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Civil procedure

venue

Venue is the geographic location (county in state court or district in federal court) where a lawsuit may be filed. Proper venue is usually determined by statute, and upon the filing of a lawsuit, the defendant may seek to transfer (move) the venue to a proper venue if it believes the plaintiff’s choice of venue is not a proper venue.

In Alabama, the concept of venue refers to the appropriate location for a lawsuit to be filed and heard. State statutes determine the proper venue for different types of cases. Generally, civil actions should be filed in the county where the defendant resides or where the cause of action occurred. If there are multiple defendants, the plaintiff can choose the county of any defendant under certain conditions. In cases involving real property, the action must be filed in the county where the property is located. For federal cases, the venue is determined by the U.S. District Court's jurisdiction, which in Alabama is divided into three districts: Northern, Middle, and Southern. The federal venue is typically based on where the defendant resides or where the events giving rise to the lawsuit occurred. If a defendant believes that the plaintiff has chosen an improper venue, they may file a motion to transfer the case to a proper venue. This is governed by Alabama state law for state courts and by federal law for federal courts, including the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

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Civil procedure

venue

Individual & Family Legal Plan

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Alabama State Code

Alabama State Code

Civil procedure

venue

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