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Alabama Family Court: Custody and Parenting-Time Guide

Plain-language Alabama information for a custody or parenting-time route, including filing, official forms, free help, fee waivers, and legal-cost context.

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This page provides general legal information, not legal advice. State law, court rules, forms, and local procedures can change. Confirm current requirements with the court handling the case.

State laws, court rules, and forms can change. Automated link checks will run every week once the monitoring job is deployed. Please check each cited source before relying on it. Report a broken link or changed law.

Find the right family court

The custody or parenting-time route described in this guide is handled through the County court identified on Form PS-05. Other family-law matters can follow a different court or procedure.

Find the court for your area.

  • The Alabama Administrative Office of Courts map lets a person select a county to view county-specific judicial-circuit information.Sources:Alabama's Judicial Circuits

How Alabama courts decide custody

This draft does not summarize Alabama custody rules because the cited Legislature destination did not display the requested statutory text when rechecked.Sources:Code of Alabama section 30-3-151, Definitions

Key legal sources

Parenting time

This draft does not summarize Alabama parenting-time rules because the cited Legislature destination did not display the requested statutory text when rechecked.Sources:Code of Alabama section 30-3-151, Definitions

Key legal sources

How to file

This route covers an initial child-custody request using Alabama AOC Form PS-05, First Petition for Child Custody.Sources:Form PS-05, First Petition for Child Custody

  1. Confirm that Form PS-05 fits the route

    The form says to use it only for the first custody order for the children, not to change an existing order, and not for a child-support case filed by Alabama DHR.Sources:Form PS-05, First Petition for Child Custody

  2. Complete the information requested by the form

    Form PS-05 asks for information about the parents, children, prior child residences, other cases involving the children, and the request for custody; it directs the person requesting custody to sign before a notary.Sources:Form PS-05, First Petition for Child Custody

  3. Use the county named by the form

    Form PS-05 directs filing in the same county where the children live. Confirm the handling court's current local procedures before filing.Sources:Form PS-05, First Petition for Child Custody, Alabama's Judicial Circuits

Official forms

Open the official forms portal.

Free court self-help

Find court self-help near you.

  • Legal Services Alabama

    Area served: Alabama statewide, with eight listed offices

    Legal Services Alabama accepts applications for free civil legal aid through its central call center and online application.Sources:Apply for Services

    Eligibility: Legal Services Alabama screens household income and legal issue, and published information says eligibility can vary by grant; applying does not establish representation.

  • Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Programs

    Area served: Alabama county-based programs, with the Alabama State Bar program serving counties not assigned to the four named local programs

    The Alabama State Bar page describes free civil legal services through five volunteer lawyer programs and lists the program to contact by county.Sources:Get Legal Help

    Eligibility: The Alabama State Bar directs people to contact the program serving their county to see whether they qualify for pro bono help; availability and acceptance are not assured.

Fee waivers

Alabama's C-10-CIVIL Affidavit of Substantial Hardship and Order requests an initial waiver of fees and costs because of financial hardship, with costs taxed at the conclusion of the case.Sources:Form C-10-CIVIL, Affidavit of Substantial Hardship and Order - Civil

Who may qualify

What to do

  1. Complete Form C-10-CIVIL

    The current statewide form requests household, benefit, income, expense, and asset information and includes an affidavit and proposed order.Sources:Form C-10-CIVIL, Affidavit of Substantial Hardship and Order - Civil

  2. Confirm current filing instructions with the handling court

    The statewide C-10-CIVIL form is a request to waive filing fees, but the available statewide material does not supply a complete PS-05 filing packet or local filing instructions.Sources:Form C-10-CIVIL, Affidavit of Substantial Hardship and Order - Civil, Do It Yourself Forms

Official fee-waiver forms

Key statute or rule

Attorney cost benchmark

Lawyer fees vary by county, experience, services, and the facts of a case. This state benchmark is context for planning, not a quote.

State and local details to confirm

Part of Family Law in Your State.