Northern Kentucky Family Law Blog

For the past few decades, people paying alimony after divorce could deduct those payments on their taxes. However, the 2017 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Acts changes this for new divorcees in Kentucky and throughout the country.

Starting with divorce agreements finalized in 2019, alimony will be neither tax-deductible nor tax-payable. Experts say that this will likely result in the recipient getting less money. Although many parts of the tax act will sunset in 2025, this change will not. But since it is not clear whether Congress will make changes or not, couples who expect alimony payments to extend beyond this date may want to create a divorce agreement that allows for flexibility in case there are tax law changes.

Kentuckians over 50 are divorcing in greater and greater numbers. In fact, the rate of divorce for this group has doubled since 1990. The phenomenon has been referred to as gray divorce, and it is linked with heightened symptoms of depression and other health problems. A professor of clinical psychiatry and geriatric psychiatrist said she often sees people who've divorced later in life develop anxiety or chronic stress.

Gray divorces may also leave the parties experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress through unhappy flashbacks or nightmares. Psychological issues often manifest physically. Depression has been linked to Parkinson's disease, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Chronic stress increases a person's risk for insomnia, obesity, weakened immune system and high blood pressure. The symptoms of stress on the psyche include lack of focus, muscle aches, mood swings, hopelessness, appetite changes, changes in sleep patterns and fatigue. Any of these symptoms might have a direct impact on physical health. In a case where a person experiences a combination of these symptoms, their physical health may be at greater risk.

Kentucky parents and others may have a need to relocate for work or other purposes. However, if the noncustodial parent has visitation or other rights to a child, the custodial parent may need to get permission to relocate. Whether or not permission is granted depends on whether or not the relocation is in the best interests of the child. This is generally determined based on how far the parent is moving and why the move is taking place.

If the move is a short one that is being made for work purposes, it will likely be approved. The same is true if it means that the child is closer to family members. In some cases, the custodial parent may get permission to relocate by modifying the existing visitation order. For example, the custodial parent could agree to allow for extended visitation periods or agree to meet to do exchanges somewhere convenient for both parents.

When people in Northern Kentucky decide to get married, they are often excited to set and announce a wedding date. Sometimes, they choose a date with personal importance to the couple or select one that is more convenient for the family or cheaper for the wedding venue. On other occasions, people might choose a holiday or romantic occasion for their wedding date. However, some research at the University of Melbourne indicates that couples who choose the latter approach may find their date selections accompanied by an increased likelihood of divorce.

The research examined wedding and divorce records for 1 million couples. In the course of tracking these dates, researchers found that 11 percent of couples who chose to marry on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, were divorced 5 years later. Nine years later, 21 percent of the Valentine's Day couples had chosen to divorce. The divorce rate for Valentine's Day weddings was the highest in the study. However, other dates were also linked to a higher likelihood of a later split. "Special number days" like Sept. 9, 1999, or 9/9/99, were also associated with a higher probability of an early end of the marriage.