Code of Alabama
Ala. Code § 12-15-115 (2026)
Original Jurisdiction - Civil.
✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026
(a) A juvenile court shall also exercise original jurisdiction of the following civil proceedings:
(1) Removal of disabilities of nonage pursuant to Chapter 13 of Title 26.
(2) Proceedings for judicial consent for a person under the respective legal age to marry, to be employed, withdraw from school, or enlist in military service when this consent is required by law.
(3) Proceedings for the commitment of a minor or child with mental illness or an intellectual disability to the Department of Mental Health, as provided in Article 4 (commencing with Section 12-15-401).
(4) Proceedings for the adoption of a child when these proceedings have been transferred from probate court as provided by law.
(5) Proceedings for waiver of parental consent for a minor to have an abortion pursuant to Chapter 21 of Title 26.
(6) Proceedings to establish parentage of a child pursuant to the Alabama Uniform Parentage Act, Chapter 17 of Title 26.
(7) Proceedings to establish, modify, or enforce support, visitation, or custody when a juvenile court previously has established parentage.
(8) Proceedings to establish, modify, or enforce child and spousal support, or both, in cases brought pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, including the Alabama Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, commencing at Section 30-3A-101, when an equivalent court of another state issued an order.
(9) Proceedings filed pursuant to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, commencing at Section 30-3B-101, when an equivalent court of another state issued an order.
(10) Proceedings to establish grandparent visitation when filed as part of a juvenile court case involving the same child.
(b) A juvenile court also shall have original jurisdiction in proceedings concerning any child in either of the following instances:
(1) The child requires emergency medical treatment in order to preserve his or her life, prevent permanent physical impairment or deformity, or alleviate prolonged agonizing pain.
(2) Where it is alleged that the rights of a child are improperly denied or infringed in proceedings resulting in suspension, expulsion, or exclusion from a public school.
(c) All civil cases before the juvenile court shall be governed by the laws relating thereto and shall be initiated by filing a petition or complaint with the clerk of the juvenile court, with the exception that the proceedings provided in Section 12-15-132 shall be initiated through the juvenile court intake office.
(Act 2008-277, p. 441, §4; Act 2012-383, p. 1011, §1.)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 41
cases (11 in the last 5 years), 2011–2026 · leading case: F.T.G. v. T.T.R., 199 So. 3d 82 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015).
F.T.G. v. T.T.R., 199 So. 3d 82 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “2012-383 also amended § 12-15-115, Ala.Code 1975, by adding a new subsection (a)(7).”
M.G.D. v. C.B., 203 So. 3d 855 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “” “Petition” and “complaint,” as those terms are used in § 12-15-115, are not defined. Although the petition alleging dependency did not request grandparent visitation, it appears from other filings in this case that the issue of grandparent visitation was raised.”
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
L.R.S. v. M.J., 229 So. 3d 772 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “By statute, juvenile courts have jurisdiction to award child support in a variety of contexts, including in parentage actions, see Ala. Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(6), § 26-17-104, and § 26-17-636(g), in certain dependency actions, see Ala.”
Brock v. Herd, 187 So. 3d 1161 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “As the primary support for this argument, the father, apparently citing to § 12-15-115, Ala.Code 1975, states that “a juvenile court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction ‘in proceedings to establish paternity of a child born out of wedlock.”
R.P.M. v. P.D.A., 112 So. 3d 49 (Ala. Civ. App. 2012). “See Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(8). There is no indication in the record that the action was transferred from the Limestone Juvenile Court to the Limestone Circuit Court, and the judgment from which the mother appeals was entered by Judge Woodruff in *51 his capacity as a…”
Moore v. Griffin, 256 So. 3d 1201 (Ala. Civ. App. 2018). “§ 12-15-115(a)(6), Ala. Code 1975. Section 12-15-115(a)(7), Ala.”
B.F.G. v. C.N.L., 204 So. 3d 399 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “2015) (“Based upon the plain language of § 26-17-104 and the omission of the term ‘exclusive’ from § 12-15-115, we conclude that the AJJA does not vest juvenile courts with exclusive original jurisdiction to adjudicate paternity, and, thus, the circuit court in the case before…”
C.C.N. v. R.E.S., 239 So. 3d 1164 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017). “, a "juvenile court does have jurisdiction to decide the parentage of a child under Ala. Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(6), which, by reference to the Alabama Uniform Parentage Act, Ala.”
L.M. v. G.S., 243 So. 3d 822 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017). “' 'Petition' and 'complaint,' as those terms are used in § 12-15-115, are not defined. "Although the petition alleging dependency did not request grandparent visitation, it appears from other filings in this case that the issue of grandparent visitation was raised.”
J.B. v. J.M., 175 So. 3d 170 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “The juvenile court had jurisdiction to consider an award of grandparent visitation under Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(10), and AIa.”
C.E. v. M.G., 169 So. 3d 1061 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “, relying on Ala.Code 1975, §§ 12-15-115(a)(6) (a juvenile court has original jurisdiction over actions to establish paternity, custody, and child support), and 12-15-117(c) (recognizing that a juvenile court retains jurisdiction over a child that has previously been before the…”
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(10): 1 case
Ex Parte D.A. & M.A. Petition for Writ of Mandamus (Ala. Civ. App. 2023).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(7): 1 case
R.Z. v. S.W., 141 So. 3d 1099 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a): 3 cases
F.T.G. v. T.T.R., 199 So. 3d 82 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “2012-383 also amended § 12-15-115, Ala.Code 1975, by adding a new subsection (a)(7).”
