SB159 Alabama 2013 Session

Sponsors

Session

Regular Session 2013

Title

Child custody, military parents, modification of custody and visitation, final order prohibited during deployment

Description

<p class="bill_description"> Under existing law, many service members have custody of or visitation rights with a child</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would prohibit a court from entering a final order altering an existing custody arrangement while the custodial parent is unavailable due to military service</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would provide that past, current, or future absences due to military service shall not serve as the sole basis for altering a custody order in place prior to the absence</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would provide that the custody order in place before the absence of a military parent due to military service must be reinstated within a set time upon the return of the military parent, absent proof that reinstatement would not be in the best interests of the child. This bill would provide that the non-absent parent would bear the burden of proof</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would provide that a service member with visitation rights may petition the court to delegate those visitation rights to a third person during the absence of the service member due to military service</p><p class="bill_description"> This bill would authorize expedited and electronic hearings for certain parents deployed for military service</p><p class="bill_entitled_an_act"> To prohibit a final custody order altering an existing custody arrangement from being entered while the custodial parent is unavailable due to military service; to provide that past, current, or future absence due to military service may not serve as the sole basis for altering a final custody order in place prior to an absence due to military service; to provide that military deployment shall not be the sole factor in making a custody determination; to provide that a service member may ask the court to delegate his or her guardianship or visitation rights during the service member's absence due to military service; to authorize expedited hearing for service members soon to be deployed; and to provide for electronic hearings for service members. </p>

Subjects

Child Custody