Alabama Civil Court Records
Understanding Alabama Civil Court Records
In Alabama, civil court records are non-criminal cases that play a significant part in the state's legal system. These cases typically involve various disputes between individuals, organizations, or entities that do not involve criminal charges. These records are important for understanding the resolution of legal conflicts ranging from contract disputes to family law matters. Here's a comprehensive overview of Alabama's civil court system, including the types of cases heard, the role of the Court of Civil Appeals, and how to obtain copies of these records.
The Alabama’s Civil Courts Structure
The state's civil court system is organized into several levels, each handling specific types of cases. These are all non criminal cases that do not end up with convictions or jail time. These cases are usually resolved by a judge, not a jury. They are the main courts that handle civil cases in the state :
1). District Courts: These courts handle smaller civil cases, including landlord-tenant disputes, small claims, and certain civil actions involving claims up to $20,000. They serve as the first level of judicial review for civil matters.
2). Circuit Courts: The circuit courts are the primary trial courts for more significant civil cases, including those involving claims exceeding $20,000. They address a wide range of civil issues, such as personal injury claims, contract disputes, and property disputes. Each county in Alabama has a circuit court, and these courts also handle appeals from district courts.
3).Family Courts: Family courts, which are part of the circuit division, deal with family-related matters such as divorce, child custody, and adoption. The proceedings in these courts are civil in nature, focused on resolving family disputes that deal with a range of situations from divorces to guardianships.
4). Juvenile Courts: These courts handle cases involving minors, including child custody disputes, child welfare matters, and cases of juvenile delinquency. While mainly focused on the welfare of children, the proceedings can also involve civil claims related to family issues.
Alabama Court of Civil Appeals
The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals is an intermediate appellate court that reviews decisions made by the circuit courts in civil cases. This court does not conduct new trials but instead reviews the records from the lower courts to determine if there were any legal errors that affected the outcome of the case. The Court of Civil Appeals makes certain that civil cases are adjudicated fairly and according to the law and the US constitution.
How to Run an Alabama Civil Court Records Search
Accessing Alabama civil court case records involves a few simple steps. These can be handled virtually the same by every courthouse in the state. Here are the basic outline of how to procure these records:
1).Online Access: Many civil court records are available online through the Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) and various other third party resources. The AOC offers public access to an online portal where users can search for case information by name, case number, or other criteria. However, not all records may be available online, especially for older cases or sealed records.
2). Court Clerk’s Office: For records not obtainable online, individuals can visit the clerk’s office at the relevant court where the case was heard. The clerk's office can provide copies of case documents, though there may be fees associated with obtaining copies.
3). Written Requests: In some cases, written requests may be necessary to lookup certain types of records. These requests should be directed to the respective court where the case was filed, that includes the case number, parties involved, and the type of case information.
4). Legal Restrictions: Certain records may be restricted or sealed due to privacy concerns, especially in family court cases involving minors. Access to these records may be limited to the parties involved or their legal representatives.
Are Civil Court Case Considered Public in Alabama?
For the most part they are all considered public record, but some civil cases are sealed for protection and privacy reasons. Those cases that deal with juveniles, child support, guardianships and adoptions are not publicly available. To access the publicly available civil court cases you will need to have either the specific case number, or the parties name. Then using either the state's judicial website, or certain third-party website, you can access this information online.
