Preamble
The Tennessee Legislature enacted Title 36, Chapter 6, Part 4 of the Tennessee Code Annotated to promote continuing parenting arrangements for families involved in divorce, legal separation, annulment, or separate maintenance proceedings, and for families that are involved in any other custody matters.. Such arrangements reinforce the fundamental importance of the parent-child relationship to the welfare of the child. In order to help parents receive the necessary education and alternative dispute resolution services, the Tennessee Legislature established the Divorcing Parent Education and Mediation Fund (T.C.A. § 6-6-413). The Administrative Office of the Courts is charged with the distribution of the moneys in the Fund to or for the benefit of each judicial district to provide education and mediation for indigent parents and the administration of those services. The present Rule sets forth the qualifications and processes for the appointment, compensation, and payment of the reasonable expenses of alternative dispute resolution neutrals and education providers serving indigent parents involved in absolute divorce, legal separation, annulment, or separate maintenance proceedings, and any other custody matters.