Northern Kentucky Family Law Blog

What's your favorite part of summer? Like many Kentucky parents, spending more time with your kids, who are likely on vacation from school, may be at the top of your list. If this summer is unique for your family because it's the first one since your divorce, you may be concerned as to whether you and your ex will be able to amicably navigate the summer vacation schedule without running into custody, visitation or support problems.

It's helpful to talk to others who have trod the path before you. Ask your friends and family members who are divorced and have children if they can offer tips for smooth sailing in your co-parenting arrangement as well as on the water, if you and your children enjoy boating activities. The great thing about advice is that you can take it or leave it. If a legal problem threatens your summer fun, there are also places to turn for support on that front as well.

Many Kentuckians assume that once a couple has been married for 20 years or more, it is unlikely that they will divorce. While it is true that chance of divorce can decline over time, more and more couples are deciding to separate in their senior years.

There are many reasons behind this rise in "gray divorces." One factor is that people are, on average, living longer. The prospect of living into one's 80s or even 90s can cause someone to ponder whether they would truly be happy spending the next several decades with a spouse. In many cases, long-standing areas of irritation and resentment can begin to build, triggering the desire to move on.

The issue of establishing paternity is a common one. Many birth parents in Kentucky and across the country struggle with the issue of establishing paternity, including questions about if they should do it and how establishing paternity can be accomplished. In a best-case scenario, a father will voluntarily acknowledge his children. In other situations, it will take court intervention to establish paternity.

Establishing paternity has some legal benefits for the children. First, paternity allows a child to benefit financially from his or her father. This doesn't just include child support. A child may have a claim to death benefits if his or her father were to pass away, which can include everything from veteran's benefits to an inheritance. Failing to establish paternity could lead to a child failing to receive these benefits. Paternity also gives a child access to his or her father's medical history, which may provide him or her with an understanding of any potential genetic issues that may arise in the future.

Joint legal custody is one option for parents in Kentucky who get a divorce. Parents who have legal custody have the right to decide about issues such as their child's religion, health care and schooling. It is a common arrangement for divorced parents to share legal custody while only one has physical custody and the other has visitation rights.

Sharing legal custody can push parents toward resolving their co-parenting differences quicker and more effectively. It may force them to communicate more often, and their children may benefit from seeing them resolve conflicts. However, if a court grants joint legal custody or parents agree to share it, this does not guarantee they will be able to cooperate. Furthermore, if one parent tends to be manipulative, there is always a chance that parent could try to insist that joint legal custody means the other parent must always agree. Sharing legal custody is not a process that has clear benchmarks, and parents might sometimes feel discouraged about whether they are co-parenting successfully.