# Tennessee — Anti-SLAPP special motion deadlines, fee-shifting and discovery stay by state

For Tennessee, deadline to file the motion is Such a petition may be filed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of service of the legal action or, in the court's discretion, at any later time that the court deems proper; attorney's fees for the prevailing party is the court dismisses a legal action pursuant to a petition filed under this chapter, the court shall award to the petitioning party: (1) Court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, discretionary costs, and other expenses incurred in filing and prevailing upon the petition; statute is Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 20-17-104, 20-17-107, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02.

- **State:** Tennessee _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Deadline to file the motion:** Such a petition may be filed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of service of the legal action or, in the court's discretion, at any later time that the court deems proper. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Attorney's fees for the prevailing party:** the court dismisses a legal action pursuant to a petition filed under this chapter, the court shall award to the petitioning party: (1) Court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, discretionary costs, and other expenses incurred in filing and prevailing upon the petition _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Effect on discovery:** All discovery in the legal action is stayed upon the filing of a petition under this section. The stay of discovery remains in effect until the entry of an order ruling on the petition. The court may allow specified and limited discovery relevant to the petition upon a showing of good cause. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_
- **Statute:** Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 20-17-104, 20-17-107 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> Such a petition may be filed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of service of the legal action or, in the court's discretion, at any later time that the court deems proper.

## Where each value comes from

This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.

### Deadline to file the motion

> Such a petition may be filed within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of service of the legal action or, in the court's discretion, at any later time that the court deems proper.

### Attorney's fees for the prevailing party

> the court dismisses a legal action pursuant to a petition filed under this chapter, the court shall award to the petitioning party: (1) Court costs, reasonable attorney's fees, discretionary costs, and other expenses incurred in filing and prevailing upon the petition

### Effect on discovery

> All discovery in the legal action is stayed upon the filing of a petition under this section. The stay of discovery remains in effect until the entry of an order ruling on the petition. The court may allow specified and limited discovery relevant to the petition upon a showing of good cause.

## Source

- https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/111/pub/pc0185.pdf

Last verified: 2026-09-02. Review by: 2027-09-02.
Part of [Anti-SLAPP special motion deadlines, fee-shifting and discovery stay by state](https://referencesource.org/anti-slapp-motion-provisions-by-state/).