Family Law

Compassionate Legal Support for Your Family Matters

If you are going through a divorce, legal separation, child custody, or support battle, it may feel as though your life has been turned upside down. There is a multitude of issues to confront in every case. The stress and uncertainty can be crippling, and you need a good lawyer to ensure that your interests are protected, as well as to bring about a resolution so that you may move on with your life.

Child Custody

In Kentucky, child custody and child support may be revisited by a Court at any time, provided certain guidelines are met. The most common custody arrangement is joint custody, which entails a residential custodian (who the child primarily lives with) and visitation rights to the other parent.

You need to be able to show the court why you should have sole custody or be the primary residential custodian of the children. There may be other parties involved with the child that are claiming custody, such as grandparents. Ultimately, a court will base its decision on what is in the best interests of the child. Still, that standard revolves around numerous factors, and you stand a better chance of a favorable outcome if you have an attorney who is aware of the previous court decisions involving those factors.

Sometimes, there are charges by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services of neglect or abuse. You need a qualified attorney to ensure that the social worker is forced to prove such allegations. Many other considerations come into play with custody matters, such as visitation rights and schedules, the rights and duties of each parent (such as where the child attends school or major medical decisions involving the child), who is responsible for the child's insurance, and where the child's primary residence will be, just to name a few. A good attorney can help you resolve these matters in your favor.

Child Support

Child support can have a great impact on your way of life. Even when both parties agree that support is warranted, the dispute as to the amount is often bitter and heated. You need representation to ensure that the calculations are done properly under the statutory guidelines. If you have custody of your child, then you may need that monetary support in order to provide your child with the necessary things that impact your child's quality of life. Any changes in circumstances may dictate that support needs to be modified to reflect those changes.

If you are paying child support and fail to pay for whatever reason, you may find yourself in front of the Judge trying to explain why they should not jail you for contempt of court for violating their order to pay child support. Without the help of a lawyer, your chances of going to jail increase significantly.

Divorce

Just as the individuals that make up a marriage are unique, when a marriage ends, the resolution needs to be tailored to that specific case. The needs of a client going through a divorce or legal separation are not one size fits all. Emotions are often running high, and we strive to protect our client's interests without adding fuel to the fire. Due to the complex legal issues surrounding such cases, it is critical, whether you are filing for divorce or responding to a divorce, that you have the best representation possible. Our goal is to reach the most agreeable resolution for our clients as efficiently as possible and without leaving a path of destruction in our wake for the sake of our clients as well as any children that may be involved.

Collaborative Law

Collaborative law is a relatively new alternate dispute resolution program that is experiencing growing popularity throughout the country. It is a process in which each party to a divorce has their attorney, and everyone attempts to resolve all matters through agreement. Each party signs a Collaborative Law Participation Agreement, in which they agree neither party will file motions with a court, that each party will disclose all assets and liabilities associated with the marriage, and that both parties and their attorneys agree that there will be no secrets or tricks. If either party violates the agreement, or if a resolution cannot be reached, then each party's attorney must resign from the case, and the parties must hire new attorneys to represent them in litigation.

There are many benefits to this approach. It removes some of the hostility from the situation and allows for the most inventive and collaborative problem-solving because each party is focused on negotiation rather than confrontation. This process is often more cost-effective and leads to quicker resolutions for the parties. Obviously, the collaborative approach is not appropriate for every case, but if you think this may work for you, then you should contact The Cornett Law Firm, PSC, for a free consultation.

Guardianships

Sometimes, family members, be they elderly or simply physically or mentally incapacitated, may need to be placed under another's care so that certain decisions may be made for them. You may be the one seeking guardianship, or you may be opposed to someone else seeking guardianship. These can be trying times for you and them, but a good lawyer can help to make that process go as smoothly as possible for everyone involved and assist you in protecting your loved ones. Perhaps a simple power of attorney will solve such problems, or you may need the court to appoint a guardian or conservator. We have handled many such cases and pride ourselves on handling these matters efficiently and compassionately.

In general, one of the biggest concerns we encounter with clients is financial considerations. Because there is already quite a bit of financial turmoil involved, we understand that clients benefit from us keeping costs down, which is why we strive for the most efficient resolution to the issues without the client ending up with an outrageous bill.

While every attempt will be made to resolve our client's family law matters through settlement, there will inevitably be times when the parties simply cannot agree or the Courts prevent them from agreeing. When that time comes, you need an attorney with litigation experience who is capable of taking your case before a court and giving you the best chance of winning. We handle a variety of family law cases, including:

Dissolution of Marriage | Divorce | Legal Separation
Post-divorce Modification
Child Custody
Child Support
Visitation
Guardianships
Paternity
Grandparents' Rights
Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs)
Emergency Protective Orders (EPOs)
Collaborative Law
Dependency, Neglect & Abuse (DNA)

Regardless of your Family Law needs, you need a good attorney to assist you in obtaining the most favorable outcome most efficiently and who will treat the matter with attentiveness and compassion. Call The Cornett Law Firm, PSC, today to schedule your free consultation to discuss how we may assist you.

"Learn to do right; seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

- The Song of Solomon - Isaiah 1:17