Understanding Child Custody and Support in Alabama
As difficult as it can be for parents to resolve child custody issues, it is even more difficult for a judge who does not know you or your family. For this reason, Alabama courts encourage families to decide parenting time issues for themselves. Going to court is a last resort — and often a costly one.
As a divorce lawyer who represents family law clients in the Birmingham area, I will work very hard to help you reach a settlement of child custody and visitation issues. I will also explain how child support is calculated in Alabama and ensure that it is calculated appropriately in your case.
What is Child Custody?
There are two types of child custody in Alabama. Legal custody is the right to make major decisions for your child. Physical custody is where your child will live the majority of the time.
In many cases, legal custody is shared between the parents. However, one parent will usually have primary physical custody, meaning that the child will live with that parent most of the time while the other parent has visitation. It is rare for one parent to have sole legal and physical custody, and you would need a compelling reason to deny the other parent reasonable visitation rights.
If the parents cannot agree on a custodial arrangement, then the court will order a custody evaluation using experts such as psychologists and licensed clinical social workers. The court will base its custody decision on the child's best interests.
Alabama Child Support Guidelines
Alabama has a set of guidelines that are used to determine the amount of child support to be paid each month. The guidelines consider the income of each party, the number of children, the cost of medical insurance and the cost of any daycare expenses. Alabama's guidelines have recently been modified, and now apply to couples whose gross month income is$20,000 or less (the previous limit was $10,000).
Alabama's Child Support Guidelines can be found here: www.alacourt.gov.
Please be cautioned that there are many factors and variables that are taken into consideration in a child support calculation and a "do-it-yourself" approach is not likely to lead you to an accurate number for any potential child support obligation. That is one of the many reasons why it is so important to have an attorney familiar with the laws as they relate to child support help you with your case.
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