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

The rules regarding divorce or custody proceedings involving military personnel are different than those affecting civilians.  The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act is just one way that military personnel can benefit from these different rules.  The most important aspect of the Act is the availability to stay any civil proceeding, whether it be child custody or visitation, divorce, or child support proceeding confronting the service member or their dependents. 

The Act, signed into law on Dec. 19, 2003 by President Bush expanded service member's protections and rights to include not only temporary suspension of judicial proceedings but also temporary suspension of administrative proceedings and transactions as well.  The Act provides these protections to members on active duty in all branches of the armed services as well as members of the National Guard called to active duty for over 30 days. 

If a service member receives a default divorce judgment for example, the court shall reopen the Judgment to allow the service member to defend if: 1. the military member was affected due to military service in asserting his defense and 2. the application to reopen is filed within 90 days after the end of military service. 

**The military have special rights and obligations pertaining to divorce and family law matters.  I strongly advise all military personnel to speak with an experienced attorney or lawyer who understands the substantial differences in military divorce and family law. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

My Alabama divorce and family law office is centrally located in Birmingham, Alabama so that we can offer our Alabama divorce, child custody and visitation, alimony, child support, adoption, prenuptial agreements, and other family law matters practice throughout the entire state of Alabama.  I represent clients in every court in Alabama including, but not limited to the following courts and jurisdictions:

In the Birmingham, Alabama Metro area I routinely try divorce and family law cases in the following cities and counties:

Jefferson County, Adamsville, Argo, Birmingham, Bessemer, Branchville, Fairfield, Fultondale, Gardendale, Homewood, Hoover, Hueytown, Irondale, Kimberly, Leeds, Morris, Mountain Brook, Odenville, Springville, Trussville, Vestavia, Warrior 

In the Shelby County, Alabama the lawyers and attorneys of Eversole law work in the following cities and courts:

Shelby County , Alabaster,  Columbiana, Harpersville, Hoover, Vincent, Pelham, Calera

Other areas of Alabama the lawyers of Eversole Law represent clients include:

Tuscaloosa, Northport, Chilton County, Jemison, Thorsby, Altoona, Talladega County, Jefferson County, Walker County, Madison County, Cullman, Hunstville, Decatur, Florence, Guntersville, Scottsboro, Montgomery, Pelham, Gadsden, Anniston, and all other counties and municipalities in Alabama.   

***This list is not exhaustive, my office will represent divorce and family law clients across the entire state of Alabama. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Please check out my firm's website.  My Alabama Divorce Law firm focuses our practice on divorce, child custody, child visitation, alimony and support, property division, asset protection, family law and more.  We cross the state of Alabama and regularly handle divorce and family law cases in Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Pelham, Leeds, Moody, Pell City, Trussville, Huntsville, Montgomery, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Fultondale, Irondale, Homewood; and in counties like Jefferson County, St. Clair County, Madison County, Tuscaloosa County, Shelby County, Mobile County, Walker County, Jackson County, Marshall County, Limestone County, Chilton County, Bibb County, Talladega County, Montgomery County, Etowah County, Mobile County, Cullman County, Baldwin County, Winston County, Dekalb County and Cherokee County, etc. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Grandparents have the right to visit their grandchildren in Alabama.  Any grandparent may file an action to enforce their grandparents visitation rights if the grandparents visitation is in the best interest of the child and one of the following conditions are met:

• One or both parents of the grandchild have died
• The parents of the grandchild have divorced
• A parent of the grandchild has abandoned the child
• The grandchild was born outside a marriage
• If the parents of the grandchild are still married and living together but one or both of the parents are using their authority to prevent a grandparents relationship with their grandchild.

The courts will look to see if a grandparents visitation is in best interest of the child.  When determining if a grandparents visitation rights are within the best interest of a child, the courts will look to the following factors for guidance:

• The grandparents willingness to cultivate a relationship with the child and his parents
• The grandchild's preference
• The health of the grandchild
• The mental and physical health of the grandparents
• Any evidence of domestic violence between one parent and another parent, parent and child, or between parent and grandparent
• Any other relevant factors, including the preferences of any living parent

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

A client called my office today seeking advice regarding a default judgment he received in Montgomery, Alabama divorce proceedings.  My client(Mr. X), received a default divorce judgment in Montgomery County after failing to respond to a divorce complaint within the required 30 day time period.  When you receive an Alabama divorce complaint, you only have thirty days to respond.  If you do not respond, a default judgment will be rendered against you.  This basically means that the pleadings in the divorce complaint are taken as true, and most times, the petitioner will get everything they seek in the divorce.  Thus, it is very important, if you wish contest any portion of the divorce complaint, that you respond within the time period allotted.

Fortunately, Mr X has recourse.  An intelligent Alabama Divorce Lawyer looks for any way he might be able to challenge the default judgment.  In this case, Mr. X did not receive notice of the divorce proceedings, and he has jurisdictional challenges as well.  Mr. X and his soon to be ex-wife, are military personnel and move around a lot.  Mr. X's ex, moved to Montgomery, Alabama from Indiana just two months after Mr. X filed for a divorce in Indiana.  Sneaky Mrs. X then filed for an Alabama divorce in Montgomery County after coming to Alabama and while the Indiana proceedings were underway.  Thus, an Alabama divorce court does not have jurisdiction over the divorce, and Mr. X can have the default judgment set aside on jurisdictional grounds.  Basically, the Alabama domestic relations or family law court, did not have the power to enter a judgment in this case.

