Ruth Wilkerson

In this video, Ruth Wilkerson of Hoge Partners, PLLC provides a brief overview of child custody issues in Louisville and the state of Kentucky. Some of the most emotional issues in a divorce involve custody, visitation rights and child support. Often, people thinking about filing for divorce misunderstand these terms. Resolving these issues may require the involvement of outside experts to determine what is truly most beneficial to the child/children. Child psychologists and social workers may be asked to provide evaluations, reports and testimony during a divorce case. Family law attorneys and judges take child custody issues very seriously. Immense effort is put into trying to decide what outcome is best for all parties during a divorce proceeding in Kentucky. It’s important to remember that both parties have the opportunity to modify the initial arrangements, after a certain period of time has passed. While family law courts try to get it right from the outset, situations change over time. Some of those changes are valid reasons for the court to reconsider specific terms of its original divorce decree. Here are a few child custody terms to keep in mind: Joint Custody is the most common arrangement in Kentucky. In this situation, both parents have an equal say in major issues, such as religion, educational needs and/or heath care related issues. In a joint custody arrangement, the child may still live, primarily with one of the parents. Joint custody refers to the decision-making responsibility. Sole Custody is typically awarded to protect the child or children’s best interest(s). During a divorce, issues involving drug-use, mental illness and possibly physical/sexual abuse can impact child custody. If these charges can be substantiated, the family law court judge may award sole custody. This also occurs in situations involving abandonment by one of the parents. Sole custody can be awarded. This grants full decision-making responsibility to one of the parents. Custody is different from Parenting Time and/or visitation. People often confuse this issue. In Kentucky, the custody arrangement typically refers to the physical, primary residence of the child. Parenting time, commonly referred to as visitation, is a separate issue in Kentucky divorces. Even though a child lives with one parent, the non-custodial parent normally has visitation rights with his/her children. Visitation schedules for divorced parents are normally negotiated during the divorce process. These arrangements can be altered. As circumstances change, one parent may decide to file for a post-decree modification. This process re-opens the case for the purpose of altering visitation and/or child support. The attorneys at Hoge Partners, PLLC have decades of experience helping individuals filing for divorce in Kentucky. We’ve seen divorces to relatively smoothly. But as you might imagine, we’ve also handled complex battles that require careful planning, strategy, and leading subject-matter experts (such as forensic accountants, psychologists and other professionals). We know there’s a lot at stake. If you are considering getting a divorce, or if your spouse recently filed for one, contact us for a confidential discussion. We will guide you through it, every step of the way. For more information, visit our website at http://www.DivorceInKentucky.com, or simply call our office at (502) 583-2005.