Alabama · Custody and support · Updated Oct 2026

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.

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: https://www.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

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

    No single statewide rule was confirmed.

  3. Mediation

    Not required statewide, but judges often order or suggest mediation in custody and property disputes.

  4. Child support

    The official calculator or guidelines: Official child support calculator or guidelines

  5. The child support agency

    Alabama's child support agency: Alabama Department of Human Resources, Child Support Enforcement

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: Official child support calculator or guidelines

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: https://www.alabamaadr.org/

More about divorce in Alabama

Custody and support in nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.