Central Kentucky Family Law Attorneys

There are few areas of law that can personally impact a person like family law can.

It involves the breakup of marriages, how children are cared for and by whom, domestic violence and who is entitled to what assets and income after a relationship ends. Because family law can have such a lasting and powerful effect on children and adults, we take this area of practice very seriously. We understand that we’re not just attorneys representing clients — we’re supporting individuals going through very important and often painful changes in their lives. If you live in Fayette County, Kentucky, or the surrounding area and are facing family law issues, Carman Fullerton, PLLC may be able to help.

Family law covers just about any situation that a couple or parents could encounter. We help our clients avoid problems, address them if they come up and try to prevent them from happening again. These are some of the issues we help with:

Divorce

Kentucky Family Law AttorneysEnding a marriage can occur when both people are still on good terms and willing to work out their differences to move on with their lives, or the parties may be in a very bad place emotionally and the process can be very difficult and painful. The reality is, the vast majority of divorces are resolved through agreements, not after litigation.

Often parties who can’t come to an agreement themselves can reach a resolution through mediation, with the help of a neutral, third party. We help our clients through whichever path works best for them.

Child Custody and Support

If the parents are divorcing or unmarried parents need to formalize their responsibilities as parents, we can help. Because we love our children so much and want the best for them, child custody and support can be very contentious. Custody involves who is physically caring for a child and who is able to make important decisions for the child.

One parent may genuinely fear a child may be harmed by more exposure to the other parent. In other cases, parents feel their children are best served when they can share time with each other. Parenting plans can be created where both sides can agree on their roles and responsibilities for their children.

The parent who takes primary responsibility for raising a child is normally entitled to financial child support. That amount is set by state guidelines, though in exceptional circumstances that amount can be increased or reduced.

Visitation

Kentucky Family Law AttorneysIf a parent either voluntarily or through a court order doesn’t have legal or physical custody of a child, that parent is normally entitled to spend time with his or her child.

How much of this visitation time, when and under what circumstances, can be disputed issues between parents.

Prenuptial Agreements

Through an agreement, future husbands and wives can state their rights and responsibilities in case the marriage ends in a divorce. Just because such an agreement is created doesn’t mean the couple doesn’t love each other or feel the marriage is doomed. It’s simply planning ahead in case the unexpected happens in order to lower the stress if a divorce occurs.

Prenuptial agreements can be especially helpful to parties who already have children, substantial assets or business interests, and who have prior marriages. We can help couples create this agreement, enforce one or challenge an existing agreement because it’s not valid under Kentucky law.

Domestic Abuse

Kentucky Family Law AttorneysIf one family member is abusing another, in order to prevent further harm emergency protective and domestic violence orders can be issued by a judge. If the party accused of abuse continues, there can be serious legal consequences. There can also be temporary custody orders if the couple has children. We help parties who are suffering abuse, as well as those who may be wrongly accused of abuse in order to affect child custody proceedings.

Paternity Actions

A paternity action can start in a number of ways. A mother may a claim a man is the father of her child in order to obtain child support. A father may seek to establish paternity in order to get custody or visitation rights. The state may want to establish paternity in order for a child to obtain child support after a parent seeks welfare benefits. In any of these cases, both people know where they stand if a genetic test can establish whether a man is or is not the father of a child. We can help either side in these disputes to make sure their rights are protected.

If you have any questions about a family law issue or want help to protect your rights or the rights of your child, we can help. If you live in Fayette County, Kentucky, or the surrounding area call Carman Fullerton, PLLC at 859-971-0060 or fill out this contact form. Your future and the future of your family is at stake, so contact us today.

Client Testimonial

“Shannon is very Knowledgeable and is very helpful. She made sure that we understood the entire process. She also make sure you have everything you need and then some. I recommend them to anyone.” – Richard Salhaney (Google Review)