Stephen Williams

• Supreme Court of the United States, 2017
• United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2011
• United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama, 2010
• State Courts of Alabama, 2010
• Vice President, Marshall County Bar Association, 2013
• President, Marshall County Bar Association, 2014

• Mitchell v. Mitchell, 2021 WL 1324022, (Ala. Civ. App. 2021) - Successfully appealed and won reversal of trial court's denial of petition to establish and increase visitation for Mother who had been successfully working her recovery from opiate addiction for over 3-4 years., 2021
• B.W. v. S.S., No. 2200869, 2022 WL 497472 (Ala. Civ. App. Feb. 18, 2022) -- trial court erred in failing to set aside post-judgment order entered after the opposing side's post-judgment motion was denied as a matter of law. The Court of Civil Appeals held that the order, entered outside the 14-day deadline, was void as a legal nullity. The order denying the motion to set aside was reversed and remanded by the Court of Civil Appeals., 2022
• Ex Parte R.H., 311 So.3d 761 (Ala. Civ. App. 2020, Case of first impression in Alabama regarding the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court to consider orders regarding the grant of the authority to execute a pediatric palliative and end-of-life care order to the Guardian ad Litem in the trial court case. Based on a review of other states' appellate courts who have considered the issue, the Court of Civil Appeals held that the Juvenile Courts of Alabama do have such jurisdiction, but the Guardian ad Litem was not the proper person, under the procedural circumstances outlined by the palliative care statute, to execute the pediatric palliative and end-of-life care order. The Mother's Petition for Writ of Mandamus was granted and the trial court directed to vacate its order of authorization to the GAL., 2020
• DHR case against Mother dismissed via Grant of Mother's Motion for Summary Judgment., 2021
• A sworn adoption petition was filed with the Probate Court. The identity and information of the father of the child was wrongfully specified as “unknown." The father found out about the birth of a child that was possibly his. Foxtrot removed the proceeding to the Juvenile Court, established paternity through DNA testing, and successfully set aside an award of temporary custody to the adoptive parents due to lack of service on the father. Temporary Custody was awarded to the father pending further proceedings., 2019
• Foxtrot was hired to increase and enforce a judgment for Child Support against a parent failing to pay support under the previous order. The case was resolved by Agreement without a contested hearing. Child support was increased to a fair rate in consideration of the non-custodial parent's income, and an additional portion of the outstanding Child Support judgment shall be paid each month for the non-custodial parent to avoid contempt. An income withholding order was entered to take necessary payments directly out of the non-custodial parent's paycheck from work., 2019
• DHR sought to compel involuntary compliance with DHR’s investigation and to compel drug testing for Father to aid in meeting DHR's own burden of proof by "clear and convincing evidence." Upon lack of probable cause to compel, the Father successfully asserted his Fourth Amendment right to refuse such compliance and testing, both informally and before the Court. DHR voluntarily dismissed the Child Custody case against Father due to lack of evidence. (Each legal problem is different, and past performance does not guarantee future results.), 2019

