Diana L. Skaggs

Partner

Phone (502) 562-0050

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Biography

In and out of the courtroom, Diana L. Skaggs is on the forefront of new developments in the practice of family law and is recognized for her innovation in the field as well as her continued dedication to families, children and public service. She received the Louisville Bar Association’s 2006 Revell Family Law Award in honor of these commitments. Past President of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys, where she also served on the national Board of Governors, Skaggs takes an active role in professional organizations and frequently teaches other family law attorneys and judges at continuing legal education courses. She is A.V. rated by Martindale-Hubbell, listed in Best Lawyers in America in the field of family law and selected for inclusion in 2007 through 2021 Super Lawyers as being among the top 5% of family lawyers and for several years as one of the top 25 women lawyers in Kentucky across all fields of practice. The Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers honored her with its 2010 “Raising the Bar Award.” Her recent honors were being elected a Diplomate of The American College of Family Trial Lawyers, a national organization limited to 100 divorce litigators, and 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in the practice area of Family Law in Louisville by Best Lawyers in America.

Skaggs, who received her Juris Doctor degree from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville, maintains professional memberships and has held offices in several regional and national organizations. She has devoted her practice to divorce and family law for more than thirty years.

Though the firm focuses on all aspects of divorce and family law, Skaggs concentrates her practice in complex financial divorce, including business valuation, trusts, tax, tracing of non-marital funds and integrated solutions for wealth management and preservation.

“While most matters are settled privately, my extensive trial experience and our staffing allow us to handle complex litigation where necessary or appropriate,” says Skaggs.

Education & Professional Memberships

J.D., cum laude, University of Louisville Law School, 1982
B.A., English, University of Louisville, 1974
Bar Admissions and Professional Memberships
Diplomate, American College of Family Trial Lawyers, 2011-2014
Kentucky Chapter, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, President January 2007-
January 2009, President-Elect 2005-2007, Vice-President 1999-2001
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1996 – present, Kentucky Delegate to National
Board of Governors, 2003-2004 and 2010-2013.
Certified Arbitrator, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Louisville Bar Association, 1982 – present, Board of Directors, 1984; Family Law Section
Kentucky Bar Association, 1982 – present, Family Law Section, Chair Elect 2016-2017
Kentucky Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee, 1988 – 2007
American Bar Association, Family Law Section
Twelfth Circuit Bar Association ( Oldham, Henry, Trimble Counties)
Kentucky Justice Association, Domestic Law Section, 2006-2008
International Child Abduction Attorney Network, Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Selected Honors

2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in the practice area of Family Law in Louisville by Best Lawyer.
2006 Recipient of Judge Richard A. Revell Family Law Award, Louisville Bar Association, for being in the forefront of new developments in the practice of family law, dedication to families and children through work both inside and outside of the courtroom, innovation in family law and dedication to public service.
A.V. rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Selected for inclusion in 2007 through 2020 Best Lawyers in America, in the field of family law.
Named by 2007 through 2020 Super Lawyers as being among the top 5% of family lawyers and for several years one of the top 25 women lawyers in Kentucky across all fields of practice.
2010 Recipient of the “Raising the Bar Award” by the Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Additional Professional Memberships

Diplomate, American College of Family Trial Lawyers, 2011-2014
Kentucky Chapter, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, President January 2007- January 2009, President-Elect 2005-2007, Vice-President 1999-2001
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 1996 – present, Kentucky Delegate to National Board of Governors, 2003-2004 and 2010-2013.
Certified Arbitrator, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Louisville Bar Association, 1982 – present, Board of Directors, 1984; Family Law Section
Kentucky Bar Association, 1982 – present, Family Law Section, Chair Elect 2016-2017
Kentucky Supreme Court Civil Rules Committee, 1988 – 2007
American Bar Association, Family Law Section
Twelfth Circuit Bar Association ( Oldham, Henry, Trimble Counties)
Kentucky Justice Association, Domestic Law Section, 2006-2008
International Child Abduction Attorney Network, Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Lectures & Publications

