Alabama Child Custody Law Information

Custody laws are state laws, not federal laws, so each state has different custody and support laws. Under Alabama law, parents have an equal right to the custody of their children at the time of their divorce. The Court then considers the best interests of the children in determining where they should live after the divorce. There are many factors that go into this determination, such as

• the age and sex of each child
• the emotional, social, and educational needs of each child,
• the home environments offered by each parent,
• character and stability of each parent
• ability to provide for the emotional, social, moral, material and educational needs of the children, and
• any other relevant factors the evidence may present.

Alabama Child Support Information

Child support in Alabama views both parents as being legally obligated to provide care for their children and is founded on the premise that children should continue to receive the same level of support that would have been available to them had the family unit remained intact.  Child support is determined under the Alabama Child Support Guidelines, unless the Court finds grounds to deviate from the Guidelines. The major factors considered are:

1. How much you earn
2. How much your ex spouse earns
3. How many children you have; and
4. What percentage of time the children are under each parent’s care and control