(a) The Family Court Division of the Circuit Court of the 37th Judicial Circuit shall handle all cases and proceedings involving divorces, annulments of marriages, custody and support of children, granting and enforcement of alimony, proceedings under any reciprocal non-support act, and all other domestic and marital matters over which the circuit courts have jurisdiction, including non-support cases arising in the circuit under Title 30, Chapters 3 and 4.
(b) The division shall also have and exercise jurisdiction over juveniles for the purposes of subsection (a), and for the enforcement of Chapter 15 of this title.
(c) All cases and proceedings involving domestic relations and marital matters which originate in the circuit court shall be assigned to the family court division. If the docket of the division is overcrowded, cases may be reassigned by the presiding judge of the circuit court to other circuit and district judges of the circuit.
(d) When the family court division of the circuit court has been organized pursuant to Section 12-17-20 and this section and is ready to function, all cases or causes pending in the District Court of Lee County or the Circuit Court of the 37th Judicial Circuit having jurisdiction of juveniles and matters involving domestic relations shall be transferred to the family court division. However, those pending cases which have been heard and are awaiting a final disposition at the time of the commencement of the family court division, shall remain with the judge who conducted the hearings or trials.
Structure Code of Alabama
Chapter 17 - Circuit and District Court Personnel.
Article 2 - Circuit Court Judges.
Division 1 - General Provisions.
Section 12-17-20 - Number of Judges in Each Circuit.
Section 12-17-23 - Presiding Judges - How Selected.
Section 12-17-24 - Presiding Judges - Supervision of Judges and Other Court Personnel.
Section 12-17-24.1 - Family Court Divisions; Implementation Plan.
Section 12-17-24.2 - Jurisdiction of Family Court Division.
Section 12-17-25 - Appointment of Relief Judges to Assist in Clearing Dockets.
Section 12-17-26 - Authority and Duties Generally.
Section 12-17-27 - Authority of Judge Outside Own Circuit.
Section 12-17-28 - Writs of Certiorari to District and Municipal Courts.
Section 12-17-29 - Absence of Judge Adjourns Court.
Section 12-17-30 - Salary; Effect on Other Provisions; Judges and District Attorney's Supplements.