2007 through 2020 update to Kentucky Divorce, with Hon. Richard A. Revell, (Thomson Reuters-West)
“Twenty-Eighth Annual Alan T. Slyn and Hon. Richard Revell Domestic Relations Update, LBA, 2019”
“Twenty-Seventh Annual Alan T. Slyn and Hon. Richard Revell Domestic Relations Update, 2018”
“Twenty-Sixth Annual Alan T. Slyn and Hon. Richard Revell Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2017
Kentucky Family Law Update, Kentucky Bar Association, Louisville, KY and Prestonsburg, KY 2016
“What’s New in Family Law: Case Update for 2015-2016,” Kentucky Bar Association Annual Convention, 2016
“Twenty-Fifth Annual Alan T. Slyn Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2016
“Twenty-Fourth Annual Alan T. Slyn Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2015
“Twenty-Third Annual Alan T. Slyn Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2014
“Twenty-Second Annual Alan T. Slyn Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2013
“Twenty-First Annual Alan T. Slyn Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2012
“Marital Debt,” Kentucky Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2011
“Twentieth Annual Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2011
“Nineteenth Annual Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2010
“Jurisdiction for Child Custody and Child Support,” Kentucky Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2010
Kentucky Bar Association Family Law Update, Paducah, KY and Louisville, KY, 2009
“Business Valuation Update,” Kentucky Chapter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Louisville Bar Association, 2009
“Eighteenth Annual Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2009
“Seventeenth Annual Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2008
Domestic Relations Editor, Advocate (Kentucky Justice Association), 2007-2008
“Sixteenth Annual Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2007
Editor of www.DivorceLawJournal.com
“Appreciated Nonmarital Assets—Active or Passive,” Kentucky Chapter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Louisville Bar Association, 2006
“Fifteenth Annual Domestic Relations Update,” Louisville Bar Association, 2006
“Attorneys’ Role in Collaborative Process,” Kentucky Collaborative Family Network, Inc. Interdisciplinary Training, 2005
“Modification of Spousal Support—New Surprises,” Kentucky Chapter American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Louisville Bar Association, 2005
“Discovery in Complex Divorces,” Complex Divorce Litigation: Forensic Accounting, Discovery, & Alternatives to Litigation, Louisville Bar Association, 2004
“Modifying and Terminating Maintenance: Some Surprises,” Kentucky Chapter, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Louisville Bar Association, 2004
“Child Support and Maintenance in Large Income Cases,” Kentucky Chapter, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Louisville Bar Association, 2002
“Custody, Access and the Voice of Children of Divorce,” Louisville Bar Association, 1999
“Ethical Use of Trusts and Limited Partnerships” and “Representing the Corporate Executive,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and LBA, 1999
“Family Lawyer/Family Mediation Roundtable,” LBA, 1999
“Discovery and Disclosure,” American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, KBA and LBA, 1998
“Family Law Litigation in Kentucky,” National Business Institute, 1995
“Child Abuse and Spouse Abuse: Emerging Theories of Liability,” Kentucky Bar Association, 1991
“Child Sexual Abuse Allegations—Evidentiary Issues,” Kentucky Alliance for Exploited and Missing Children, 1991
“Spouse Abuse,” Kentucky Bar Association, 1991

