To determine who is considered a "family member," identify one person (either an owner or non-owner, living or deceased) to whom the owners are potentially related. With respect to that person, the following are considered members of the family:
- Mother, father, grandmother or grandfather
- Spouse or former spouse
- Son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, stepson, stepdaughter, step-grandson or step-granddaughter
- Brother or sister
- Aunt or uncle
- Niece or nephew
- First cousin
- Son-in-law, step-son-in-law, grandson-in-law, daughter-in-law, step-daughter-in-law, granddaughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law
- Trusts for the benefit of one or more of the above family members
- The estate of a deceased individual who, while living, was one of the above family members.
The Department considers legally adopted individuals to be the same as children of the identified person. Also, the Department considers a stepchild to be a member of the family regardless of any change in the marital status of the parent and stepparent.
References: Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-2008(a)(11)(B)(i).
Note: This article was updated on June 10, 2026, as a result of a law change. The previous version of FONCE-2 is available here.
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