An uncontested divorce means that there is no disagreement on any aspect of the separation (including the division of any property, custody of the children, child support, etc).  If there is any disagreement, then you need to simply hire a different attorney to file a contested divorce.  However, keep in mind that each of you will will have to pay your own attorneys, and each of those will run at least ten times the amount that it costs to hire Ryan Allison do file an uncontested divorce in Kentucky.

Unlike websites where you just download forms, you will work with a real attorney to navigate the Kentucky divorce system for only $400 from intake to the final judgment. You will pay a separate fee of approximately $230, which covers costs and the filing fee. We will pay the filing fee directly to the Circuit Clerk’s office when we file the divorce.  After you fill out the packet, you have the option of paying now or paying at a later date.

We handle a high volume of uncontested divorces and use an efficient system to complete them conveniently. We also understand that you are going through a difficult time, and we agree with you that paying a lot of money for something that you both already agree to is unnecessary.

The $400 attorney fee covers all the paperwork and allows us to finalize your divorce as quickly as possible. There is also a separate fee of $230 that covers costs and the filing fee.  In most cases, these two amounts are all that you will pay.  We offer other services during the divorce, depending on your needs.  For example, if you and your spouse own a home together and you need to remove one of you from the deed through this divorce, we charge an additional $50 to do a quitclaim deed to make that happen.

Yes. You will pay a separate fee of approximately $230 to cover costs and the filing fee. If you need to get one spouse’s name off a property deed, we charge an additional $50 to do such a document (called a quitclaim deed).

I can file your divorce if either you or your spouse have been a Kentucky resident for the past six months.

We don’t recommend it and have written about it HERE.  There is a stack of legal pleadings that you need to file, and each has to follow a very specific format. Also, each local court in Kentucky sets specific rules for how you must file or submit pleadings, so the process can vary depending on where you file your case.  Websites that offer to generate the paperwork for you rarely get it right. The price here is not much different than you pay to download generic forms from an online site.  But with us, you know you’ll be doing it right.

Once you both have signed all of the documents, we file the signed pleadings with the court.  That starts a mandatory waiting period.  If you have children under 18, Kentucky law requires the parties to wait 60 days after filing the divorce before the judge can sign the final order. If there are no children, our local rules require you to wait 30 days before the judge will sign the final order.

No. Our firm handles the case and pleadings in a way that does not require either of you to go to court to give testimony to a courtroom full of people.  We do it all on paper.

No. In Kentucky, you can file for divorce in any county in the state. We file all our divorces in one of 4 counties that are local to our law firm because we are very familiar with our local courts’ requirements and expectations. These counties may or may not be the country where either of your live, so take this into consideration when hiring our firm.

You and your spouse will sign a printed copy of the pleadings.  A notary public must witness your signatures and sign at the same time as you. While you will sign the same documents, you and your spouse do NOT have to sign together or at the same time.  You also do not have to use the same notary.  You can sign the paperwork at different times with different notaries if you want.

No.  You can sign separately and never have any contact during the entire process.

Yes. You can review the documents over email, and then you and your spouse can physically sign them either together or separately. You can even use your own notary if that is more convenient for you or your spouse.  Please note that we cannot notarize signatures for your spouse unless you are present as well.

Yes.  All you have to do is tell us what name you want to go back to and the judge will likely grant the name change.  You’d still have to take further steps like visiting the Social Security office or driver license office/DMV to make sure your personal and financial documents reflect the change.

Then it is no longer an uncontested divorce.  Make sure that BEFORE you hire us that you both agree to everything.

The divorce will proceed in the same way, but there is a 60-day waiting period required under Kentucky law once we get file the signed documents.  The court cannot sign the final divorce decree until 60 days have passed.  We let you know when that date will be.

It’s easy.  Just make sure you include the details of the agreement(s) in the packet you fill out for us.

Yes, they can. As long as the two of you agree, the divorce will reflect it.

