Category Archives: <span class="page-description">Family Law</span>

Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

In a divorce, the plaintiff is the spouse who files the Complaint for Divorce, and the defendant is the spouse who responds to it. That is the entire legal difference. The labels describe who started the case — not who was wronged, not who is at fault, and not who the judge will favor. Alabama …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

Child support in Alabama usually ends when the child turns nineteen — but it does not stop coming out of your check just because a birthday passed. That second part is the one that costs people money. The income withholding order your employer follows keeps right on running until a court tells it to stop, …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

Yes, you can sometimes go back and change a divorce agreement in Alabama — but what you can change, and how hard it will be, depends entirely on one question: where are you in the process? The answer is completely different for someone who signed a settlement agreement last week, someone whose decree was signed …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

You do not have to catch your spouse in the act to prove adultery in an Alabama divorce. Alabama courts accept circumstantial evidence, and the working standard is straightforward to say and hard to fake: you must show your spouse had the inclination to commit adultery and the opportunity to do it. Romantic text messages …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

The cost of going back to modify your divorce in Alabama depends almost entirely on one question: does your ex-spouse agree to the change? Modifications are handled on a retainer, and retainers for family law matters usually start at $4,000, with the attorney billing hourly against it as the case proceeds. When everyone is in …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

Divorce lawyers in Alabama charge one of two ways: a flat fee, which is a single fixed price for a defined bundle of work, or a retainer, which is a deposit you pay up front that the attorney bills against by the hour as the case moves along. Flat fees are typically reserved for uncontested …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

A contested divorce trial in Alabama is a bench trial: a circuit court judge, not a jury, hears the evidence and decides every issue the spouses could not resolve themselves, including property division, alimony, child custody, and child support. Both sides present documents and witness testimony, each spouse can be cross-examined, and the judge’s decision …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

Yes, you can still get a divorce in Alabama even if your spouse refuses to sign the papers or ignores them completely. A lot of people call our office worried that a stubborn spouse can hold the marriage hostage forever. They can’t. What they can do is make the process slower and more expensive than …

Continue reading "What happens if my wife does not respond to divorce papers?"