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
A.L.E. v. B.W. (in Re B.w.), 257 So. 3d 334 (Ala. Civ. App. 2018).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(1): 1 case
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(1)(6): 1 case
A.A. v. C.H. & J.H. (Ala. Civ. App. 2026).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(10): 3 cases
M.G.D. v. C.B., 203 So. 3d 855 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “” “Petition” and “complaint,” as those terms are used in § 12-15-115, are not defined. Although the petition alleging dependency did not request grandparent visitation, it appears from other filings in this case that the issue of grandparent visitation was raised.”
J.B. v. J.M., 175 So. 3d 170 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “The juvenile court had jurisdiction to consider an award of grandparent visitation under Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(10), and AIa.”
L.M. v. G.S., 243 So. 3d 822 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017). “' 'Petition' and 'complaint,' as those terms are used in § 12-15-115, are not defined. "Although the petition alleging dependency did not request grandparent visitation, it appears from other filings in this case that the issue of grandparent visitation was raised.”
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(3): 1 case
Alabama Dep't of Mental Health v. E.C.J., 84 So. 3d 926 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(4): 2 cases
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
N.S. v. B.K.M. & S.M. (Ala. Civ. App. 2025).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(6): 22 cases
L.R.S. v. M.J., 229 So. 3d 772 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “By statute, juvenile courts have jurisdiction to award child support in a variety of contexts, including in parentage actions, see Ala. Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(6), § 26-17-104, and § 26-17-636(g), in certain dependency actions, see Ala.”
F.T.G. v. T.T.R., 199 So. 3d 82 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “2012-383 also amended § 12-15-115, Ala.Code 1975, by adding a new subsection (a)(7).”
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
C.E. v. M.G., 169 So. 3d 1061 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “, relying on Ala.Code 1975, §§ 12-15-115(a)(6) (a juvenile court has original jurisdiction over actions to establish paternity, custody, and child support), and 12-15-117(c) (recognizing that a juvenile court retains jurisdiction over a child that has previously been before the…”
C.W.S. v. C.M.P., 99 So. 3d 864 (Ala. Civ. App. 2012).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(7): 14 cases
F.T.G. v. T.T.R., 199 So. 3d 82 (Ala. Civ. App. 2015). “2012-383 also amended § 12-15-115, Ala.Code 1975, by adding a new subsection (a)(7).”
Moore v. Griffin, 256 So. 3d 1201 (Ala. Civ. App. 2018). “§ 12-15-115(a)(6), Ala. Code 1975. Section 12-15-115(a)(7), Ala.”
C.C.N. v. R.E.S., 239 So. 3d 1164 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017). “, a "juvenile court does have jurisdiction to decide the parentage of a child under Ala. Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(6), which, by reference to the Alabama Uniform Parentage Act, Ala.”
I.L.C. v. J.D.B., 203 So. 3d 88 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016).
Hicks v. Davis, 265 So. 3d 1285 (Ala. Civ. App. 2018).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(8): 1 case
R.P.M. v. P.D.A., 112 So. 3d 49 (Ala. Civ. App. 2012). “See Ala.Code 1975, § 12-15-115(a)(8). There is no indication in the record that the action was transferred from the Limestone Juvenile Court to the Limestone Circuit Court, and the judgment from which the mother appeals was entered by Judge Woodruff in *51 his capacity as a…”
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(9): 1 case
A.F. v. S.R., 209 So. 3d 511 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(a)(l): 1 case
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(b): 1 case
Ex parte L.J., 176 So. 3d 186 (Ala. 2014). “If the juvenile court had jurisdiction over the paternity petition under § 12-15-115 and § 12-15-317 allows a parent to file a petition to terminate the parental rights of the other parent, then the juvenile court should have jurisdiction to address the mother's termination…”
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(b)(2): 2 cases
E.E. v. Limestone Cnty. Bd. of Educ. (In re Limestone Cnty. Bd. of Educ.), 265 So. 3d 276 (Ala. Civ. App. 2018).
E.E. v. Limestone Cnty. Bd. of Educ. (In re Limestone Cnty. Bd. of Educ.), 265 So. 3d 276 (Ala. Civ. App. 2018).
Ala. Code § 12-15-115(c): 3 cases
M.G.D. v. C.B., 203 So. 3d 855 (Ala. Civ. App. 2016). “” “Petition” and “complaint,” as those terms are used in § 12-15-115, are not defined. Although the petition alleging dependency did not request grandparent visitation, it appears from other filings in this case that the issue of grandparent visitation was raised.”
L.M. v. G.S., 243 So. 3d 822 (Ala. Civ. App. 2017). “' 'Petition' and 'complaint,' as those terms are used in § 12-15-115, are not defined. "Although the petition alleging dependency did not request grandparent visitation, it appears from other filings in this case that the issue of grandparent visitation was raised.”
Alabama Dep't of Mental Health v. E.C.J., 84 So. 3d 926 (Ala. Civ. App. 2011).
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