Code of Alabama

Ala. Code § 38-10-7.1 (2026)

Scope of Representation of District Attorney or Appointed Attorney in Support Enforcement Action.

✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026

Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section JustiaAla. Code CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

Any district attorney or attorney approved or appointed by the Attorney General initiating legal proceedings at the request of the Department of Human Resources to establish or enforce child support, spousal support, medical support, and/or any other support services pursuant to the provisions of Title IV-D of the Social Security Act and the laws of this state shall represent the State of Alabama, Department of Human Resources, exclusively in said proceedings. No attorney-client relationship shall exist between the IV-D attorney and any applicant or recipient of the agency’s support enforcement services, without regard to the style of the case in which legal proceedings are initiated. Said attorney representing the state in an IV-D case is only authorized to appear and prosecute and/or defend issues of support and cannot in an IV-D case address or provide representation to the IV-D client on any other or ancillary issues raised or presented in that action. The provisions of this section shall apply to any attorney authorized to represent the State of Alabama and providing support enforcement services to the Department of Human Resources, and shall be applicable in any action brought by the department pursuant to Title IV-D of the Social Security Act and the laws of this state. The Department of Human Resources shall advise all applicants or recipients of the agency’s support enforcement services that no attorney-client relationship exist between the IV-D attorney and the applicant or recipient and shall have executed a written statement signed by the recipient to that effect.

(Acts 1994, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 94-800, p. 105, §1.)

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases, 2005–2013 · leading case: Davis v. Blackstock, 159 So. 3d 708 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013).

Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment

Davis v. Blackstock, 159 So. 3d 708 (Ala. Civ. App. 2013). · cites it 3× “The District Attorney's Office is not authorized to represent or accept service on behalf of the [mother] with regard to any issues concerning visitation, custody or other issues not pertaining to child support pursuant to Code of Ala. § 38-10-7.1.” . Rule 24, Ala.”

Davis v. Self, 960 F. Supp. 2d 1276 (N.D. Ala. 2013). · cites it 3× “Smith) (citing Ala.Code § 38-10-7.1)). . See, e.g., doc.”

G.B. v. J.H., 915 So. 2d 570 (Ala. Civ. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “In its brief on behalf of the mother, the State has declined to address this issue on the ground that, pursuant to § 38-10-7.1, Ala. *576 Code 1975, it does not represent the mother on this issue.”

Gb v. Jh, 915 So. 2d 570 (Ala. Civ. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “In its brief on behalf of the mother, the State has declined to address this issue on the ground that, pursuant to § 38-10-7.1, Ala. *576 Code 1975, it does not represent the mother on this issue.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.