Alabama divorce at a glance
Confirm with your county before filing — fees and rules can vary.
How Alabama divorce works
Alabama is one of the few states where an uncontested divorce can be handled by the Judge of Probate instead of a crowded circuit docket. If both spouses agree on every issue — property, debt, and support — you file the paperwork with the probate office and the judge can sign the final decree after the 30-day waiting period. Contested cases move to the Circuit Court.
To file, you must have lived in Alabama for at least six months, unless your spouse lives here and is served in state. The no-fault path is “incompatibility of temperament,” which normally requires 18 months of separation before the decree. Property you owned before marriage, plus inheritances and gifts given to you alone, stay separate under Ala. Code § 30-2-51; everything acquired during the marriage is divided equitably.
Child support is calculated under Rule 32 of the Alabama Rules of Judicial Administration and generally continues until a child turns 19 — later than most states. The official forms come from the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, and filing fees run from roughly $200 to $400 depending on the county.