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Child custody and support in Alabama

For divorcing parents in Alabama: the legal term for custody, the parenting class, the official support calculator, custody mediation and the child support agency.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026

Quick answer

In Alabama, custody is called “custody and visitation (the courts use model parenting plans and time-sharing schedules)”. Parenting class: No single statewide rule was confirmed. Alabama publishes an official child support calculator or guidelines.

Custody term
Custody and visitation (the courts use model parenting plans and time-sharing schedules)
Parenting class
Not statewide; some courts
Child support calculator
Official child support calculator or guidelines
Child support agency
Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Support Enforcement

Custody terms in Alabama

Custody and visitation (the courts use model parenting plans and time-sharing schedules)

Mediation

Not required statewide, but judges often order or suggest mediation in custody and property disputes. The Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution keeps a roster of court mediators: alabamaadr.org

Parenting class in Alabama

  • No single statewide rule was confirmed.
  • Many circuit courts require a parenting course when you have minor children; ask your circuit clerk.

Child support in Alabama

Child support follows Alabama's guidelines. Estimate it with the official calculator, and contact the state's child support agency for help setting up or collecting it.

Children in a Alabama divorce: what the process includes

  1. Custody

    The court's orders use Alabama's term for custody: custody and visitation (the courts use model parenting plans and time-sharing schedules).

  2. Parenting class

    Take the parenting class described above if Alabama requires it in your case.

  3. Mediation

    If the court sends you to mediation, go to every session; the rule is above.

  4. Child support

    Estimate it first: the official calculator

  5. The child support agency

    For help setting up or collecting support, contact the state's child support agency.

Questions about custody and child support in Alabama

What is child custody called in Alabama?

Alabama uses the term “custody and visitation (the courts use model parenting plans and time-sharing schedules)”.

Do parents have to take a class in a Alabama divorce?

No single statewide rule was confirmed. Many circuit courts require a parenting course when you have minor children; ask your circuit clerk.

Is there an official child support calculator for Alabama?

Yes. Alabama's official calculator or guidelines: the official calculator

Which agency handles child support in Alabama?

Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Support Enforcement.

Is mediation required for custody in Alabama?

Not required statewide, but judges often order or suggest mediation in custody and property disputes. The Alabama Center for Dispute Resolution keeps a roster of court mediators: alabamaadr.org

More about divorce in Alabama

Custody and support in nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.