Hoover Area General Law Blog

Many co-parents in Alabama have found that challenges arise when raising children in two different households, even if a separation or divorce was amicable. When a person is dealing with a toxic ex-spouse, though, they may feel like the challenges are so overwhelming that it affects their ability to parent well. Here are a few tips to help individuals who are dealing with a toxic ex-spouse.

The first thing a person should remember is that they do not have to respond to everything that a toxic ex-spouse says or does. When the divorce is finalized and custody arrangements have been set in place, the relationship is no longer the same. Parents need to be on hand when emergencies arise in order to be there for their children, but it is sometimes best to simply ignore bad behavior, sarcasm or insults.

In many Alabama cases, community service is seen as a light sentence or a reprieve from costly fines or jail time. When people cannot afford to pay fines, community service sentences present an alternative that can prevent them from racking up considerable debt. However, one study by UCLA's Labor Center and School of Law indicates that community service can have some of the same detrimental effects on low-income communities and communities of color as other types of criminal sentences. In particular, some of the problems associated with community service are very similar to those caused by expensive court fines.

The study examined 5,000 people who were ordered to perform community service as part of their felony or misdemeanor sentencing from 2013 to 2014. They were given community service sentences in lieu of fines, and the performance of these labor hours was considered to work off the fines. During the period studied, people in Los Angeles County were ordered to perform 8 million hours of service, and government agencies received 3 million hours of labor during that time. Just the hours of labor performed took the equivalent of 1,800 paid jobs, further entrenching unemployment and relying on criminal sentencing to perform important functions of these agencies rather than hiring sufficient employees.

In the past when couples divorced, Alabama courts typically awarded the mother custody of the children. The father was usually given visitation rights — often limited to only a couple of weekends each month.

This was not just the custom here in Alabama, but all over the United States. Then, in recent years, the pendulum started to swing back in the other direction. Now, courts typically award joint custody to both parents and allow the children to spend roughly half of the time with each parent.

A divorce can be a significant source of stress for Alabama residents who are going through one. However, it may easier to deal with it by thoroughly preparing for the end of a relationship as soon as possible. First, individuals will want to make sure that there is a plan in place for dealing with a marital property. This means deciding who will keep the property and who will pay for its upkeep until it is sold.

If the house is to be sold, a couple should decide how to split the proceeds or pay off any balance that remains after the sale. It is also important to consider the tax treatment of any assets or alimony payments received during or after a marriage ends. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act removed the need for recipients to claim it as income. It also removed the ability for a payer to take a tax deduction on his or her federal return.