Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in Kentucky
How courts in Kentucky decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Kentucky: fee rules
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Kentucky Bar Association offers Legal Fee Arbitration under Supreme Court Rule 3.810 for disputes between a lawyer and client over the fee for particular legal services. It is free, and panel members are unpaid. It is voluntary: either side may start it, and the other side has 20 days to agree. Once both agree, the panel's award is binding and enforceable under KRS 417.180. |
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| If a lawyer takes your money | The KBA Clients' Security Fund, paid for by Kentucky lawyers' dues, provides discretionary partial restitution to clients who lost money through a Kentucky lawyer's dishonesty, fraud or other unethical conduct (such as theft, embezzlement or conversion) within the attorney-client relationship; malpractice losses are not covered. Caps: $50,000 per claim and $150,000 total per attorney (prorated if claims exceed the cap); only actual financial losses are paid. File no later than two years after you knew or should have known of the dishonesty. There is no fee, and no lawyer may charge to file a claim for you. |
Kentucky rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Custody is decided by the child's best interests, with equal consideration to each parent. There is a rebuttable presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time are in the child's best interests (subject to the domestic-violence rules in KRS 403.315). The court first considers any allegations of domestic violence or child abuse and makes written findings, then weighs factors such as the parents' wishes, the child's wishes, the child's relationships, adjustment to home and school, health, and each party's willingness to allow frequent contact with the other parent. If equal time is not ordered, the schedule must maximize each parent's time consistent with the child's welfare. No specific age is set for the child's preference; the judge may interview the child in chambers. Source: KRS 403.270, 403.290 |
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| Emergency custody | A party to a custody case can ask for a temporary custody order by filing a motion supported by an affidavit stating the facts. The court can decide after a hearing, or on the affidavits alone if no one objects. For temporary orders there is a presumption, which can be overcome, that temporary joint custody with equal parenting time is in the child's best interest. A temporary order can be changed if there is a material and substantial change in circumstances. Source: KRS 403.280; KRS 403.350 |
| Grandparents' rights | The Circuit Court may grant reasonable visitation to either set of grandparents if it is in the child's best interest. If the grandparent's own child (the child's parent) has died, visitation is presumed to be in the child's best interest if the grandparent proves a significant and viable relationship, such as the child living with or being regularly cared for by the grandparent for 6 consecutive months, or frequent contact for 12 consecutive months. The case is filed in the county where the child lives. Source: KRS 405.021 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Kentucky Bar Association does not run a referral service; as a public service it lists regional lawyer referral services that are "not affiliated with the Kentucky Bar Association": Central Kentucky Lawyer Referral Service, (859) 225-8644, weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott and Woodford counties); Kentucky Lawyer Referral Service, (502) 583-1801, weekdays 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Jefferson and surrounding counties, plus several southern Indiana counties); and Northern Kentucky Bar Association Lawyer Referral Services, (859) 781-1525 (Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Kenton, Owen and Pendleton counties). The KBA also offers a Directory of Kentucky Attorneys. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Kentucky Bar Association's Find a Lawyer page (Directory of Kentucky Attorneys) lets the public search for Kentucky attorneys; the KBA also posts a list of currently suspended and disbarred lawyers. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints about Kentucky lawyers go to the KBA's Office of Bar Counsel on its sworn complaint form, which must have a notarized signature; complaints cannot be submitted by phone, email or fax. Use one form per attorney (not a firm), state specifically what the lawyer did or failed to do, list witnesses, and attach copies (not originals) of documents. Complaints are first reviewed to see whether they allege an investigable ethics violation; the complainant is a witness, not a party, and the matter is confidential at this stage under SCR 3.150. To have a form mailed, call (502) 564-3795 ext. 723. Kentucky Bar Association: 514 W. Main St., Frankfort, KY 40601. Attorney discipline: https://kybar.org/For-Members/Office-of-Bar-Counsel/Attorney-Discipline |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Kentucky's LSC-funded legal aid organizations give free civil legal help to eligible low-income people by region: Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky (AppalReD), Kentucky Legal Aid, Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and Legal Aid Society (Louisville). The Kentucky Bar Association notes, "If you cannot afford an attorney, a legal aid program may be able to help." |
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Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.