An Emergency Protective Order (EPO) is a temporary order of protection from domestic violence and abuse. An EPO can be issued without a hearing or notice to the other party. A judge who receives a petition for an EPO must determine whether there is an “immediate and present danger” of domestic violence and abuse. Once...Read More

As part of a dissolution of marriage with children or a custody case, the court will determine the custody arrangement that is in the best interest of the children. A child’s legal custodian makes decisions regarding the child’s education, health care, and religious training. The parent that the court determines should be the legal custodian...Read More

The question of when to file a divorce is both a legal question and a practical question. Legally, if you want to file a divorce action in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Court must have jurisdiction to hear your case. At the most basic level, you must meet the KRS 430.140 residency requirement “that  one ...Read More

Kentucky requires that the parties have been separated, or have “lived apart”, for a period of 60 days, which can include living under the same roof without sexual cohabitation, before the court can grant a decree of legal separation or dissolution of marriage. KRS 403.170(1). You do not need to obtain a separate home to...Read More

Even while married, couples can have difficulty navigating the holiday season. Grandparents, step-grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more all want face time during the holidays, especially when a little one is involved. A divorce or separation can add even more complications to the busy holiday season.Read More

In Kentucky, child support is calculated using the statutory guidelines provided in KRS 403.212. These guidelines consider the monthly gross income of both parents, the number of children in common between the parents, and the costs of any childcare and healthcare expenses for the children. Although you and your co-worker have the same income, your...Read More

In 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States limited third-party (often grandparent) visitation rights in Troxel v. Granville: A majority of the Court agreed that under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, parents have a fundamental liberty interest in the care, custody, and control of their children. And a majority concurred that...Read More

In Kentucky, child support is calculated using the statutory guidelines provided in KRS 403.212. These guidelines take into account the monthly gross income of both parents and the number of children requiring support. The base child support obligation is divided between each parent in proportion to their respective incomes. Unfortunately, the child support guidelines were...Read More

KRS 405.021(1)(b) and (c) of Kentucky’s grandparent visitation statute is violative of due process on its face because it permits a grandparent to prove a significant and viable relationship by a preponderance of the evidence rather than the clear and convincing standard required under Walker v. Blair. The statute also fails to accord the parent’s...Read More

One question that frequently arises in the context of divorce is whether one spouse may claim rights to another spouse’s inheritance that was acquired either before or during the marriage. At divorce, property is classified as either marital or nonmarital. Nonmarital property is restored to each spouse as his or her separate property and marital...Read More