Decatur Family Lawyer

Family Lawyer Decatur, AL

New Beginnings Family Law has served families across Morgan County and the wider North Alabama area for over a decade. Every attorney at our firm practices family law and nothing else, which means we are not dividing our attention across unrelated practice areas the way a general practice firm would. Our Decatur, AL family lawyer handles every type of family law case, and we bring a level of focus and preparation that comes from years of experience. Contact our firm today.

Why Choose New Beginnings Family Law for Family Law in Decatur, AL?

We Know the Morgan County Courts

Family law cases in Decatur go through the Morgan County Circuit Court, and our attorneys have spent years practicing there. We understand the local procedures and filing requirements, we know how cases tend to move through the system in this county, and we have a working familiarity with the expectations of the judges who hear family law matters here.

Amber James founded New Beginnings Family Law with one conviction: that family law could be practiced differently. She earned her law degree from Birmingham School of Law and has spent the years since building a firm that treats its clients with genuine care while preparing their cases with the kind of thoroughness that the courtroom demands. Amber was named the 2020 Female Entrepreneur of the Year by the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

David Pace counsels clients through divorce, custody, child support, paternity, adoption, and prenuptial agreements, among other matters. A graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law, David has also earned his mediation license, which allows him to help parents work through disputes without always having to go to trial. His advice is practical and grounded, and clients appreciate that he tells them what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.

A Firm the Community Recognizes

New Beginnings Family Law was named a Small Business Awards contender by the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber, and Amber has been featured in discussions about legal leadership in North Alabama. Those recognitions are a reflection of how we operate and what we prioritize as a firm.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Amber and her law firm are not like any other practice. We had an extremely odd and complicated case (maybe once in a lifetime case) that even crossed jurisdictions, and she fought until the end to save my parent’s marriage of 41 years. With both of my parents ill, I was already going through a lot and still am trying to juggle everything, and she was there for my brother and I every step of the way (and still is). Sarah, her paralegal was always so professional and extremely responsive, and so was Amber. That is a rare find these days. Bible verses around her conference room is a reminder of why Amber does what she does. God gave her a gift, and thankfully our family fell in her path. She cares about her clients and in her video she says she wanted to practice law differently. She definitely practices law differently. She is a rare gem. Choose New Beginnings Law. A walk in God’s path will never steer you wrong. I am forever grateful.” – Amy Beshir

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Family Law Cases We Handle in Decatur

Our Decatur family attorneys represent clients in every major area of family law. Here is an overview of what we handle.

• Divorce. We represent clients through both contested and uncontested divorces, handling everything from the initial filing through the final decree. Property division, alimony, child custody, and child support are all addressed as part of the divorce process.
• Child custody. Establishing or modifying a custody arrangement is one of the most emotionally difficult things a parent can go through, and the outcome has lasting consequences for the entire family. We help parents develop parenting plans that serve the child’s best interest while protecting their own parental rights.
• Child support. Alabama uses a formula-based approach to calculating child support, and the accuracy of the income figures both parents submit determines whether the final number is fair. We handle new petitions, modifications when financial circumstances change, and enforcement when a parent stops paying.
• Adoption. We represent families pursuing domestic infant adoption, foster care adoption, and stepparent adoption. Our firm has navigated complex adoption processes that involved multiple jurisdictions and unusual circumstances.
• Visitation. When a parent is being denied time with their child or when a visitation schedule no longer reflects the family’s reality, we help parents establish, modify, or enforce visitation orders.
• Estate planning. Wills, powers of attorney, and estate plans protect your family’s future. We help Decatur families create documents that reflect their wishes and that will hold up under Alabama law if they are ever challenged.

Alabama Legal Requirements for Family Law

Alabama’s family law framework lives primarily in Title 30 of the Alabama Code, and several of its provisions are directly relevant to almost every case we handle in Morgan County.

To file for divorce in Alabama, at least one spouse must have been a state resident for a minimum of six months. The complaint is typically filed in the county where the defendant lives, where the couple last lived together, or where the plaintiff lives if the defendant is a non-resident. Ala. Code § 30-2-1 lays out the grounds for divorce, which include no-fault grounds like incompatibility as well as fault-based grounds such as adultery, habitual drug use, physical violence, and abandonment.

When children are involved, custody decisions are made under the best interest of the child standard. Ala. Code § 30-3-152 identifies five specific factors the court must weigh when considering joint custody, including each parent’s willingness to cooperate, the ability to support the child’s relationship with the other parent, any history of abuse, and the geographic distance between the parents’ homes. The Alabama Department of Human Resources is involved in dependency cases and child support enforcement through its Child Support Enforcement Division.

Alabama divides property equitably, which is a different thing from dividing it equally. There is no formula. The judge considers the length of the marriage, the contributions each spouse made to the marital estate, each party’s circumstances, and other factors that are relevant to what a fair division looks like in that particular case.

Important Aspects of a Family Law Case in Decatur

Getting Your Documents Together Early

The sooner you organize your financial records, the better position you will be in when the case gets moving. Tax returns from the last three years, recent pay stubs, bank and investment account statements, mortgage documents, and records of debts are all things your attorney will need to review.

Keeping Your Children Out of the Middle

Divorce is hard on children even when parents handle it well, and how you manage the co-parenting relationship during and after the case has a lasting impact on your kids. Courts in Alabama pay close attention to which parent is prioritizing the child’s emotional stability, and a parent who badmouths the other parent in front of the children or uses them as messengers is not going to look good in front of a judge.

Understanding How Alimony Works in Alabama

Alimony is not automatic in Alabama, and there is no formula for calculating it the way there is for child support. Courts look at the length of the marriage, the standard of living during the marriage, each spouse’s earning capacity, and whether the requesting spouse has a genuine need for financial support. Alabama recognizes several types of alimony, including temporary alimony that lasts only during the case, rehabilitative alimony designed to help a spouse become self-supporting, and in some cases permanent alimony. We help clients understand whether alimony applies to their situation and what range of outcomes to expect.

Mediation as an Alternative to Trial

Alabama courts frequently encourage or require parties to attempt mediation before a family law case goes to trial. Mediation involves both sides sitting down with a neutral third party to try to work out an agreement on the issues in dispute. It is generally faster and less expensive than going to trial, and it gives both parties more control over the result. David Pace holds a mediation license and understands the process from both the attorney’s perspective and the mediator’s perspective. That said, mediation is not appropriate in every case, and we advise clients honestly about whether it makes sense for their particular situation.

Enforcing Orders When the Other Side Won’t Comply

A court order only has value if it is followed, and unfortunately, not everyone complies voluntarily. When a former spouse ignores a custody schedule, falls behind on child support, or violates the terms of a divorce decree, enforcement action is necessary. Alabama courts can hold a non-compliant party in contempt, garnish wages, suspend licenses, and impose other penalties. We help clients enforce the orders that are supposed to protect them and their children.

Modifying Orders When Circumstances Change

The facts that existed when your divorce was finalized may not be the facts that exist two or five years later. A significant change in income, a job loss, a parent’s relocation, or a change in the child’s needs can all justify going back to court to modify custody, support, or visitation orders. We help Decatur families pursue modifications when the original terms of their agreement no longer reflect reality.

Contact New Beginnings Family Law

If you need a family attorney in Decatur, AL, our firm is here to help. Whatever your case involves, whether it is a divorce, a custody fight, a support dispute, an adoption, or something else, we have the focus and the experience to handle it the right way.

Contact us to schedule a consultation. We will listen to what you are going through, give you an honest assessment of your situation, and walk you through the steps that come next.