T.G.-F. v. J.Y.; A.Y.; G.E.L.G., a Minor Child; and W.F., No. 2021-CA-1480-ME Estill Circuit Court Mother gave birth to child and little over a year later, aunt and uncle filed their adoption petition for the minor child without mother’s consent pursuant to KRS 199.502.  At the time of the filing, the child’s natural father was...Read More

Mediation is a form of alternate dispute resolution (ADR) commonly used in divorces and family law cases to help the parties decide how to resolve their issues outside of the courtroom. The mediator is a neutral individual who does not represent anyone and no interest in the outcome. Parents must also remember that mediators have...Read More

Leslie Geralds v. Janie Geralds No. 2021-CA-0667-MR Jefferson Circuit Court Leslie and Janice Geralds negotiated a property settlement agreement through a collaborative divorce process.  The property settlement agreement awarded Mrs. Geralds 40.62% of Mr. Geralds’ retirement plan.  Several years following the entry of the decree and property settlement agreement, Mr. Geralds retired and signed a...Read More

Whether for the initial consultation or an ongoing case, maintaining a list of questions that apply to your specific divorce, child custody, or family court case is one of the most important documents you can have both before and after meeting with your attorney. Many times you will be nervous when meeting with your lawyer...Read More

S.G. V. Cabinet for Health and Family Services; Commonwealth of Kentucky; D.C.; J.S.; and L.G., a Child No. 2021-CA-0510-ME Warren County Family Court The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (“CHFS”) removed a minor child from Mother’s care when a finding of neglect was determined in a dependency, neglect, and abuse (“DNA”) action.  CHFS placed...Read More

Cabinet for Health and Family Services v. Batie, et al. No. 2021-CA-0580-ME Boyd County Circuit Court The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (“CHFS”) appealed an order granting custody of a minor child to Grandmother and Uncle of the minor child due to the family members lacking standing to pursue such custody order.  The Kentucky...Read More

One of the most common questions we get from clients is how to dress for any of the particular types of proceedings that they may encounter during a divorce or family court case. A few examples are covered below, including how to dress for going to the family courtroom, in addition to picking out your...Read More

Changing A Minor Child’s Name Requesting a name change starts with the filing of a petition, generally in probate court. Recent changes in Kentucky law allow name changes to also occur in circuit/family court. The name change forms must be typed, not handwritten. When a minor child’s name is at issue, the petition must be...Read More

Less Than Custody But Better Than Nothing? Guardianship is a term that is commonly used, but generally misunderstood. Guardianship and custody are NOT the same from a legal perspective. Parents have a superior right to custody, and have a higher level of rights than what guardianship provides. Guardianship may be used if both parents are...Read More

Cabinet for Health and Family Services v. B.N.T. and K.S. Clark Circuit Court In 2016, a child was born to mother K.S. Prior to the child’s birth, K.S. had an intimate relationship with B.N.T., a married man and, at the time, Clark County Attorney. Based on the timing of their relationship, B.N.T. wished to establish...Read More