SB85 Summary

• Amends Section 38-9F-6 of the Alabama Code to clarify that elderly persons with mental or physical capacity may hire legal counsel to represent them in elder abuse relief petitions.

• Requires redaction of sensitive information from publicly available elder abuse court documents, including home and business addresses, phone numbers (home, cellular, and business), and addresses of family members or domestic violence shelters.

• Permits disclosure of redacted addresses only orally in the judge's private chambers with no public present if necessary to determine jurisdiction or venue.

• Requires plaintiffs or their representatives to disclose either an alternative address or their attorney's business contact information to the court if no residential address is provided.

• Prohibits courts from assessing filing fees, service costs, or witness subpoena fees against petitioners or plaintiffs, though courts may assess costs against defendants at their discretion.