and petitioners may still file any legally sufficient petition.
The office of the clerk of court shall provide forms that may be necessary to seek a protection order under this part. These forms shall be limited to use in causes filed under this part and they shall be made available to all who request assistance in filing a petition. The clerk may obtain the most current forms by printing them from the website of the administrative office of the courts. The petitioner is not limited to the use of these forms and may present to the court any legally sufficient petition in whatever form. The office of the clerk shall also assist a person who is not represented by counsel by filling in the name of the court on the petition, by indicating where the petitioner's name shall be filled in, by reading through the petition form with the petitioner, and by rendering any other assistance that is necessary for the filing of the petition. All such petitions that are filed pro se shall be liberally construed procedurally in favor of the petitioner. The administrative office of the courts, in consultation with the domestic violence coordinating council, shall develop a petition for orders of protection form, an amended order of protection form, an ex parte order of protection form and other forms that are found to be necessary and advisable. These forms shall be revised as the laws relative to orders of protection and ex parte orders of protection are amended by the general assembly. To the extent possible, the forms shall be uniform with those promulgated by surrounding states so that Tennessee forms may be afforded full faith and credit. The administrative office of the courts shall revise the petition for an order of protection form to fully advise the respondent of this part in language substantially similar to the following: If the order of protection is granted in a manner that fully complies with 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), the respondent is required to terminate physical possession by any lawful means, such as transferring possession to a third party who is not prohibited from possessing firearms, of all firearms that the respondent possesses within forty-eight (48) hours of the granting of the order; It is a criminal offense for a person subject to an order of protection that fully complies with 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(8), to possess a firearm while that order is in effect; and The issuance of an order of protection may terminate or, at least, suspend the individual's right to purchase or possess a firearm. These forms shall be used exclusively in all courts exercising jurisdiction over orders of protection.