Tennessee Court Case Search — Find Your Lawsuit

Dena Standley | December 08, 2022

Summary: Search your Tennessee court records online for Supreme Court cases. For trial cases, you may have to contact your court clerk to check the status of your case or pay a visit to the courthouse to retrieve copies of the court records.

You can look up any public court case in Tennessee online. An "open court" case is one whose records are not confidential. Aside from accessing the documents filed in the case, you may also attend the proceedings if you want to, even when you are not a party to the case.

A few files are, however, grouped as private. You would have to be a party to the case to see such files at the clerk of court's office. A juvenile case, for example, is not public.

However, anyone can access most debt collection lawsuits, bankruptcies, and probate cases. You don't have to reside in Tennessee to see these documents. They are available to anyone countrywide.

There are several ways to look up a court case. We will look at those shortly, but first, let’s learn about Tennessee’s court structure.

Understand Tennessee's civil court system

In order to find your case information online or in person, it’s important to understand how the civil courts are structured in Tennessee. When you know what courts have jurisdiction over certain types of cases, it will be easier for you to narrow down the court to which your case is assigned. In Tennessee, there are four levels of courts that deal with civil cases:

1. Supreme Court: Tennessee’s court of last resort is the Supreme Court. The five judges accept civil and criminal appeals from the lower courts. They can decide on cases filed at lower appellate courts when there’s a need for a fast decision. Although the 5-bench judges may allow attorneys to present their arguments, there are no witnesses, testimonies, or juries. Appeals go to the 6th circuit of the US federal judiciary.


2. Court of Appeals: The General Assembly in Tennessee created the Court of Appeals in 1925. It hears civil appeal cases from the trial courts and some state boards or commissions.


3. Circuit Court/Chancery Court: These courts hear civil cases that are appealed from the General Sessions court. The 95 counties in Tennessee are divided into 31 judicial districts. Each district has Circuit and Chancery Courts.


4. General Sessions Court: Civil cases heard by the General Sessions Courts are restricted to specific monetary limits and types of actions, which vary from county to county. Generally, cases that involve $25,000 or less are heard by the General Sessions Court.

So, if you’ve been sued for a debt you owe, it’s very likely that your case will be assigned to the General Sessions Court in your county. If not, it’s most likely in the Circuit or Chancery Court.

The graphic below further illustrates the Tennessee civil court structure:

Ask the court clerk to check the status of your case

At the moment, Tennessee does not have a statewide court case search tool where you can check the status of your civil case online. But that doesn’t there is no way for you to check your case status.

Instead of looking online, try going to the courthouse in person or calling the court clerk to check on your case.

You can find your court clerk’s number on Tennessee’s Judicial Branch website. Go to the menu on the left side of the screen, click on the type of court in which your case is filed, then click on “Clerks” from the drop-down menu. From there, you should be able to find clerk contact information for your court.

Use the Tennessee Public Case History search tool to look up appellate cases

The Tennessee Court Case History search is a free-to-use tool. The records contain all cases in the Supreme Court, Appeals Courts, and Criminal Appeals Court filed after September 1, 2006. Records are updated at the end of each business day.

Using this tool, you can find the case status and procedural history, but not for civil cases from the Circuit Court, Chancery Court, or General Sessions Court.

To find your case, you need some information regarding the matter. It can be;

• Case/docket number
• The names of the parties
• The style of the case, or
• Business or organization name

Find a lawsuit using the docket number

The docket number is the number used to track a case. It is unique to every court case and appears on every document relating to the case once the number is assigned. For example, a lawsuit can have sequence number M2021-078921-COA-R3-CV.

To find that case using the docket number:

• Go to Case Search
• Select case number
• Enter 78921
• Click "Search"

The system will produce all cases with that number listed as the appeal number. You can quickly scroll down to find your lawsuit.

Use the names of parties in the court case

If you are party to the lawsuit, use your name to sift through the files. You can also find other cases by using the names of those involved in the case.

If, for example, Crazy Debt Collector is suing you (Mark Harris):

• Go to Public Case history
• Select "Party Name"
• Enter "Mark Harris"
• Click Search

The system will return all cases with Mark Harris as a party to the lawsuit. Using both names narrows down the search. If you enter just one, the results may be too numerous to display, or you may have to search through many cases to find yours.

To search by the name of the business suing you, select Business/Organization and click "Search."

Search lawsuit by case style in Tennessee

If you are a defendant in the court case, you likely have the name of the case. Different courts may have different case styles. The simplest can be something like Harris v Crazy Debt Collector.