• What’s the narrative fallacy? Abhishek Chakraborty, writer of ‘Sunday Wisdom’ on the website, Medium, puts it this way, “Life is full of random facts. You forcibly knit them together to give it meaning.” How does this relate to #ChildCustody and #CoParenting…?, Beware the Narrative Fallacy in Child Custody and CoParenting, 2021
• If folks really want to talk about mental health then let’s talk about it. The reality is that folks with mental health challenges, diagnosed or otherwise, also have #ChildCustody, #CoParenting and #FamilyLaw problems. The scary part is that we get questions all the time like “if I get diagnosed with depression, will the Other Side use that against me?” Guys, this isn’t a car wreck or criminal case where something did or didn’t happen a certain way. This is your life; this is your family. You are NOT just trying to “win” a case, and if you think you have to suffer in silence so some clown on the Other Side doesn’t “bring up” that you’ve been diagnosed with a mental health condition we’ve got news for you, that’s not a win for you or for your kids. ~ Get the help you need so you can be the person you need to be for yourself and your family. We ask our clients often, “would you want your children to put themselves through what you’re putting yourself through?” ~ Here’s the last piece I’ll say on this #FoxtrotFriday. You ain’t fooling anybody. If you think you can hide your condition just because some doctor hasn’t diagnosed it or you’re not on medication for it you are incorrect. The people closest to you, everyone in this office, at least, and the Judges that see this stuff every day will spot it a mile away. So you’re not gaining any ground anyways. ~ Serve yourself so you can serve others. Have a (mental) healthy #FoxtrotFriday., Get the Mental Health you need and deserve in Child Custody and Co-Parenting (ur not fooling anyone), Child Custody, Family Law, Mental Health, 2022
• Okay Grandmothers, grandfathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and all Caring Relatives...once you have been court-ordered some kind of #ChildCustody or Visitation Rights you are now entitled to substantive due process and procedural due process and have a right to your day in court about these issues. A Grandmother asked on https://www.avvo.com/ whether "it was legal" for another relative to take Child Custody away from her without letter her know. There are legal processes that allow for that at the very beginning of a case but you are entitled to either retrieve copies of those documents from the Courthouse or "be served" with copies. Long story short, it's not legal to take Child Custody away from a Caring Relative without going through the correct process and giving that Caring Relative an opportunity to make their case for what's in the best interests of a child or children. More importantly, though, just asking "is this legal" isn't going to do you any good. You've got to take action, (just like the Other Side did) if you are going to get anything done. Being armed with information is important, but it only does any good when you're prepared to pull the trigger. The information provided here is general in nature and not to be considered legal advice for your unique situation or circumstance. However, you can visit our online scheduling page at www.ThinkFoxtrot.com/public_calendars/ anytime, 24-7, and find a time to come into one of our offices and get the specific, actionable information you need to be effective in your Child Custody case., Grandmother asks “Is this Legal?” in Child Custody…?, 2019
• This is commonly misunderstood by committed parents and caring relatives, (and even lawyers!), in child custody cases. DHR does amazing work for the community and for children but only in very specific roles and that doesn't include fighting for YOU and what YOU want for YOUR child in a child custody case. The information provided here is general in nature and not to be considered legal advice for your unique situation or circumstance. However, you can visit our online scheduling page at www.ThinkFoxtrot.com/public_calendars/ anytime, 24-7, and find a time to come into one of our offices and get the specific, actionable information you need to be effective in your Child Custody case., FYI, DHR does not represent you in your Child Custody case., 2016
• "What are my chances of getting Custody???" This is definitely going in the FAQ but unfortunately, it's never going to get a straight answer. Sorry. #ChildCustody and #CoParenting are about thriving in chaos, reassessment as you go along and doing something to move the ball forward. I'm sure a lot of really smart people in North Alabama want to know that A causes B then we C and so on, but it just doesn't work like that. The better question is this...is doing nothing a solution? The information provided here is general in nature and not to be considered legal advice for your unique situation or circumstance. However, you can visit our online scheduling page at www.ThinkFoxtrot.com/public_calendars/ anytime, 24-7, and find a time to come into one of our offices and get the specific, actionable information you need to be effective in your Child Custody case., What are my chances in my Child Custody case?, Child Custody, Co-Parenting, 2019
• Parents and relatives in child custody cases tend to probe way too much into the child's time with the co-parent or co-relative custodian with the child. Kids learn all too quickly when a parent wants gossip or dirt on the other side and it's too often a subject of conversation. They learn that that's how to get attention. Younger children may even lie to each side to get a desired emotional reaction. Just be smart., In Child Custody, please don't use your child as a spy., 2016
• Do not concern yourself with someone "feels" about a situation. You can't control how someone feels; you can only control what you do. It is "what you do" that produces facts. Facts are what makes a difference in a child's life. Facts are what means something to a Judge.There may be no more emotionally charged environment than a contested child custody proceeding. Focusing on the facts will help your case from both a practical perspective and an emotional perspective, reminding you of the difference of what you can and can't control., Focus on the Facts in Your Child Custody Case, Family Law, 2016
• "Hearsay" is probably the most common objection and limit on evidence in child custody cases, and it makes sense. That makes it all the more important to understand how to work with your lawyer to make sure you are prepared for your child custody hearing., Hearsay in Child Custody Cases, Family Law, 2015

• Contract Counsel, Juvenile Court, Marshall County Indigent Defense Advisory Board

• Certified Guardian ad Litem, 2010

• Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program

• Spotlight Volunteer of the Month, Madison County Volunteer Lawyers Program

• Bachelor of Music, Guitar Performance - Birmingham-Southern College, 2006
• Masters of Business Administration - University of Alabama Manderson Graduate School of Business, 2010

• Guest Voices, The Supreme Court is the only one who doesn't have strong opinions about paying NCAA athletes - This article provides analysis, review and commentary of the United States Supreme Court's denial of writ of certiorari in O'Bannon v. National Collegiate Athletic Association., 2016

• American Bar Association - Family Law Section
• Practice Management Section; Alabama Bar Association; Marshall County Bar Association; Huntsville Ma

“Stephen is an excellent child custody lawyer.”