Kentucky Law Survey: Domestic Relations

The following article presents a survey of domestic relations law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. During the survey period, the Kentucky appellate courts faced a series of cases that involved not only the usual problems relating to property division, post divorce support obligations and child custody, but which also implicated a number of federal statutory attempts\u27 to regulate areas long considered solely the province of state regulation. The presence of new federal legislation in these areas represents Congressional attempts to solve some major difficulties in the domestic relations area. Few persons would argue, for example, that the battle for jurisdiction in child custody cases was either helpful or appropriate in resolving custody disputes in a manner best serving the interest of the child. Without suggesting that such legislation is necessarily inappropriate, it is important to point out that the entry of federal legislation into this area provides new and substantial pitfalls for the practicing attorney and his or her client. For that reason, the cases faced by the courts this survey period are especially important