(a) The following defendant service fees shall be collected in civil cases in circuit court and district court: For each defendant in excess of one, where personal service is required, there shall be collected a service fee of $10.00; provided, however, where service on any defendant is by publication or by registered mail, the actual cost of such service shall be collected as the service fee. All service fees shall be paid at the time of filing; except, that prepayments shall not be required if the court finds that payment of such fee will constitute a substantial hardship. A verified statement, signed by the plaintiff and approved by the court, shall be filed with the clerk of court attesting to such substantial hardship.

Terms Used In Alabama Code 12-19-73

  • circuit: means judicial circuit. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) Fees for personal service collected in civil cases shall be distributed as follows: The first $3.00 of each such service fee shall be paid to the county general fund, and the balance thereof shall be paid to the State General Fund.