Alabama Child Support
From LoveToKnow Divorce
Navigating Alabama Child Support Laws
Alabama child support laws allow parents and the courts to provide for minor children within the state. The Alabama child support calculator is a useful tool to help you and the court determine how much child support should be awarded.
Gather Information
Before the court will calculate your child support payments, the court will examine some important financial documents. The court will require that both parents provide this information. Be cautious to provide the most accurate information. The courts will not treat you well if they determine that you are hiding assets or exaggerating your financial situation.
Gather and review the following information before going to court:
- Gross income of both parents
- Childcare and education costs
- Child support for children of other relationships (court-ordered support)
- Health insurance costs and extraordinary medical costs
- Spousal support paid or received
Changing the Alabama Child Support Order
Either parent can request that the child support obligation be recalculated at any time. To request a change, you must file a Petition to Modify. A modification will only occur if the final number after recalculation is a difference of 10% or more from the original obligation.
If you believe that the court-ordered child support payments are too high, file the Petition to Modify. Do not simply begin making payments in a lower amount. The court will not look upon you favorably if you decide on your own what your payments should be. The court requires that all child support decisions be made in court.
When requesting a modification of your Alabama child support payments, always be honest and candid with the court. Do not lie to the court. Do not doctor documents. Do not hide assets or try to exaggerate your financial situation. This also applies to when you are asking for an increase in child support. Do not exaggerate or lie about the needs of the child.
Terminating Child Support
Alabama child support laws require that parents provide financial support for all minor children. However, child support obligations do not continue indefinitely. Instead, the child support order will automatically terminate once the child:
- Reaches the age of 18 and graduates from high school
- Has a change in legal custody
- Is emancipated by court order
- Enlists in the armed services
- Gets married
- Dies
However, there are circumstances where the child support obligation will not automatically terminate. For example, child support may not terminate if the child has severe special needs that cause him or her to remain dependent. If you believe that your child support obligation should not terminate, then you should notify the local child support enforcement agency.
Enforcing the Child Support Order
The Alabama Department of Human Resources is in charge of all [child support enforcement services in the state. There are several tools the state can use to enforce court ordered child support payments. The enforcement tools include:
- Income withholding
- Reporting to credit bureaus
- Certifying debts
- Income tax offsets
- Passport denial, revocation or restriction
- Liens on real estate, vehicles, or other property
- Driver's license suspension or revocation
- Suspension or revocation of professional licenses
Additional Information
Click on the following for additional information:
- Child Support Guidelines: Interpretation and Application
- Establishing paternity
- Locating the Non-custodial Parent
- Applying for Child Support Services
- Alabama Child Support Association
- Alabama Family Law Blog
Comments
Angela,
I can tell that you are quite frustrated by this situation. Both parents have a legal responsibility to support their children, and you may need to keep contacting the DHR office to get the payments. If your former husband is in arrears, you do have the option of contacting a private agency that can help to recover the money but you will be charged a percentage of the money they recover as a fee.
Jodee Redmond, LoveToKnow Editor
-- Contributed by: JCRedmondi would like to know why is it that when you go to court and the non-custodial parent is set on probation he pays fine but as soon as it is finished(probation)he is in title to miss as many payments that he wants and no matter how many times you go and fill out one of those slips at the dhr office they send you something saying we will check into it and you never hear from them and then he will send just enough that they want look into it what can be done about that?
-- Contributed by: angelaKerry,
If he has missed even one court-ordered payment he is in default. Please visit this link to get information about having the Alabama Department of Human Resources help you collect the money you are owed. (Interest will be charged on past due child support payments at 12 percent per year.)
http://www.dhr.state.al.us/page.asp?pageid=473
Jodee Redmond
LoveToKnow Editor
-- Contributed by: JCRedmondThis page has been accessed 1,679 times. This page was last modified 21:58, 15 January 2008.
© 2006-2008 LoveToKnow Corp.