Yes, but a Kentucky court will not grant the divorce until after the baby is born.  This is because Kentucky law clearly states that when a pregnancy occurs during a marriage, it legally considers the non-pregnant spouse as a parent. It does not matter if the baby belongs to another person or not. The court must determine the paternity of the baby during the divorce. If the parties are in agreement, there are papers you can sign after the child’s birth to clear this up and allow the divorce to proceed.  It is very important that you let us know as soon as you aware aware of the pregnancy.

That’s okay.  We can mail the divorce documents to your spouse for signature. They can use their own notary if possible. They would need to mail the signed documents back to us.

It does not matter.  As long as he or she agrees to the divorce and is willing to sign with a notary, the court will grant the divorce.

It does not matter.  As long as he or she agrees to the divorce and is willing to sign with a notary, the court will grant the divorce.

As long as he or she agrees to the divorce and is willing to sign with a notary, the court will grant the divorce.

No. Kentucky law requires you and your spouse to live separately for 60 days before the court can grant the divorce. “Separated” has a legal definition that is different from the the normal use of the word.  Separation means basically “no longer living together as man and wife.”  This could mean that you live separately in different homes, but it also means that you have been living together without sexual co-habitation.

Very little if none at all.  Kentucky law requires both parties to agree that the marriage is “irretrievably broken.”  After that, only statistical information is provided to the court (dates of birth, date of marriage, date of separation, etc) to ensure that you qualify for a divorce. .

No. Kentucky is a “no-fault” state. The reasons for the divorce are irrelevant.

No. You are free to list as many or as few assets as you want.  If the two of you can informally divide assets, or if you already have done so, we can just put that in the paperwork and the court will respect your privacy.  There is a form that each party signs agreeing that they are not hiding any assets from the other.  We typically suggest listing the very important assets like houses, cars, etc.

Probably not.  Annulments are very rare under Kentucky law.  Annulments only apply to very specific situations like:

1. Mental incapacity
2. Lack of capacity to consent due to alcohol, drugs, or incapacitating substances
3. Force or duress
4. Fraud
5. Lack of consummation of the marriage

In other words, courts look to whether consent was valid or if there was some sort of fraud or misrepresentation.  The vast majority of cases do not qualify for annulments, but if you feel that the validity of the marriage is in question, please contact us today to discuss.

Yes. After you sign up with us, you can take as long paying on the fee that you need to.  We will prepare the paperwork and court pleadings after you pay the $400 fee. If you need additional time to pay the $230 costs and filing fee, we can put the case on hold until then.  Please feel free to ask us any questions regarding this.

It does not matter. Sometimes one spouse pays the entire amount, sometimes the spouses split the costs in some way.  But it is important to note that Ryan Allison does not represent BOTH of you in this divorce.  The spouse who contacts our office will be the client. The other spouse may review the documentation with their own attorney if they wish.

Our law firm does not file contested divorces.  We only do uncontested divorces.  A contested divorce can cost EACH spouse between $3,000 and $10,000.  You may know someone who has paid much more than that. The cost of a contested divorce is why it is advisable to first explore the possibility of an uncontested divorce.  However, if an uncontested divorce is just not something that the two of you can agree on, you should contact a contested-divorce attorney as soon as possible.

We can incorporate that into the divorce while protecting the privacy and details of the prenuptial agreement.

Yes. If you provide us a copy of your currently-filed deed we will prepare for you a quitclaim deed that transfers the property into one spouse’s name. After both of you properly execute the deed, you will file it in the county in which the property is located. That quitclaim deed can then be provided to the mortgage company along with the final divorce judgment to make sure the property goes into the name of one spouse.

Yes.  Each party is always free to petition the court to make any changes (child support, child custody, etc.).

Each party is always free to petition the court to make any changes (child support, child custody, etc) or to enforce any agreements from the divorce.

Yes. Call our office at 859-498-1283 and simply say that you would like a divorce packet mailed to you.