Continuing Legal Education

2021
- 2021 AAML Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL
  - Business Valuation: Untangling the Web of Complex and Start-up Businesses
    - Designing Families: New Technologies and Their Critical Legal Implications
    - Negotiation: Is It Group Yoga, Ballroom Dancing, Weightlifting or Wrestling? Or Is It All of the Above?
    - How Does PPP Money Impact Business Valuations
    - What Do Family Court Litigants and Franz Kafka’s “The Trial” Have in Common?
    - Trial Practice and Cutting Edge Technology: Bitcoin- Virtual Currency in a Real World Divorce
    - Future of Families: Help! My Client Told Me Their Child Came Out As…
    - Wellness: Identifying and Addressing Emotional Functioning Issues
    - Future of Families: Untangling the Untangle-able: What Does Obergefell Mean to Long-Term Same-Sex Relationships
- Enough is Enough: Avoiding Vexatious Lawyering, Louisville Bar Association
- 2021 American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, National Mid-Year Seminar
  - Trial by Zoom!
  - Coaching Tips for Witness Preparation and Attorney Advocacy When on Zoom: Conveying Confidence, Credibility, and Honesty
  - Rent a Judge: The Pros and Cons of Arbitration and How the Process Works
  - Identifying and Addressing Implicit Bias Issues in Your Practice and Legal Community
  - Avoid a Pyrrhic Victory: Trust Resolutions in Divorce
  - Working with Transgender Clients and Children: Cultural Competency for Family Lawyers
2020
- American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, National Seminar
  - Cutting Edge Evidence Issues
  - Virtual Advocacy, Wave of the Future?
  - Divorcing the Highly Planned Family
  - Virtual Negotiating
  - Defending the Accused
  - What Family Lawyers Must Know About Accessing Trust Funds in Divorce and Beyond
  - Finding Solutions in Extreme Risk Cases
  - Family Law Ethics and Best Practices for the Practitioner in a Post-Covid World
  - Avoiding Appellate Pitfalls and Preserving Appellate Error
  - Appraisals of Fine and Decorative Arts and Luxury Goods: What the Matrimonial Lawyer Needs to Know
2019
- 2019 American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Chicago, IL
  - The Intersection of Mental Health and Custodial Issues
  - The Intersection of Addiction and Custodial Issues
  - The Intersection of Alienation and Custodial Issues
  - Top Ten Tax Tips for Making Divorce Less Taxing
  - Optimizing Value in Divorce: Successfully Resolving Business Ownership Conflicts
  - Cross Border Divorce: Multiple Countries, Infinite Complications
- 2019 KY AAML/LBA Family Law Seminar Agenda: “We’re Not Kidding Around,” Louisville, KY
  - Child Custody Issues
  - Family Law Arbitration
  - Supreme Court Update
  - Best Practice Family Law Evaluations: What to Expect from the Expert
  - Ethics in the Courtroom: Civility and Professionalism in Family Court
  - Prenuptial Agreements: The Do’s and Do Not’s Before “I Do”
  - Parental Alienation
  - Tax Issues
  - Current Topics in Legal Ethics
  - Presumption of Custody and New Child Support Guidelines
2018
- Divorce for Farmers, National Business Institute
- 2018 KY AAML/LBA Family Law Seminar Agenda: “All in the Family”, Louisville, KY
  - Do you know the Family Law Changes, Ambiguities, Survivors and Hybrids (C.A.S.H.) of the 2017 Tax Act?
  - DNA Cases
  - Civil v. Criminal Contempt
  - Analyzing Custody Evaluations
  - Legislative Update
  - Annual Judicial Panel
  - Ethical Lesson from “Reel” Life
  - Supreme Court Update
  - Military Retirement
  - Court of Appeals, Interlocutory, Writs
- 2018 Kentucky Bar Association Convention, Lexington KY
  - Crisis Management for Attorneys and their clients
  - Mindhunter: The real-life silence of the lambs
  - Top Ten stupidest thinks people do to hide money
  - Business Valuation issues involving hidden assets in divorce
  - How to effectively, creatively and ethically market yourself and your practice
  - Some mediation tactics that don’t work; Some critical mediation negotiation skills that do
  - Social Media and Legal Ethics
  - Biggest mistakes in LLC’s
  - Difficult, Impaired or Abused Clients: how to recognize and handle

For Diana’s full list of continuing education, please download her CV here.