Child Support
Ala. Code § 30-3-1 — custody and education on divorce, majority at nineteen, and an action for support never ordered
On granting a divorce, the court may give the custody and education of the children of the marriage to either parent, as seems right and proper, and while the case is pending it may make the orders the children's safety and well-being require.
Who handles this in Alabama: legal aid programs, lawyer referral and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
Nineteen, not eighteen. In Alabama a person is relieved of the disabilities of minority at 19 years of age, not at 18.
Where support was never ordered. If no support was ordered in a divorce or any other case, the parent or guardian with custody who is actually caring for and supporting the child, or the Department of Human Resources, can bring a civil action for an order of retroactive support against a legal parent who has not provided it.
The amounts are set by the Alabama Supreme Court's child support guidelines rule rather than by statute. How they apply to a particular household, and when support ends under a particular order, are questions for a licensed Alabama attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- Ala. Code § 30-3-1 — Custody and Education of Children Upon Grant of Divorce
- Ala. Code § 30-3-110 — Civil Action for Order of Retroactive Support
- Ala. Code § 26-1-1 — Age of Majority Designated as 19 Years
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.