Divorce Attorney in Shelbyville

Getting a divorce is a major step that will impact virtually every area of your life for years to come. For anyone who is in the situation, it is a very stressful time. There is usually a high amount of uncertainty about the future; what life will be like without your spouse, how the kids will adjust, how you will get by financially, and many other concerns. When you enter this process, you need strong legal counsel in your corner working hard to protect your rights and interests.

At John H. Ruby & Associates, we have over two decades of experience helping individuals in Shelbyville and communities throughout the Louisville area with divorce and all other types of family legal matters. Our lawyers have extensive knowledge of this area of the law, and we work closely with our clients, providing skilled legal guidance and moral support to help them through one the most difficult times in their lives.

We also focus heavily on related practice areas such as estate planning and business law. This gives us an in-depth understanding of the big picture, how these areas of law intertwine, and how to effectively prepare our clients for any future legal issues that may result from their divorce.

Oftentimes, divorce is not an “I win, you lose” proposition. There may be children involved, and the preservation of delicate family relationships may be at stake. We understand this, and we work hard to develop workable and peaceable resolutions that all parties can live with, while at the same time making sure that your interests are fully protected. Hopefully, this can be done without a costly and protracted court battle. But if there is no other way to settle your differences amicably, then we are ready and able to advocate forcefully on your behalf through litigation.

Experience that Makes the Difference

We handle all aspects of the divorce process for clients in Shelbyville and the surrounding areas. This includes but is not limited to:

• Child Support: We work hard to secure a child support arrangement that is fair, provides for your children, and is in-keeping with Kentucky guidelines.
• Child Custody and Visitation: Child custody can be one of the most emotionally charged issues in a divorce. In Kentucky, shared custody is the default arrangement, but it is not always that simple. Sometimes, a 50/50 shared parenting time schedule is not realistic, and an alternative arrangement needs to be worked out based on the specific circumstances of each case.
• Property Division: Dividing marital property is another potentially contentious issue that divorcing spouses have to deal with. Kentucky is an “equitable distribution” state, which means that marital property is not automatically divided 50/50 during a divorce. Division of assets and debts during a divorce is usually worked out between the spouses and their attorneys. And if no agreement can be reached, the court has the final say.
• Alimony: Also known as spousal maintenance or spousal support, alimony may be ordered by the court during a divorce, although there is no guarantee that this will be the case. There are a number of factors that are looked at to help determine if alimony is appropriate, and the court’s decision hinges largely on the strength of the arguments presented by the respective parties’ legal teams.
• Divorce Tax Consequences: The dissolution of your marriage will have some type of impact on your tax situation. For starters, your tax filing status will change from “married filing jointly” to “married filing separately”, “single”, or “head of household” depending on the timing of your divorce filing and what status you qualify for. There may also be some assets that must be liquidated and other transactions that could affect your taxes. You need to be aware of these issues and adequately prepare for them so there are no unpleasant surprises at tax time.
• Post-Decree Modifications and Enforcement: When a divorce is finalized, that is not the end of the story. Life goes on, and changes in circumstances sometimes make it necessary to petition the court for a modification of the original divorce decree. There are also instances when one of the ex-spouses is not fulfilling their obligations, such as when a non-custodial parent refuses to pay child support. In such cases, you may need to go back to the court and ask them to enforce the terms and conditions of the decree.

Over the years, we have handled a number of highly specialized divorce cases, such as:

• Military Divorces: There are a lot of members of the Armed Forces that are stationed in Kentucky. And when those in the military get divorced, there are some unique issues that need to be dealt with; such as the filing and timing of a divorce when a soldier is deployed overseas, and the fact that much of the compensation for military members comes in the form of non-monetary benefits such as housing allowances and other services.
• High Net Worth Divorces: Couples with significant assets typically have very complicated financial situations. This may include family-owned or closely held businesses, complex business arrangements (such as stock options and deferred compensation), real estate holdings, stocks, bonds, international investments, and equine assets. To effectively handle this type of divorce, you need a lawyer with an in-depth understanding of the financial issues involved. It may also be necessary to bring in outside specialists such as CPAs and financial professionals to assist with various aspects of the process.
• Divorces with Special Needs Children: When parents with special needs children decide to end their marriage, there are some unique factors that need to be looked at that other couples would not have to face. For example, there are important considerations in the areas of healthcare and ensuring that the child’s medical needs are met, the most comfortable environment for the child to live in, how often he/she should move from one parent to the other, specialized educational needs, the potential for child support to extend beyond age 18, and many others.
• Divorces with Stay-At-Home Parents: Divorce is always stressful, but for a stay-at-home parent, it can be downright terrifying. By definition, stay-at-home parents have been out of the workforce for some period of time, and there will most certainly be a period of adjustment when they suddenly become single. There are few parties that go into the divorce process with a greater disadvantage than a stay-at-home parent. If you are in this position, you need a lawyer who understands the issues you are dealing with and is committed to securing a settlement that provides for your future.

Contact a Knowledgeable and Compassionate Shelbyville, KY Divorce Lawyer

if you are facing a divorce in Shelbyville or anywhere in the Louisville area, contact John H. Ruby & Associates for assistance. Call our office today at 502-895-2626 or message us online to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. We look forward to going to work for you!