Kentucky

Alliance Peacemaking: Conflict Coach

Posted on January 24, 2018
I have benefited immensely from the alternative conflict resolution training offered by Alliance Peacemaking. Even though I am already a certified Family and Divorce Mediator in Kentucky, I have sharpened skills, gained insights, and adopted some effective approaches through the … Continue reading →

Divorcing Without a Lawyer: Mediation

Posted on January 19, 2018
As a supplement to my first post on Divorcing Without a Lawyer, I wanted to offer another cost saving approach when you do not or cannot pay for a lawyer. A good, qualified family law mediator can help avoid some … Continue reading →

Divorcing Without a Lawyer

Posted on January 17, 2018
Many people get divorced without hiring a lawyer. This is perfectly legitimate and it might save a whole lot of money. Those who are likely candidates for going the self-help route are those couples who are in entire agreement on … Continue reading →

Family Law, Mediation, and so much more

Posted on September 06, 2017
Family law encompasses a wider array of services beyond divorce, legal separation, child custody, timeshare and child support. I provide high quality and affordable family mediation services. Furthermore, I have extensive experience in both domestic and international adoptions and I … Continue reading →

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Domestic Violence & Mediation

Posted on June 29, 2017
Often, this two-step mediation process will be the first experience each party has had with resolving a conflict without the burden of powering up or giving in. Continue reading →

Next Gen. Mediation

Posted on June 14, 2017
There is a better model of mediation! Continue reading →

Affordable Mediation

Posted on May 22, 2017
I apologize for the redundancy, but I realized my last post that addressed the issue of affordable medation was quite long and so some may not have gotten to the important part. So far as I know, I am the … Continue reading →

How Mediation can be like MMA

Posted on April 14, 2017
I know, you thought I was talking about Mixed Martial Arts. And, truth be told, I have seen some mediations that wanted to go the route of verbal MMA. But, even that can be turned to a productive session. Actually, … Continue reading →

Predictable Litigation Results

Posted on February 28, 2017
The results from litigating always fall into one of two outcomes: either one party wins and the other loses or both parties lose. This is because litigation is an adversarial process where parties seek to beat one another. And, both … Continue reading →

Christmas Conflict

Posted on November 14, 2016
The words Christmas and conflict really do not belong together and yet, the holidays seem to offer lots of opportunities for conflict. Family members come together, expectations run high. Time runs low. Stresses increase. It is an odd thing that … Continue reading →

If you want an expensive divorce ? get an aggressive lawyer

Posted on June 19, 2010
So, why do these lawyers resort to such psychological assualts? Well, the most cynical answer is that it pays! People in divorces are likely at the angriest point in their lives and all that anger is focused on the one person they are convinced has ruined their life...

Need debt relief? Beware of advertised debt solution centers

Posted on January 23, 2010
Check out this post at Kentucky Bankruptcy Law to avoid being ripped off.

Personal Soap Box: Insight Communications, Inc & the ?bundling? trap

Posted on January 17, 2009
First of all, Insight is engaging in poor business practices in that they effectively punish people who become loyal customers. The second lesson then is that our reluctance to change is our enemy. The third lesson is that when a company gets large enough, they no longer have to reckon with the individual customer...

Best Practice in Dependency, Abuse & Neglect Matters

Posted on January 02, 2009
I am writing this to correct any idea that I inadvertently promoted that being adversarial with the Cabinet is the way to win your case (I mean adversarial in the sense of ones attitude rather than in the sense that the court process is an adversarial process)...

Stall Tactic - Involuntary Termination of Parental Rights

Posted on September 03, 2008
Kentucky sets forth the grounds for a court involuntarily terminating parental rights in KRS 625.090. The statute basically gives the essential elements, all of which much be proved by the heightened standard of “clear and convincing” evidence: the child has been abused or neglected (and there are three wasy to show this) and that [...

Array

Posted on August 30, 2008
Array

Accountability by the courts

Posted on August 10, 2008
A decsion rendered by the Kentucky Court of Appeals on May 16, 2008 reveals that the appellate courts are prepared to hold the Cabinet for Health and Family Services accountable in termination of parental rights cases. There are very few published opinions in Kentucky reversing involuntary terminations initiated by the Cabinet...

