Alabama Divorce & Family Law Attorney Blog : Birmingham Divorce Lawyer & Attorney : Eversole Law Firm : Serving Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile Alabama

A fight over child custody can be a painful and wrenching experience for any family. As an Alabama family law attorney and divorce lawyer in the Birmingham area, I have seen the emotional torrent that swirls around all parties in hotly contested custody battles. In the case of former vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin’s grandson, Tripp, hopefully the child’s young age will at least spare him from most of the drama.

Recently, news agencies have been talking about the latest saga of Bristol Palin and her former boyfriend and fiancée, Levi Johnston. According to reports, Johnston has been on a so-called campaign against Alaska’s former “first family” by revealing a variety of family secrets.

Regarding the recent custody case over young Tripp, public records from an Alaskan court have revealed a heated battle between Palin's daughter and the father of her grandson. Bristol Palin had asked the court to keep the proceedings closed, but that request was denied a Superior Court judge -- a temporary order had authorized the use of pseudonyms while the court was considering the request, which stated that no good "could result to the child by an onslaught of media."

Johnston’s stance was that he didn’t feel protected against Sarah Palin in a closed setting. The father of one-year-old Tripp had been pushing for open court proceedings, saying he just wanted a simple case based on its merit. A qualified family law attorney can be a great asset in cases not unlike this one

According to news articles, Bristol Palin had petitioned the court in early November last year, asking for sole custody as well as child support. The petition also requested a visitation schedule for Johnston, saying that the former fiance had exercised "sporadic visitation rights."

The eldest daughter of Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin's custody petition called Johnston's recent nude photo shoot for Playgirl magazine "risque." She also noted that the man’s mother, Sherry Johnston, should not be allowed unsupervised visits with the baby following her drug arrest. Sherry Johnston, who is reportedly serving a three-year sentence under home confinement, was again sentenced last month on a guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to deliver the painkiller OxyContin.

In a motion opposing closed proceedings, Johnston's attorney argued that Bristol Palin had not shown what sort of evidence could stigmatize the child. The lawyer said that the Palin-Johnston case has similar facts that accompany open child custody cases every day in the Alaskan court system.

Bristol Palin seeks full custody of baby, MSN.com, December 29, 2009

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Divorce can be a painful and life-altering event for most married people, especially if children are involved. In my last entry, I discussed a few of the initial steps when moving toward divorce in Alabama. For most individuals, going through a legal separation or divorce can be a very emotional time.

As a divorce lawyer with a Birmingham family law practice, I recommend that people in the throes of divorce attempt to avoid emotionality as much as possible. Though it is difficult, keeping a cool head is highly desirable when going through such a serious legal process as divorce. The following is the second part of my discussion on the process of divorcing in Alabama.

One of the initial steps in kicking off the formal divorce procedure is the creation of a complaint (or petition) requesting a divorce, which is filed by one or the other spouse. Once the petition is filed, the other spouse must file an answer in kind -- this is that spouse’s “response.” The petition usually includes items such as requests for temporary orders regarding custody of the couple’s children (if any) and visitation, alimony and, or in addition to, child support payments. It is not uncommon that the petitioning spouse will request the other to pay his or her lawyer costs.

Following the petition, the next step is for your attorney to undertake legal discovery. Just as in any law suit, this is done to obtain information pertinent to the divorce. This information will help determine the amount of spousal and/or child support, as well as attorney fees that you may be required to pay -- or the amount that you will receive.

Depending on your particular circumstances, retaining the services of a forensic accountant can be very helpful when searching for your spouse’s potentially hidden assets. This kind of accountant can also assist in analyzing your overall debts and assets. Others professionals involved in this process may include CPAs, appraiser and tax advisors, who can help you become aware of the tax implications and other potential risks of hanging onto or giving up property.

Prior to the commencement of settlement negotiations, it is wise to know what items you want the agreement to cover. Being able to understand the various tax consequences or other financial issues tied to each offer and counteroffer made during the negotiations is critical to a successful outcome. This is why having a qualified divorce lawyer on your side during these negotiations makes a great deal of sense.

As an unemotional advocate, an attorney can make the entire process much easier. As I have said before, keeping any possible anger out of the negotiations may help you avoid the possibility of a trial. Since divorce trials can be rather expensive for both of the spouses, this is something you should steer clear of if at all possible.

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Here in Alabama, as elsewhere across the country, divorce is a serious step for any married person. From a personal point of view, separation or divorce is a truly emotional event. From a legal standpoint the process of divorce is fairly well defined, although the steps toward the final divorce decree will vary due to individual circumstances.

As a Birmingham divorce lawyer and family law attorney, I tell my clients to try to remain as cool and collected as possible. While emotions can run quite high, this is a legal process and you will benefit from keeping your feelings in check as much as possible as you follow the advice of your attorney. The following is the first of a two-part discussion on the process of divorcing in Alabama.

