Alabama Family Law Blog

I have had many people requesting updates regarding the bill that was proposed in the legislature that would have changed the age of majority from 19 to 18.

To date, the bill has not passed.  The age of majority remains 19 at this time.  If that changes, I will publish it to the blog immediately.

If the age of majority is 19 and a child is attending college, is parent expected to pay child support and college expenses?

I am seperated from my wife and wondering how to set up temporary childsupport. I am more than willing to give her a generous monthly settlement for my kids. I have told her that I am seeking a divorce - yet she refuses to seek outside employment and expects me to support her as usual. I currently am working out of state - and she expects me to send her my full paycheck -minus my motel and food and expenses. She refuses to give me a list of our debts - which I am willing to cover. During our marriage she has totally managed -or rather mismanaged our debts and she refuses to give me alist of our debts. I want this to be an amicable divorce - but she refuses to cooperate. I need suggestions of where to begin! I have supported her while she got a college education - and she refuses to seek employment and move on with her life. I am basically nothing more than a paycheck to her - Please help!

I am in the military (Army) and have been paying child support for 18 years. I understand that according to the Alabama law, the age of majority is 19. My question is, will the child support payment stops automatically on her 19th birthday? Alternatively, will I have to initiate some paper work to get it stop? Being in the military, my method of payment is via military allotment to Montgomery, AL who forwards the payment to my daughter's mother. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Very Respectfully,

John

Your question raises some very important, strategic decisions in a divorce case. These are important and sometimes complicated issues. These are not the type of issues I could answer very easily with a couple of messages on the blog. It would require that we sit down and go over the specifics of your situation. If the divorce were to take place in Mobile or Baldwin county I would be glad to set something up with you and I invite you to call my office to schedule a consult if that is the case. If it is outside those counties then I suggest you talk to a lawyer in that county who specializes in divorce and family law.

My divorce decree states that I shall pay child support until my daughter reaches the age of majority. If the age of majority is lowered to 18, will that be my new end date automatically?

Bruce,

The age of majority did not change. It remains 19. The bill did not pass and become law.

My son is 18 and left home without our knowledge and consent two months ago. What rights/responsibilities do we, as his parents, have in this matter? We are very concerned that he is involved in drugs and all that goes along with it, but we have no idea where to find him. None of his friends will give us any information about where he has been staying. We love him and want to help him but don't know how to proceed.

Laura,

You may want to contact the Juvenile Court in your county about the possibility of filing a CHINs petition ("Child in Need of Supervision"). I am not certain of the age requirement as this is a little bit out of my area of focus (which is divorce, custody, support and visitation). If they can't help you, maybe they can at least point you in the right direction.

I am 17 years old and my parents have been divorced for six years now. It is a week until my birthday and I want to move in with my dad. I am self - supportive and a college student and see nothing wrong with moving into my fathers house. If I decide to leave under reasonable circumstances, can they make me move back to my mother's house. What rights do I have as an 18 year old to make my own decision where I would like to live? I love both of my parents very much, but living with my mother and stepfather just isn't working out! What should I do?

My husbands ex wife has filed a petition to increase child support. We realize this will happen since both of their incomes have increased. She is also asking that we pay for college tuition, books etc.

My husband has not had a relationship with his son in over 3 years though we have tried! We received numerous letters from his son requesting we stop contacting him. If my husband has no relationship with his son at all - do we have to provide support for college after the age of 19?

How do Alabama Family Law, and subsequently, the child support guidelines affect child support awarded in a divorce case from Maryland? Some supporting information: We divorced in Maryland while the children and I were living in Texas. I have relocated to Alabama (job). There are three children (one of whom will be 18 in 2008). The other party lives in Oklahoma now (post-military retirement). I have custody. Child support was reduced based on his statement that he would relocate to Washington state when he retired and that he would like to visit his kids more than what the judge allowed in the divorce. There has been no revisitation to the case at all, so child support is still based on the reduction and Maryland guidelines at the time. Age of majority is not addressed in the decree and child support is lumped as one amount (not a per child amount). Will this be a problem when the eldest turns 18 next year? Also, what are the options for revisitation for increase in child support and college assistance?

if a child quits school and gets her G.E.D and moves in with a guy in another state and she is only 17 and goes to college in that state do i still have to pay child support?

Monica,

Yours sounds like a very complex matter - one that I cannot really elaborate on very succintly.

I invite you to call my office to discuss the matter directly. My office number is 251-694-6000. I look forward to talking to you.

Michael

Travis,

I can't answer your question with the facts presented. You should contact my office or the office of a lawyer in your area to discuss this.

There is a method to try to emancipate a child that is 18 and self supporting. The college issue you raise may affect the outcome as well, so I would need to review what, if anything, your divorce decree says about that.

Let me know if I can help you any further.