Kentucky And Indiana Law Blog

Kentucky parents headed for divorce or separation are typically most concerned about the custody arrangements for their children. Depending upon the nature of the relationship between the parents, custodial agreements can take various forms. When parents get along well or have demonstrated an ability to set differences aside for the benefit of children, a true co-parenting relationship can exist. Such an arrangement involves having a general agreement regarding what is best for the kids and a willingness to make that a priority above all else.

In situations where the parties cannot agree on what constitutes the best interests of the children or cannot get along for other reasons, a parallel parenting plan might be the best path. The goal of such a plan is to limit interactions and therefore create a peaceful and stable situation for the involved children. Family law professionals typically meet with parents and then negotiate a detailed plan in which virtually every contingency is considered. The parties are then left with having to only communicate regarding logistics in a rather formal manner. Contrasted with this is the collaborative approach where frequent communication is encouraged between the parents in order to keep everyone fully integrated in all aspects of a child's life.

People in Kentucky rarely want to think about the potential of divorce while they're still engaged in wedding planning. Nevertheless, planning can help people to avoid bigger problems further down the road, even for people of modest means. When people think of prenuptial agreements, they often think of celebrity news or heirs to family fortunes. However, many people can benefit from developing prenups to protect their interests in the case that their relationship changes in the future.

While people often think of prenups as a way to protect their money, there are a number of different reasons why people may opt for an agreement. State law governs how marital property is to be distributed in case of divorce. While Kentucky is an equitable division state and property gained after marriage is not necessarily divided equally, people may want to make agreements about specific items before the situation becomes more difficult.

Noncustodial parents living in Kentucky or any other state are generally allowed to see their children. Courts grant visitation rights to noncustodial parents in an effort to nurture an important bond between the parent and child. However, custodial parents may worry about the health and safety of their children during these periods of visitation. In some cases, a custodial parent can refuse to let a son or daughter visit with the other parent.

This is generally acceptable in instances when a custodial parent suspects his or her child is being abused or neglected. It is also possible to deny visitation in cases involving a child who doesn't want to see the other parent. However, failing to abide by a court-ordered visitation schedule could result in legal consequences. Therefore, parents should be sure that their children are in legitimate danger before violating a judge's mandate.

As drivers in Kentucky already know, laws regarding driving under the effect of alcohol have been on the books for decades. Likewise, the means for testing a motorist are also long established. As more states are legalizing the use of marijuana, and an opiate epidemic has developed in the country, federal regulators are seeking standardized tests for use in the field.

Recent statistics demonstrate an increase in the number of accidents where driving while intoxicated by drugs is a factor. According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration (NHSTA), nearly half of the drivers killed in 2015 were under the influence of a drug at the time. This figure was 30 percent in 2006. The cause for this jump is due to the legalization of marijuana and increased use of opiates.