Divorce Law in Kentucky
Divorce Law refers to the legal termination of a marriage and often involves working through several complicated issues. Are you facing a costly divorce in Kentucky? Does your estranged spouse have an attorney? Usually, couples going through a divorce are unable to compromise on most items and reach an agreement on their own. Thus, many couples go through mediation or the court system to resolve their case.
Issues Involved in Kentucky Divorce Law
There are many complicated issues that you need to settle during the divorce process. Many of these elicit strong emotions from one party or the other, resulting in volatility.
Dividing Property
One of the most challenging issues in the divorce law process is dividing property, debts and assets. In many states, like Kentucky, anything you and your spouse purchased over your marriage is subject to division. This includes things such as real estate, bank accounts, cars, stocks, etc.
Some states split marital property evenly, while others go along an equitable split. In the latter, the judge weighs the contribution each spouse made to the marriage and uses that information to decide the disposition of property, which may not equate to a perfect 50/50 division of your property, debt, and other assets.
Child Support
Both parents share the responsibility of financially supporting their children. Child support guidelines determine each parent’s contribution based on their income and the time they spend with the children. These payments cover essential needs, including healthcare, food, clothing, and other necessities, ensuring the child’s well-being.
Kentucky’s Child Support Guidelines are designed to keep the child in the same financial situation that existed during the marriage. Both parents’ gross incomes and the number of children are considered in the calculation. Additionally, child-care expenses, extraordinary medical and educational expenses, and health insurance costs are also considered.
Child support must be paid by mail or online through the Kentucky Child Support Customer Service. Kentucky Child Support Enforcement (KCSE) has many remedies to address nonpayment of child support. Specifically, KCSE can order income withholding, tax refund intercept, passport denial, property liens, and driver’s license revocation. As a last resort, nonpayment can result in court action and jail time.
Alimony
Alimony, or spousal support, can vary dramatically depending on the marriage, and Kentucky divorce law court looks at multiple factors when determining the amount and length of alimony, including:
- A spouse’s need and the other spouse’s ability to pay
- The age and health of each spouse
- The length of the marriage
- Each spouse’s earning capacity and level of education
- The division of property
- Parental responsibility of the children
- Sole investments and assets of either spouse
Kentucky Statutes allow the court to order pendente lite, or temporary, maintenance during divorce proceedings. As well, the court can issue a final judgment on short-term or long-term spousal maintenance. After considering factors such as marriage length and the standard of living during the marriage, the court will set a “just” period for the maintenance.
Child Custody and Visitation
Child custody is perhaps the most emotional issue during a divorce that involves children. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the court bases all decisions on what is in the best interest of the child. Keeping this in mind may help navigate the rough waters of custody.
Kentucky Statutes determine what is considered the best interests of the child for custody purposes. Kentucky Courts favor joint custody and equally shared parenting time. However, the courts will also consider the child’s emotional and physical health, the child’s wishes, and their connection to family members, school, and community. A critical factor is if there is a history of domestic violence or substance abuse by a parent.
Generally, Kentucky courts award joint legal custody giving both parents the legal right to make decisions for the children, such as education, medical care, and religious practices. Legal custody has nothing to do with physical custody or visitation. Joint custody does not mean both parents split time with the child evenly, just as sole legal custody does not bar the non-custodial parent from visiting the child.
The Process of Going Through Divorce Law in Kentucky
Are you leaning towards getting a divorce from your partner? If so, it is important to understand the necessary steps of the Kentucky divorce law process.
Step 1: File the Divorce Law Petition
The divorce law process begins when one spouse files a legal petition to terminate the marriage. The petition must include:
- A legal reason for divorce (grounds for divorce)
- A statement that shows at least one spouse meets the state’s residency requirements for divorce
- Other statutory information your state requires
Most states offer the option for filing a no-fault divorce, which does not require a legal reason for the divorce.
The courts will allow a no-fault divorce in Kentucky if “irretrievable breakdown of the marriage” is listed as the cause of divorce.
Step 2: Request Temporary Orders
The divorce law process in Kentucky can take several months, and in some cases, spouses cannot wait that long for judgments, but temporary orders can be requested and approved for a multitude of reasons, including:
- Child custody
- Child support
- Spousal support
- Property restraining orders
- Status quo orders
Request temporary orders as quickly as possible so you are not absent the resources or protection that you need.
Step 3: Serve Your Spouse and Wait for Their Response
If you are the one who files a divorce petition, you must have your spouse served with their divorce law papers and then file a proof of service with the courts. If your spouse accepts the service, then they need to fill out an affidavit to that effect. However, in many cases, the petitioner must hire a process server or sheriff to formally serve the petition on the other spouse. It is this third party who then records the proof of service.
Step 4: Try To Come to an Agreement
The best outcome for anyone going through this process is to have an uncontested divorce, meaning both spouses agree on all issues.
This can be reached between both partners or with the help of a mediator. Not only will this save each spouse money, but there will typically be a lot less animosity.
Step 5: Go To Court
If you and your spouse are unable to reach an agreement, then the case continues before a Kentucky judge. While there is some benefit to having a judge hand down orders, it may also be a detriment as there is little to no control of the agreement by the parties. In Kentucky, the Family Court is a division of the Circuit Court and has jurisdiction over all family matters, including divorce. Family Court currently serves 71 counties in Kentucky.
Step 6: Receive the Judgement of Divorce
The divorce law trial will end with the official judgment of divorce, ending the marriage. This final dissolution of marriage sets out the details about property and debt division, child custody, and all relevant issues between the couple.
Work With an Experienced Kentucky Divorce Law Attorney
If you are going through a divorce and are unable to reach an agreement with your partner, you should hire an experienced Kentucky divorce law attorney. A lawyer will fight for you and make sure you get what is yours. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Kentucky state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
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