RYAN V. RYAN Mother filed a motion to suspend father’s summer visitation time after daughter reported smelling marijuana in the home. Father submitted to a urine test which was negative for all substances, and a hair follicle test which tested positive for marijuana. There was no mechanism for determining the date of marijuana use. At...Read More

 S. E.A. v.  R. J.G. Child was temporarily removed from Mother’s custody in a DNA action. Father filed separate custody action in which mother stipulated to dependency for the purposes of temporary custody. At a subsequent DNA hearing, the family court determined the child should remain in father’s temporary custody with time sharing to be...Read More

RIEHLE V. RIEHLE Husband, previously adjudicated to be disabled and incompetent, filed for divorce from his wife, who was also his guardian and conservator. The trial court entered an order dismissing husband’s Petition for Dissolution, as “an incompetent person cannot bring or maintain an action for dissolution of marriage” in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Husband...Read More

PETTINGILL V. PETTINGILL Questions Presented: Domestic Violence. Appellate Procedure. Issues involve the use of “lethality factors” in a domestic violence determination and the interplay between CR 75.07(4) and CR 98 when the trial videotape is omitted from the record on appeal. Wife was granted DVO against husband by family court. The family court entered a...Read More

A new law goes into effect on January 1, 2016 in Kentucky that will permit the filing of new protective orders, and it is becoming more clear about which courts will hear these cases. The new protective orders, called IPOs (for interpersonal protection order), will allow individuals who are in a dating relationship or believe they...Read More

BOOTES V. BOOTES Wife argued that the Trial Court erred by failing to include Husband’s income from a second business in its child support calculation. Husband ran a second business and gifted all his proceeds to his father. The Appellate Court held that the Trial Court erred by excluding the income from its child support...Read More

Kirilenko v. Kirilenko In a KY divorce, the trial court erred in applying KY law to characterize CN state disability retirement benefits as nonmarital property. Instead, the Restatement (Second) of Conflict of Laws “most significant relationship”  test should be applied and CN law is more appropriate.Read More

Smyrichinsky v. Smyrichinsky When Ky is exercising UIFSA jurisdiction, it lacks authority to alter the duration of child support directed by another state. As to modification of the dependent income tax exemption, Ky has authority to modify who is entitled to the exemption  if it is part of a support order and not a property...Read More

C.D.G. v. N.J.S. Where child receives social security retirement dependent  benefits, and child support obligation of retired child support obligor is not modified, child support payor is entitled to a credit against child support. And, where such benefits are paid retroactively so there is a fund available for recoupement, trial court did not abuse its...Read More

NAVY V. MASSIE, ET AL. Maternal grandparent filed a KRS 405.021(1) motion seeking grandparent’s visitation rights with minor child. Child was living with his paternal aunt and uncle. The exact custody status was unclear, as at least one parent appeared to have some visitation. The general rule regarding grandparent visitation in Kentucky is the rule...Read More