The Harris Firm Blog

Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

Typically, to prove a parent unfit to have custody of a child, you must show things like drug or alcohol abuse, instances of child abuse or neglect, or situations in which the child is subjected to dangerous circumstances. Section 30-3-150 of the Code of Alabama, which governs child custody, requires that “Minor children have frequent …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

In Alabama, a judge may decline to grant your divorce, but not without a good reason. A judge will typically only deny an uncontested divorce if there are procedural matters that haven’t been done properly, something is unclear or confusing, or something is not in the best interests of the child. In a contested divorce, …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

You can still get a divorce if your spouse refuses to sign the divorce papers, but it will be more difficult. The quickest, easiest, and cheapest way for a couple to get a divorce is by getting an uncontested divorce. In order for the court to award an uncontested divorce, both parties must agree to …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

You signed the divorce papers, and now you are not so sure. Maybe you and your spouse have started talking again. Maybe the reality of splitting the house, the kids’ schedules, and two sets of bills finally set in. Whatever the reason, one of the most common calls our office gets is some version of …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

You are ready to end the marriage. Your spouse is not. Maybe they keep promising to change, maybe they refuse to discuss it at all, or maybe they have simply disappeared and stopped answering calls. One of the most common misconceptions we hear from Alabama clients is the belief that a divorce requires two willing …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

Can you kick your spouse out of your house in Alabama? Generally, no. Both spouses have an equal legal right to occupy the marital home — regardless of whose name is on the deed, who signed the mortgage, or who pays the bills. Changing the locks on your spouse is not just ineffective; it can …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

If you’re wondering how divorce works in Alabama, here’s the short version: divorces are filed in the Circuit Court of a county with proper venue, the case proceeds as either contested or uncontested, Alabama law imposes a mandatory 30-day waiting period before any judge can sign the decree, and an uncontested divorce typically finishes in …

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Posted by Steven A. Harris | Divorce

One of the first questions almost every divorce client asks is some version of this: who gets what? How Alabama divides property in a divorce causes more stress than nearly any other issue in the process — and more surprise, because the answer isn’t what most people assume. Alabama is not a 50/50 state. There …

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