Crisis brewing

Posted on July 23, 2008
The Fayette County office of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Protection and Permanency, is already in crisis mode and headings towards disaster. According to one source, there are only a dozen investigating workers and, due to budget constraints, none are being hired...

Cabinet practice has huge unintended (or is it?) consequence

Posted on May 15, 2008
A routine practice by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Fayette County seems innocuous to the untrained eye, but it has a huge unintended consequence for certain parents. I wonder if this consequence is actually unintended, but absent confirmation, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt...

The Irony of No Child Left Behind (and Untested)

Posted on May 03, 2008
The Herald Leader ran this story about one ex-Principal, Peggy Petilli, allegedly (and believably) being driven to do questionable to downright crappy things to bring up her school’s test scores. The schools my own children go to focus so much on testing really high and the teaching is incredibly focused on “teaching to the [...

You can fight City (or State) Hall, Ms Hall:

Posted on May 03, 2008
I?ve been wanting to comment on the antics of Cabinet for Health and Family Services? Service Region Coordinator, Grace Akers, for some time. You can find out more about the events here and here from the Herald-Leader. Basically, Jami Hall, a social services worker from Jessamine Count cooperated with an investigation into Cabinet wrongdoing...

New Christian Legal Society forming:

Posted on March 23, 2008
A chapter of the Christian Legal Society is forming in the Bluegrass area of Kentucky. For more information about this forming CLS chapter, contact Gregory A. Napier in Lexington, Kentucky. Integrating one’s walk of faith with their practice of law, so that they are one and the same, will make the pursuit of [...

?Reasonable efforts? has real meaning

Posted on March 23, 2008
A recent decision of the Court of Appeals illustrates a an omission of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services that seems all too common. In the unpublished opinion, M.G.F. II v. CHFS, 2006-CA-002093-ME (March 21, 2008)(NOT to be published), the Court remanded an involuntary termination of parental rights case because the Cabinet failed [...

Off Topic: The silver lining of pharmaceuticals in water

Posted on March 10, 2008
George W. Bush goal of cutting $15 billion from Medicaid expenditures may be easier than he imaginied. Apparently medications are increasingly being found in our drinking water . These are apparently chemicals that pass unused through the humans taking the medications...

Improving Child Protection in Kentucky (Moment of Silence) postscript:

Posted on March 09, 2008
I followed up regarding my concerns, posted here, about Representative Stan Lee’s sweeping and innaccurate portrayal of ALL the family court judges in Fayette County being against ALL of HB 151. I have confirmed from a very knowledgeable and reliable source that ALL of the Fayette family court judges were, in actuality, in [...

Improving Child Protection in Kentucky Postscript (or - a moment of silence, please)

Posted on March 06, 2008
The title of this article from today’s Herald Leader was a bit too prophetic to be accidental: “Child protection revisions all but dead“. The impetus for this bill began back with the Office of Inspector General’s report many long months ago...

Systemic apathy and the attorney?s charge

Posted on February 22, 2008
Apathy is the predominate risk with judicial venues where the majority of defendants are guilty of what is alleged against them, such as criminal court or dependency, neglect and abuse court. This systemic apathy leads to the few truly innocent people who come through those courts to be shuffled along as expeditiously as possible [...

The Cabinet takes a stand for the ?best interest of the child (umm - no) . . . Cabinet/Worker?

Posted on February 17, 2008
I try to take at least 24 hours to calm down over a topic before I write a post about it. This time I took about 96 hours. I recently had a conversation with Cabinet worker’s in Fayette County. The topic was reunification services to a parent whose child was removed by [...

An example of resistance to change:

Posted on February 17, 2008
I encourage everyone to read this full article on an interview with Professor Robert G. Lawson in the Courier Journal. Bob Lawson is that rare individual who is willing to go against the popular tide and critical examine a position most take for granted and it was an honor to be taught by him...

The enemy, resistance

Posted on February 17, 2008
Its an obvious truth that people resist change. Systems resist change too. Resistance for the sake to resisting change is the enemy to individuals and to systems. We shut out possibilities and shut down creativity by resisting new perspectives and ideas...

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