Georgetown Lawyer Helps You Navigate the Kentucky Divorce Process

Personal assistance from a highly responsive and knowledgeable attorney

The divorce process can be emotionally taxing. But having an experienced divorce attorney who makes herself readily available and responds to your needs can make all the difference. At Larmour Law Offices, PSC in Georgetown, we represent you in a straightforward manner, responding to your concerns and applying our knowledge to deliver positive results.

Comparing divorce in Kentucky to the rest of the nation

Although the divorce rate in Kentucky has declined fairly steadily for the last 25 years, the commonwealth’s rate of divorce is still higher than the national average. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention set the national rate at 3.2 divorces per 1,000 total population; Kentucky’s rate in 2014 was 3.8 percent divorces per 1,000. In Kentucky as elsewhere, petitioners can file for divorce without alleging marital misconduct. Kentucky family law relies on equitable distribution, so courts divide marital property in a manner that is “fair” but not necessarily equal.

How to file for divorce in Kentucky

Here is a brief overview of the divorce process in Kentucky:

• Residency requirement — Before a party can file for divorce, he or she must have been a resident of the commonwealth for 180 days.
• Petitioner files — The spouse who takes the first step by filing for divorce is called the petitioner, and the other spouse is the respondent. The petitioner files a Complaint in the Circuit Court where one of the spouses lives, asking the court to grant a divorce because the marriage is “irretrievably broken.”
• Service of process — The petitioner must arrange for someone to serve the respondent with a Summons and a copy of the Complaint.
• Respondent’s answer — The respondent has 20 days to file an Answer. If the respondent has no objection to the Complaint, he or she may file an Entry of Appearance Waiver along with a Divorce Settlement Agreement. This agreement, signed by both parties, instructs the court to decide ancillary issues such as child custody, child support, spousal support and property division, in the manner the spouses request. If the court approves, the settlement becomes the basis for an uncontested divorce, and the court issues a divorce decree.

Of course, this is a best-case scenario and is only possible when spouses have very little to settle or they have done a great deal of negotiating prior to filing. In most cases, the respondent’s Answer will contain numerous objections to the Complaint, and the court will set a date for a hearing on those issues. Depending on the complexity of the issues, the divorce process could continue for many months before reaching a final resolution.

If you face a tough fight in your divorce, you can rely on Larmour Law Offices throughout the process. We deliver dedicated representation in response to your needs and concerns and a commitment to helping you and your family move forward.

Contact a knowledgeable Kentucky divorce attorney today

If you are going through the emotional turmoil of divorce, choose an attorney who sees you as a unique individual and responds to your concerns. Larmour Law Offices, PSC provides personal attention from a knowledgeable divorce lawyer. To schedule an initial consultation at our Georgetown office, call 859-813-5614 or contact us online. We offer affordable payment plans for our clients throughout central Kentucky, including Fayette, Woodford, Scott, Bourbon and Franklin counties.

Discounts are available for military personnel, nurses, teachers, police officers and firefighters.