Mr. X can also challenge the Alabama divorce judgment on grounds he did not receive notice of the divorce.  Every Alabama divorce petitioner must give notice of the divorce proceedings to the party they are trying to divorce.  If the divorce petitioner(the one who files the Alabama divorce complaint) does not give notice of the proceedings to the one they are trying to divorce, any divorce proceeding is invalid, and can be set aside. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

In Alabama, when a divorce has been granted in favor of one party based upon the misconduct of the other party, the judge may grant awards from the estate of the spouse committing the misconduct to the other spouse.  The misconduct itself may also be used by the judge in determining the amount of the award.  However, this provision is subject to the marital property rule and/or the inheritance rule.  In general, property held by a party prior to the marriage, or property received by inheritance or gift,  is not marital property and cannot be distributed to the other party during a divorce.  Alabama Code Section 30-2-52 defines how a judge may award property after granting a divorce based upon misconduct.   

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

A Montgomery, Alabama client called today seeking to rescind the adoption she consented to shortly after giving birth. Her baby is at an adoption agency in Birmingham, Alabama and she desperately wants him back.  This is a complicated case because the girl is a minor, and her mother pressured her into putting the infant up for adoption while she was still in the hospital, under doctors care, and on prescribed medications.  She finally relented to her mother's pressure and gave the baby to an adoption agency here in Birmingham.  Thankfully, the minor realized she made a mistake quickly enough ,and we should be able to get her baby back.  Alabama Code Section 26-10A-13 and 26-10A-14 governs the withdrawal of consent to an adoption.  In Alabama, once you consent to place your baby up for adoption, that consent cannot be withdrawn except in the following circumstances: 

• consent may be withdrawn at any time within five days of birth, or within five days of signing the consent forms; 
• consent may be withdrawn within fourteen days if reasonable under the circumstances and in the best interests of the child;
• or if the consent was obtained by fraud or duress. 

In my Birmingham case, the girl rescinded her consent within the statutory time period ,and there is a good argument to be made that she consented under duress giving the circumstances in which she consented to the adoption.   

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

A Jefferson County, Birmingham, Alabama client asked an interesting question today.  How is child support calculated when your ex-spouse doesn't work, or has a sporadic work history?  Primarily, when calculating child support the court looks to the well being of the child.  And when awarding child support in this situation ,an Alabama court will impute an income to your ex-spouse, if the court finds he/she is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.  The court will estimate the unemployed or underemployed parents income, and impute that income to the spouse owing child support.  The court looks to past employment, employment potential, probable earning levels, education and job qualifications, as well as job opportunities and earning levels in the community.  The Alabama rules regarding child support can be found in the Child Support Guidelines Rule 32.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

I received a call from a client today in Birmingham, Alabama.  I realized people contemplating divorce across Jefferson County, including Vestavia, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Leeds, Bessemer, Hoover, Pelham, Trussville, Gardendale, Fultondale, Fairfield, Moody, Pleasant Grove, Adamsville and Hueytown, as well as all across Alabama in places like Huntsville, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Mobile, are all concerned about Alabama divorce laws. 

One of the most frequent questions I encounter about Alabama divorce laws, in Birmingham and all across the State of Alabama, and especially from women,  is "How do I support myself during the divorce?"  The answer is simple.  I will file a motion for Pendente Lite.  That motion will provide temporary support from your husband while you are going through a divorce.  This kind of support is very similar to alimony.  It allows you to continue living as you currently are while the Alabama divorce proceedings are under way.  Once the divorce is finalized you will then be eligible for alimony.  Alimony is intended to keep you relatively in the same economic position you are in during the marriage.  In that way, alimony and temporary support are very similar.  Both provide you with a means to continue your way of life for a period of time.  Motions for Pendente Lite only covers support during the divorce proceedings itself.  So, your husband or wife can't just kick you out of the house, cut off your credit cards, take the car, etc.

The Alabama Code Section 30-2-50 allows for this kind of temporary support pending the divorce action.  It provides for the allowance for support during the pendency of action.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

DivorceSupport.com is a fantastic resource for people facing divorce.  The website has excellent Alabama divorce specific information.  They have articles on Alabama divorce, child support and child custody, residency requirements, grandparents rights and military divorce laws.  When you are going through a divorce you need as much information and support available.  My firm tries to provide you with the resources to make this process as simple as possible .  We also strive to give you all the information you need during these troubling times.  Knowing how the divorce or child custody process works will give you a certain amount of comfort.  I encourage my clients to learn as much as they can about their divorce and related issues.  The Internet is an amazing resource and should be used accordingly.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The differences between mediation and collaborative law can be relatively minor.  Both mediation and collaborative law are alternative dispute resolution techniques that resolve a divorce without involving a court. Here is a link from divorcenet.com detailing the differences, advantages and disadvantages to both.  There is also some good information to aid in determining whether or not you would be a good candidate for the collaborative process.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Joint Custody is preferred and deemed to be in the best interest of the child.  Alabama Code section 30-3-150 makes it state policy to encourage joint custody whenever both parents "have shown the ability to act in the best interests of their children." The court must consider joint custody, but is free to grant custody in any form it determines is in the best interest of the child.  The court looks to several factors when deciding to award joint custody: 

