ADDISON V. ADDISON After significant ongoing litigation over custody, the Trial Court ordered that custody be transferred to Father and that Mother have supervised visitation. The Court of Appeals reversed because of the arbitrary time limitation at trial. Upon discretionary review the Ky Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court’s...Read More
BOONE V. BOONE The mandate for written findings of fact and conclusions of law applies to DVO cases. CR 52.01 and KRS Chapter 403, along with the holding in Keifer, require findings in family law cases be reduced to writing. DVOs affect child custody, therefore they fall within the purview of CR 52.01. In this...Read More
HUDSON V.COLE Father, a Michigan resident, and Mother, a Kentucky resident, live five hours apart, but were granted joint custody. The Trial Court ordered Father to have parenting time one weekend a month in Kentucky, in line with the “Parenting Time Assessment” report submitted by an expert appointed to conduct a custody assessment. The Trial...Read More
ROBISON V. THEELE, ET AL. Mother lived with her parents (hereinafter “grandparents”), and passed away after treatment for cancer, which mother underwent during dissolution proceedings. Father exercised visitation regularly during the proceedings and mother’s cancer treatment. At the time of the Mother’s death, the Trial Court awarded Grandparents a “status quo ex parte” order to...Read More
WOOD V. WOESTE Father and Mother had joint custody of child, who was living in Kentucky with Father during the school year. Mother resided in Montana. Father was given notice he was being returned to active service in the National Guard Air Force in September 2014. In December, Mother filed a motion for temporary primary...Read More
J.S V. BERLA While not a family court case, as an action against a court appointed psychologist, this case is important to family law practitioners. A father filed an action against a court appointed psychologist making a custody evaluation. The father alleged slander and libel arguing the psychologist did not act in good faith in...Read More
HOSKINS V. HOSKINS The Circuit Court used the report and investigation of a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) to make findings a custody modification was appropriate. The Appellate Court applied Morgan v. Getter, 441 S.W.3d 94 (Ky. 2014) and held the Circuit Court “erroneously appointed the GAL to represent the child and to conduct an investigation...Read More
Danaher v. Hopkins Trial court's denial of petition to register a foreign custody judgment was affirmed. A court must enforce a foreign judgment only when the issuing state had jurisdiciton under the UCCJEA. Because North Carolina did not have initial jurisdiciton it does not have exclusive continuing jurisdiction. Read More
Benton v. Sottingeanu An order requiring a parent to obtain a passpot for a child does not require specific findings of fact where no modification of parenting time is made. The court must consider the child's best interests. Federal law permits a court to order a passport where a joint custodian refuses consent. Court's order...Read More