As previously mentioned, very few divorces follow the exact same steps, but whichever direction your particular situation takes you, it is always wise to seek professional help as early as possible. A qualified divorce attorney can guide you along the way. Other professionals who can be of great assistance in these trying times include therapists and financial advisors.

Your most important resource will be your attorney, which makes choosing one a critical process in itself. First and foremost, you need to learn about your legal rights as they pertain to an Alabama divorce. A lawyer well versed in this state’s divorce and family law is your best choice and he or she will be able to clearly explain the details regarding separation, spousal support and alimony, child custody and visitation, as well as guardianship, child support and future division of assets.

The first step is financial. Here you must gather all of your financial documents. Be sure to make a copy of all paperwork that you have collected and present this information to your attorney. At this point, you will be able to learn what the financial impact of a separation will have on you and your children, if any. It is important to understand that while some couples have the means to physically separate, other unfortunately cannot, which may mean taking up residence in different parts of the same house.

An essential part of the financial evaluation is making the determination of which debts were incurred before the separation, as well as after. This should include any shared bills paid and improvements, if any, made to common property during the separation. You should also use this time to update your insurance coverage if any of those improvements added value to your property.

At this point you should decide whether or not you and your spouse will be filing your taxes jointly, or separately. Next time, I’ll talk about the other steps leading to a divorce or legal separation.
 

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In the recent maelstrom of mistress allegations, Tiger Woods may be headed to divorce court if the gossip pages are correct. As a Birmingham divorce and family law attorney, I have first-hand experience with divorce and separation cases involving infidelity in a marriage. While Mr. Woods’ situation is perhaps more extreme than most, the result -- a wife deciding to consult a divorce lawyer -- is nothing new in my profession.

Revelations of a single or as in this case multiple affairs can quickly push a marriage toward divorce or, at best, legal separation. Sports figures, entertainers and other personalities can sometimes be more prone to marital troubles than the rest of us, it’s a big let down to those who revere these high-profile names.

In this case, according to various news reports, Elin Nordegren is planning to divorce the fallen golf icon. That piece of information came from a source, who recently spoke to People magazine, adding that Nordegren has “made up her mind." More damning is the reports from the New York Daily News, which reported that the 29-year-old Nordegren and husband Tiger would be “going their separate ways for the holidays.”

The article says that the former model will be heading to Sweden with the couple’s two children, while Woods will be staying home. According to reports, the golfer is looking for a “safe harbor” and waiting for the storm to settle. He reportedly will be spending the holidays with two or three of his male friends.

Reports also state that a friend of Woods claims the golf great had likely cheated on Nordegren with more than the dozen or so women who have already emerged since Thanksgiving. The latest news reports allege that Woods wired thousands of dollars every month to several women, with one receiving up to $20,000 a month, according to MSNBC.

Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren ready for divorce: report, NYDailyNews.com, December 16, 2009

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As a Birmingham, AL, divorce lawyer and family law attorney I get many questions from clients regarding all aspects of divorce, separation, child custody and other divorce-related topics. This is a difficult time for all parties in a divorce, but there are some key topics that concern many a spouse and parent affected by legal separation and especially divorce, namely visitation rights.

What is Standard Visitation?
Depending on where you live in Alabama, you may have questions on what is standard visitation for any minor children involved in a divorce. While the custodial parent has little concern in this area, in my experience shows that the non-custodial parent is the one who is almost always anxious about the court’s decision regarding visitation.

In theory, most domestic relations and/or juvenile court judges have very wide latitude when it comes to visitation schedules. In fact, the court usually decides on a case-by-case basis what is best for the children. Depending on the facts and circumstances, the visitation schedule for one couple can be very different from that of another.

While there exist visitation guidelines, it is widely understood that most judges settle on their own “standard visitation” schedules, which they place in their orders. Because each judge has rather wide discretion to fashion a special visitation schedule for a particular couple, the parties going through the divorce should be prepared for certain deviations. This is why it is always advisable to retain the services of a qualified divorce and family law attorney.

It is also important to note that even the final order can vary slightly from the basic order. For instance, in one jurisdiction a Wednesday night could maybe be added if the parties ask for it, but the court may not allow much more that that, in spite of any agreements between the two parties. However in an adjoining county, you may well find that a Wednesday night is already part of the standard order.

In the end, divorcing parents will find that cooperation is the best approach when it comes to visitation. This is because the visitation order usually only applies when the parties cannot agree on their own schedule -- serving as a minimum allotment of time for the non-custodial parent to get his or her share of visitation. But if you both can agree on your a mutual schedule, then your are free to create and follow that no matter what the judge’s order states.
 

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