To find such a lawsuit:

• Go to Tennessee court history
• Select "Case Style"
• Enter the case style name, for example; Harris v Crazy Debt Collector
• Click "Search"

Searching by style quickly narrows down the search because you use the names of both parties.

Searching for civil court cases in the Tennessee trial courts

The case history tool discussed above only gives access to appellate cases. Debt collection cases are civil cases. SoHowever, if your debt collection lawsuit is still in the trial phase, you may need to search by county using your county’s court website.

You can use this Tennessee court directory to find your court online and call the court clerk for more information.

Respond to a debt lawsuit in Tennessee

If you’ve been sued for a debt you owe, SoloSuit can help you respond in minutes. The first step to winning your debt collection lawsuit in Tennessee is to respond to the case with a written Answer. In Tennessee, you have 21 days to respond before you lose by default. When you lose by default, the debt collector can garnish your wages or put liens on your property.

To learn more about how to Answer a debt lawsuit, check out this video:

What is SoloSuit?

SoloSuit makes it easy to fight debt collectors.

You can use SoloSuit to respond to a debt lawsuit, to send letters to collectors, and even to settle a debt.

SoloSuit's Answer service is a step-by-step web-app that asks you all the necessary questions to complete your Answer. Upon completion, we'll have an attorney review your document and we'll file it for you.

>>Read the FastCompany article: Debt Lawsuits Are Complicated: This Website Makes Them Simpler To Navigate

>>Read the NPR story on SoloSuit. (We can help you in all 50 states.)

How to answer a summons for debt collection in your state

Here's a list of guides for other states.

All 50 states.

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Guides on how to beat every debt collector

Being sued by a different debt collector? Were making guides on how to beat each one.

• Absolute Resolutions Investments LLC
• Accredited Collection Services
• Alliance One
• Amcol Clmbia
• American Recovery Service
• Asset Acceptance LLC
• Asset Recovery Solutions
• Associated Credit Services
• Autovest LLC
• Cach LLC
• Cavalry SPV I LLC
• Cerastes LLC
• Colinfobur
• Covington Credit
• Crown Asset Management
• CTC Debt Collector
• Cypress Financial Recoveries
• Delanor Kemper & Associates
• Eagle Loan of Ohio
• Educap
• Estate Information Services
• FIA Card Services
• Forster & Garbus
• Freshview Solutions
• Fulton Friedman & Gullace LLP
• Harvest Credit Management
• Howard Lee Schiff
• Hudson & Keyse LLC
• Integras Capital Recovery LLC
• Javitch Block
• Jefferson Capital Systems LLC
• LVNV Funding
• Mannbracken
• Mariner Finance
• Medicredit
• Michael J Adams PC
• Michael J Scott
• Midland Funding LLC
• Mullooly, Jeffrey, Rooney & Flynn
• Mountain Land Collections
• MRS Associates
• National Collegiate Trust
• Nationstar Foreclosure
• Northstar Capital Acquisition
• NCEP LLC
• NRC Collection Agency
• OneMain Financial
• Palisades Collection LLC
• Pallida LLC
• Paragon Revenue Group
• Pinnacle Collections Agency
• PMAB LLC
• Portfolio Recovery Associates
• Provest Law
• PYOD LLC
• Reunion Student Loan Finance Corporation
• Revenue Group
• Regents and Associates
• RSIEH
• Salander Enterprises LLC
• Second Round Sub LLC
• Security Credit Services
• Sherman Financial Group
• Suttell and Hammer
• T-Mobile
• Transworld Systems
• Tulsa Teachers Credit Union
• UCB Collection
• Velo Law Office
• Velocity Investments
• Waypoint Resource Group
• Weinberg and Associates
• Wolpoff & Abramson

Win against credit card companies

Is your credit card company suing you? Learn how you can beat each one.

• Bank of America
• Capital One
• Chase
• Credit One Bank
• PayPal Synchrony Card
• SYNCB/PPEXTR
• Synchrony Bank
• Target National Bank
• Wells Fargo

Going to Court for Credit Card Debt — Key Tips

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debts

How to Settle a Credit Card Debt Lawsuit — Ultimate Guide

Get answers to these FAQs

Need more info on statutes of limitations? Read our 50-state guide.

Why do debt collectors block their phone numbers?

How long do debt collectors take to respond to debt validation letters?

What are the biggest debt collector companies in the US?

Is Zombie Debt Still a Problem in 2019?

