- Dissolution of Marriage
- also referred to as "divorce," a dissolution action may
also include custody, visitation, child support, spousal
support and/or property issues.
- Legal Separation
- is the course of action that may be taken to obtain
orders for custody, visitation, child support, spousal
support and/or property issues without dissolving the
marriage. A legal separation action is the exact same
procedure as a dissolution, however, at the end of the
process, the parties are still married.
- Annulment of Marriage
- may be obtained under very specific circumstances set
forth in the Code of Alabama. When an annulment process is
concluded, legally, the parties where never married to one
another.
- Paternity and Non-Paternity
- actions concern parties who have a child together but
were never married to one another. A Paternity action is an
action to have a child's parentage legally determined and
ordered and will also include custody, visitation and child
support orders. A Non-Paternity action is an action to prove
and have the Court order that a party is not the parent of a
child.
- Domestic Violence
- also known as "Protection from Abuse" or PFA proceedings
are commenced for the protection of the victim of abuse by
another party. When appropriate the Court may order
restraining orders and stay away orders and, sometimes,
custody, visitation and support orders.
- Appellate Actions
- An appeal is a request for a higher Court to review the
decision or decisions of a lower Court regarding your
domestic relations litigation. Most people think
that a divorce proceeding is not a lawsuit, but divorce
proceedings in Alabama are lawsuits to which both husband
and wife are parties.
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- Modification Proceedings concerning:
- Child Custody
Child Visitation
Child
Support
Spousal Support
Modification proceedings
involving the above issues require prior existing orders in
either a dissolution of marriage, legal separation,
paternity or domestic violence action.
- Stepparent Adoption
- Under very specific circumstances of non-support or
abandonment by the absent parent, the Court may allow a
natural custodial parent's current spouse to adopt that
parent's child or children. In order for the matter to even
be considered, the natural parent and spouse must have be in
a long-term, stable and continuing marriage. The Court will
perform an investigation regarding the absent spouse, and
insure that the proposed adoption is in the best interest of
the child(ren).
- Agency Adoption
- is when a child has been placed with adoptive parents
via a public agency such a social services. Most time the
natural parents' parental rights have already been
terminated and it is only a matter of having the Adoption
Decree entered.
- Guardianship Proceedings
- requesting guardianship of the person and/or estate
involving children is sometimes necessary when the natural
parent or parents of a child are deceased or when they
cannot or will not provide properly for their child or
children.
- Probate and Estate Planning
- Often actions involving domestic relations necessarily
involve the division of property between separating parties,
and often these property divisions affect the estate
planning of the parties. In Alabama, a divorce changes
the existing Wills of the parties to the extent they leave
property to a surviving spouse. We encourage clients
to be aware of these changes, and to make other necessary
changes to their Wills and other estate planning tools at
the time of their divorce or very shortly
thereafter. Often a simple codicil can address
the estate planning complexities created by the dissolution
of marriage.
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- Living
Together
- In Alabama,
cohabitation is not recognized generally as giving either
person to the relationship any claim on the property of
the relationship. Certain agreements can make what
would otherwise be an unfair world a lot more just.
- Issues affecting Same-sex couples
- We offer
comprehensive legal services for same-sex (gay, bisexual,
transgender, lesbian) couples living in Alabama. See our special section for
Lesbian and Gay couples.
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