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The Alabama Department of Human Resources, more commonly known in Alabama as DHR is a state agency that is responsible for administering various programs and services related to human resources, such as employment and job training, child care, and food assistance. However, their most serious, threatening, and complex role comes in the area of child […]

Can a Child be emancipated in Alabama? Yeah, kinda. We don’t call it that, there’s a pretty big hitch and it’s barely worth it, but it’s on the books and here’s how it works… It’s call the “Relief of Minor Children from Disabilities of Nonage”, and it’s established by § 26-13-1, et seq., Ala. Code […]

We’re here to help you get your kids back from DHR. We’re here to stand up for your rights to raise your own children. We’re not here to put some money in your pocket because DHR defamed you. Here’s why we probably couldn’t even if we wanted to… 1. Retained versus Contingency Cases — When […]

We’ve all heard of “every other weekend” visitation, but the nuances of holidays, birthdays, and any other logistical considerations in an effective Child Custody, Visitation, and Co-Parenting schedule can raise complications that need to be addressed. A county’s “Standard Visitation” order is a great place to start when reviewing what issues a particular Family Court […]

We lawyers are bad on terminology, but DHR may be even worse. You hear terms like Safety Plan and ISP and we’re gonna go over those if we haven’t already. But today, let’s look at “protective capacity” and what that means in the context of dealing with DHR or in any #ChildCustody case. Whether it’s […]

In honor of June 9th, we wanted to remind everyone that the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals overturned a trial court’s ruling that “a morality clause [restriction on overnight, romantic guests] is ‘always in the best interest of the child[ren].’” Rather, the appellate court held that “restrictions on a parent’s conduct must be tailored to […]

If you’re dealing with DHR and there is an active custody case in the Juvenile Court system, Alabama law mandates that a Guardian ad Litem, “GAL” (pronounced /jē/ • /ā/ • /el/), be appointed. For practical purposes, think of the GAL as a lawyer for the child or children involved, just like your lawyer. DO […]

Any #CoParent who has visited with their kids at a McDonald’s knows that an hour or more is a long time to sit at a fast food restaurant. So if your visits or custody with your child have been impared by everything going on, it can’t be easy engaging on a video- or phone-call during […]

If you’ve ever dealt with DHR regarding #ChildCustody, you may have wondered, “WTH is an ISP?!?!” The term “ISP” is an initialism short for Individualized Service Plan. What is an ISP? Who’s involved? Is it “binding” on parents? On DHR? Or, is it what one lawyer called a “sham proceeding” according to a dissenting opinion […]