Posted by Steven A. Harris | Family Law
How do I terminate the parental rights of someone who has disappeared? Every parent of a child has certain fundamental rights and obligations regarding their child. However, some parents may need to have their parental rights terminated when it is no longer in the child’s best interest for the parent to have these rights. Every …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce
What is an Income Withholding Order in divorces, and does it have to be used every time? Support is an issue that will often arise when two spouses are wanting a divorce. Support is a monetary payment that is paid by one spouse (the obligor) to the other spouse (the obligee). Support may be awarded …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Custody Rights, Family Law
Can we agree to shared custody in our divorce and neither party pay any child support? Shared custody is when both parents agree to share equal custody of the child. This generally means that the child spends an equal amount of time with both parents. Many people refer to this as a 50/50 schedule where …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce, Family Law
What is a pendente lite relief (PLR) hearing and why would you need one in a divorce? Pendente lite is a Latin legal term that means waiting for litigation. This term is used regarding court orders that are in effect until the case has been litigated. These types of motions can be used by your …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Adoption, Family Law
Can I adopt an adult that I am not related to in Alabama? There are a number of reasons that you may want to adopt an adult. One of the more common situations where someone may want to adopt an adult is when they were a foster parent to a child, who was never legally …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Child Support, Family Law
Can I find my ex-husband in contempt for not paying child support that was ordered in the divorce? Child support is ordered by a court to be paid to one spouse from another spouse as a result of a divorce. Child support is supposed to be paid on time every week or every two weeks …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Family Law, Real Estate & Property Law
Can I close on the sale of a house without my spouse being present at closing? A property that is intended to be used as a primary residence in Alabama is known as a homestead. If a property is deemed to be a homestead, then there is a statute that applies. The statute states: “no …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce, Family Law
Spouses who want to avoid having their divorce heard in court can agree to arbitration. The major difference between arbitration and divorce court is the parties’ documents like financial disclosures do not become public record in arbitration. In addition, arbitration can take place when the parties request the proceeding. The parties will not experience delays …
Posted by Steven A. Harris | Custody Rights, Family Law
What is DHR and when do they get involved in family matters? DHR stands for the department of human resources. The Alabama department of human resources deals with a number of different issues such as: adoption in Birmingham, adult protective services, baby box initiative, Chafee Education and training voucher program, childcare services, child support payment …
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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce, Family Law
In Alabama, there are not too many COVID considerations during divorce anymore. The family law courts have largely returned to normal, in-person operations for divorce and child-related proceedings. This is a departure from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the spring and summer of 2020 and most of 2021, divorce and child-related proceedings …