• The court looks at the parents wishes regarding joint custody
• The parents willingness and ability to work together and make decision in the best interest of the child
• Ability of each parent to foster the child's love for their ex
• Potential for any kind of abuse or kidnapping
• Distance between parents and practical geographic implications of joint custody
• The court may order a form of joint custody without the consent of both parents, when it is in the best interest of the child.

****When both parents request joint custody, joint custody is presumed to be in the best alternative.  Thus, in Alabama, joint custody is required unless the court makes specific findings as to why it is not.  Check out this helpful guide listing some Alabama Divorce and Custody code sections ,as well as other valuable divorce and child custody resources. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

A prenuptial agreement is often used to protect an individuals assets in the event of death or divorce.  The agreement is prepared to define property rights and to also define any additional obligations that arise during the marriage relationship.  You should disclose all the assets you possess truthfully.  Prenuptial agreements are carefully scrutinized by the Court to determine if they are just and reasonable.  Hiding assets could be a means to invalidate an otherwise valid prenuptial agreement.  Here are a few tips pertaining to prenuptial agreements.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks

In Alabama, a party's separate estate is not automatically included in the Marital Property of the both spouses.  Likewise, a spouse's inheritance and gifts he/she receives, even while married, remains their own property, unless you move to convert the property into marital property.  You can covert your property into marital property by several means. Here are a few common examples:

•  You could deposit your inheritance or gift into a joint checking account that both parties have access to and regularly make withdrawals.
• Or you could inherit a nice beach house from your grandfather and you regularly take the family to the beach for vacations. The house is now marital property.

The court replies upon one key determining factor when it has to decide these issues.  The question invariably becomes, has the property been used "regularly for the common benefit of the parties in a divorce."

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The purpose of Alimony in Alabama is to preserve, as much as is possible, the economic living condition of the parties as they existed during the marriage. There is a duty to maintain the status of their ex-spouse until such time as the spouse is self-supporting or maintaining a similar status to the one enjoyed before the separation.

The two most important factors to be considered in determining alimony payments are:

1. The need of the spouse receiving alimony.
2. The ability to pay by the spouse paying alimony.

However, there is a laundry list of factors that courts do take into consideration:

• Standard of living during the marriage
• Age and gender of each party
• Length of the Marriage
• Bad conduct by a party that caused the divorce(adultery)
• Health of each party
• Potential for maintaining their standard of living without spouse

Alimony can result from long and short term marriages as well.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The Alabama "venue statute," sets out the proper county to file your Alabama divorce actions.  Venue is just a fancy lawyer word for the place you file divorce papers. The Code provides several methods to establish proper venue.  Proper venue can be established in one of three ways:

1. You may file your divorce papers in the county where your spouse resides.
2. In the county where you resided with your spouse at the time of separation.
3. Or, if your spouse is a non-resident, the county in which he/she resides.

When both parties are residents of Alabama, divorce complaints can be filed in either the county in which your spouse resides, or in the county where you both lived before the separation occurred. It is also possible to file in any county you want, if your spouse agrees. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

The Alabama Rules provide the following non-inclusive list of reasons for deviating from the child support guidelines:

1. Shared physical custody or visitation rights for periods of physical custody or care of children is substantially in excess of those customarily approved.
2. Extraordinary costs of transportation for purposes of visitation borne substantially by one parent.
3. Expenses of college education incurred prior to a child reaching the age of majority.
4. Assets or, or unearned income received by or on the behalf of, a child.
5. Such other facts or circumstances that the court finds contribute to the best interest of the child for whom support is being determined. A.R.J.A., Rule 32(A)(1)(e).

The existence of any factor above does not require the court to deviate from the guidelines, but may be considered by the court in doing so.  Furthermore, the court may deviate from the guidelines even without any of the above factors as well. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Alabama law recognizes twelve grounds for granting a divorce.  The twelve grounds recognized by Alabama law are as follows:

• Incapacity
• Adultery
• Abandonment
• Imprisonment
• Crimes Against Nature
• Habitual Drunkenness/Drug Addiction
• Incompatibility of Temperament
• Mental Incapacity/Insanity
• Irretrievable Breakdown
• Pregnancy
• Violence/Cruelty
• Non-Support & Separation

You do not need to know that much about the grounds for divorce in Alabama.  Most divorces today are "no fault" divorces, such as incompatibility.  However, if your husband or wife has committed "adultery," or committed, heaven forbid, a "crime against nature", that fact may benefit you significantly in any divorce settlement.

All you really need to get a divorce in Alabama is 1) jurisdiction and  2) residence.  What that really means is one of you has lived in Alabama for at least six months.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks