(a) The Supreme Court shall adopt guidelines to promote the prompt, efficient, and cost-effective resolution of civil actions. The guidelines shall:

Terms Used In Alabama Code 6-1-3

  • circuit: means judicial circuit. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • following: means next after. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • property: includes both real and personal property. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • 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
(1) apply to civil actions in circuit courts in which the amount in controversy, inclusive of all claims for damages of any kind, whether actual or exemplary, a penalty, attorney’s fees, expenses, costs, interest, or any other type of damage of any kind, does not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000); and
(2) address the need for lowering discovery costs in these actions and the procedure for ensuring that these actions will be expedited in the civil justice system.
(b) The Supreme Court may not adopt guidelines under this section that conflict with any of the following state laws or procedures:

(1) Domestic relations and family law.
(2) Property law.
(3) Tax law.