A Tennessee Summons: Child support or parentage is a court document issued by a court in Tennessee which orders a person to appear in court and answer questions related to child support or parentage. It is typically issued when a child support or parentage case is initiated. There are two types of Tennessee Summons: Child support or parentage: Summons to Appear and Summons to Answer. The Summons to Appear requires the respondent to appear in court to answer to the complaint, while the Summons to Answer requires the respondent to answer the complaint in writing. Both are issued by the court and must be served to the respondent in order to compel them to appear in court or answer in writing.