ALABAMA RULES OF JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION Rule 32. Child-support guidelines Preface Relating to Scope. This rule, as amended effective January 1, 2009, shall apply to all new actions filed or proceedings instituted on or after January 1, 2009. Any actions or proceedings instituted before January 1, 2009, shall be governed by Rule 32 as it read…

LEGAL SEPARATION IN ALABAMA (a) The court shall enter a decree of legal separation if all of the following requirements are satisfied: (1) The court determines that the jurisdictional requirements for the dissolution of a marriage have been met.   (2) The court determines the marriage is irretrievably broken or there exists a complete incompatibility of temperament or…

REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRYING AFTER A RECENT DIVORCE When a judgment has been entered granting a divorce in this state, the court shall order that neither party shall again marry, except to each other, until 60 days after the judgment is entered, and that if an appeal is taken within 60 days, neither party shall again…

VALID MARRIAGE AFTER A DIVORCE The marriages of all persons married subsequent to a divorce judgment granted in this state which did not prohibit the person from remarrying are hereby declared to be valid, notwithstanding that the judgment of divorce did not specifically confer on such person the right to remarry. This section shall not…

THIRTY DAYS WAITING PERIOD FBEFORE FINAL JUDGMENT OF DIVORCE; COURT’S POWER TO ENFORCE TEMPORARY ORDERS (a) A court shall not enter a final judgment of divorce until after the expiration of 30 days from the date of the filing of the summons and complaint.   (b) This section shall not restrict the power of the court to…

DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS IN ALABAMA The proceeding must, in all respects, be conducted as other civil actions, except as herein otherwise directed.  The cause for which the divorce is sought must be alleged in the complaint, to which the other party must be made a defendant.  If service by publication shall be made, when necessary, in…

MINOR FILING FOR DIVORCE  A husband or wife under the age of 19 years may file a complaint for any purpose under this chapter in his or her own name without the intervention of a next friend, guardian, or guardian ad litem, and if over the age of 18 years, he or she may defend…

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS WHEN ONE SPOUSE LIVES OUTSIDE THE STATE OF ALABAMA When the defendant is a nonresident, the other party to the marriage must have been a bona fide resident of this state for six months next before the filing of the complaint, which must be alleged in the complaint and proved.

WHERE TO FILE FOR DIVORCE IN ALABAMA – JURISDICTION Complaints for divorce may be filed in the circuit court of the county in which the defendant resides, or in the circuit court of the county in which the parties resided when the separation occurred, or if the defendant is a nonresident, then in the circuit…

GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE IN ALABAMA (a) The circuit court has power to divorce persons from the bonds of matrimony, upon a complaint filed by one of the parties, entitled “In re the marriage of ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․ and ․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․․,” for the causes following: (1) In favor of either party, when the other was, at the time of the marriage…

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