Rule text
All actions in law or equity shall be known as “civil actions.” Advisory Commission Comments.
Prior to the adoption of these Rules, Tennessee practice spoke of “civil actions at law”(T.C.A. §20-201) [since repealed] and of “suits”in chancery (T.C.A. §21-102) [since repealed]. Rule 2 simplifies the terminology of applying a single term to all civil actions.
Advisory Commission Comment [2013].
The 2013 Advisory Commission Comment to Tenn. R. Civ. P. 3 provides guidance for determining whether a statutorily authorized “petition” is considered a “complaint” or a “motion” for purposes of the Rules of Civil Procedure.