Family Law
Tom Azar also represents clients with family law issues, including Divorce, Custody, Paternity, and Child Support.
There are essentially 3 types of divorce actions in Alabama:
- Uncontested Divorce: You and your spouse have discussed divorce and decided how you are going to divide the Marital property and how you are going to work the custody and visitation of the children, if any. This is the least expensive divorce because you and your spouse have already decided how to resolve any issues. You complete a questionnaire and return it to my office. I will go over specifics with you, and then prepare the necessary documents. You and your spouse make an appointment to come to the office either together or separately, sign the paperwork and we file your divorce for you.
- Contested Divorce: Just click on contact us and ask for a divorce questionnaire. I will send you one by mail or email. Once you complete and return the questionnaire, I will prepare the necessary paperwork for your signature. I will file the papers with the court and your spouse will be served. At that time, your spouse can either agree to sign the papers or your spouse can retain an attorney.
- Legal Separation: This is a divorce that is not a divorce! You are legally separated but not actually divorced. You and your spouse can go about your business. You can date & live where you want to and do as you please. There are only a few situations where a legal separation makes any sense: (1) Religious grounds for not getting a divorce. (2) The party who would not have insurance if they were divorced, has a sickness, and could not get insurance on their own. (3) The possibility that living apart for a while might make the parties decide that marriage is better, particularly when children are involved. The cost for a legal separation is the same as an uncontested divorce because all the paperwork is the same.
Child Support in Alabama
Alabama reformulated its Child Support Guidelines effective January 1, 2009. Child support is a calculation that uses the gross income (income before taxes are taken out) of each parent. The amount takes into consideration of who pays the health insurance, previous child support being paid, and work related day care. If you have these figures please feel free to call me and I will be glad to give you an estimate of how much you will have to pay or how much you receive.
Disclaimer: Transmission of the materials appearing at this web site is not intended to create, and its receipt by the reader does not establish or constitute, an attorney client relationship. Further communication with our attorneys through the web site and e mail may not be considered as confidential or privileged. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.2(e) (1997).