Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 13 authorizes the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to enter into contracts for representation of indigent litigants by attorneys working on various types of cases, including representation of indigent Respondents facing contempt of court charges for failure to pay court-ordered child support in Title IV-D child support enforcement proceedings. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-5-104)
The AOC is seeking attorneys who are interested in contracting with the AOC to streamline performance of this service in Davidson County Juvenile Court. All licensed attorneys in good standing are invited to apply.
Judges will continue to have the discretion to appoint attorneys. However, only attorneys who have submitted a completed contract will be eligible to receive and accept appointments for these cases. Attorneys seeking payment under the contract will simply submit an invoice to the AOC (as opposed to completing numerous fee claims) for each case, along with a copy of the order appointing him or her to that case(preferably in a single document).
Because the number of claims associated with the cases will be reduced, attorneys will be paid more quickly. This system will result in a lower average payment for each individual represented, but it is the AOC's intent to provide quality representation at a reasonable compensation rate to attorneys for the time spent on a case. The goal of this contract service is to efficiently and effectively manage taxpayer monies and the resources of the indigent fund.
To apply, please complete and return this form to the AOC via fax to David Byrne’s attention at 615-741-6285, or email it to David.Byrne@tncourts.gov.