SoloSuit FAQ

If a car is repossessed, do I still owe the debt?

Is Portfolio Recovery Associates Legit?

Is There a Judgment Against Me Without my Knowledge?

Should I File Bankruptcy Before or After a Judgment?

What is a default judgment?— What do I do?

Summoned to Court for Medical Bills — What Do I Do?

What Happens If Someone Sues You and You Have No Money?

What Happens If You Never Answer Debt Collectors?

What Happens When a Debt Is Sold to a Collection Agency

What is a Stipulated Judgment?

What is the Deadline for a Defendants Answer to Avoid a Default Judgment?

Can a Judgement Creditor Take my Car?

Can I Settle a Debt After Being Served?

Can I Stop Wage Garnishment?

Can You Appeal a Default Judgement?

Do I Need a Debt Collection Defense Attorney?

Do I Need a Payday Loans Lawyer?

Do student loans go away after 7 years? — Student Loan Debt Guide

Am I Responsible for My Spouses Medical Debt?

Should I Marry Someone With Debt?

Can a Debt Collector Leave a Voicemail?

How Does Debt Assignment Work?

What Happens If a Defendant Does Not Pay a Judgment?

How Does Debt Assignment Work?

Can You Serve Someone with a Collections Lawsuit at Their Work?

What Is a Warrant in Debt?

How Many Times Can a Judgment be Renewed in Oklahoma?

Can an Eviction Be Reversed?

Does Debt Consolidation Have Risks?

What Happens If You Avoid Getting Served Court Papers?

Does Student Debt Die With You?

Can Debt Collectors Call You at Work in Texas?

How Much Do You Have to Be in Debt to File for Chapter 7?

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Debt in Washington?

How Long Does a Judgment Last?

Can Private Disability Payments Be Garnished?

Can Debt Collectors Call From Local Numbers?

Does the Fair Credit Reporting Act Work in Florida?

The Truth: Should You Never Pay a Debt Collection Agency?

Should You Communicate with a Debt Collector in Writing or by Telephone?

Do I Need a Debt Negotiator?

What Happens After a Motion for Default Is Filed?

Can a Process Server Leave a Summons Taped to My Door?

Learn More With These Additional Resources:

Need help managing your finances? Check out these resources.

How to Make a Debt Validation Letter - The Ultimate Guide

How to Make a Motion to Compel Arbitration Without an Attorney

How to Stop Wage Garnishment — Everything You Need to Know

How to File an FDCPA Complaint Against Your Debt Collector (Ultimate Guide)

Defending Yourself in Court Against a Debt Collector

Tips on you can to file an FDCPA lawsuit against a debt collection agency

Advice on how to answer a summons for debt collection.

Effective strategies for how to get back on track after a debt lawsuit

New Hampshire Statute of Limitations on Debt

Sample Cease and Desist Letter Against Debt Collectors

The Ultimate Guide to Responding to a Debt Collection Lawsuit in Utah

West Virginia Statute of Limitations on Debt

What debt collectors cannot do — FDCPA explained

Defending Yourself in Court Against Debt Collector

How to Liquidate Debt

Arkansas Statute of Limitations on Debt

Youre Drowning in Debt — Heres How to Swim

Help! Im Being Sued by My Debt Collector

How to Make a Motion to Vacate Judgment

How to Answer Summons for Debt Collection in Vermont

North Dakota Statute of Limitations on Debt

ClearPoint Debt Management Review

Indiana Statute of Limitations on Debt

Oregon Eviction Laws - What They Say

CuraDebt Debt Settlement Review

How to Write a Re-Aging Debt Letter

How to Appear in Court by Phone

How to Use the Doctrine of Unclean Hands

Debt Consolidation in Eugene, Oregon

Summoned to Court for Medical Bills? What to Do Next

How to Make a Debt Settlement Agreement

Received a 3-Day Eviction Notice? Heres What to Do

How to Answer a Lawsuit for Debt Collection

Tips for Leaving the Country With Unpaid Credit Card Debt

Kansas Statute of Limitations on Debt Collection

How to File in Small Claims Court in Iowa

How to File a Civil Answer in Kings County Supreme Court

Roseland Associates Debt Consolidation Review

How to Stop a Garnishment

Debt Eraser Review

Do Debt Collectors Ever Give Up?

Can They Garnish Your Wages for Credit Card Debt?

How Often Do Credit Card Companies Sue for Non-Payment?

How Long Does a Judgement Last?

​​How Long Before a Creditor Can Garnish Wages?

How to Beat a Bill Collector in Court