Contested Divorce in Northern Kentucky

Prepared Advocacy for Unresolved Divorce Disputes

A contested divorce requires careful preparation when spouses can’t agree on parenting, property, support, or other terms. Schaffner Family Law & Mediation represents Northern Kentucky clients with direct guidance, detailed case preparation, and a clear strategy for pursuing settlement or presenting unresolved issues in court.

Established by Tasha K. Schaffner in 2002, we’re a boutique, all-female family law firm with a team of seven women. We limit our caseload to remain hands-on with each case. We carefully draft and review motions, agreements, and parenting plans while providing candid advice about legal options, costs, and risks.

Call (859) 577-7552 to discuss your contested divorce and the issues that need to be addressed.

Issues That Can Make a Kentucky Divorce Contested

A divorce is contested when spouses haven’t agreed on one or more issues required to finalize the case. That doesn’t mean every issue must go to trial. Spouses may settle some terms through negotiation or mediation while asking the court to decide the remaining disputes.

Contested cases commonly involve:

• Division of marital property and responsibility for debts
• Identification and assignment of nonmarital property
• Child custody, parenting time, and child support
• Spousal maintenance
• Valuation or division of business interests

Kentucky courts assign each spouse’s nonmarital property before dividing marital property in just proportions, a process sometimes called equitable property distribution. A just division depends on the circumstances and isn’t necessarily equal.

For child custody, Kentucky law begins with a rebuttable presumption that joint custody and equally shared parenting time serve a child’s best interests. This starting point can be challenged with evidence. A court may award spousal maintenance when the requesting spouse lacks sufficient property for reasonable needs and can’t support themselves through appropriate employment.

Courtroom Advocacy & Negotiated Resolution

We assess which issues may be resolved through direct negotiation or mediation and which require a judge’s decision. We don’t push unnecessary conflict, but we prepare thoroughly when litigation is needed.

Mediation allows spouses to negotiate disputed terms with a neutral facilitator. Our attorneys hold state certification to conduct private domestic relations mediations. We’re also formally trained in Collaborative Law and belong to the Academy of Northern Kentucky Collaborative Professionals.

Tasha K. Schaffner has an extensive track record before the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the Kentucky Supreme Court, including family law cases that established legal precedents. We represent clients whose divorces involve business ownership, substantial assets, military issues, or same-sex marriage.

The Contested Divorce Process in Northern Kentucky

Each case develops according to its disputes and evidence, but the process generally follows several core stages. At each one, we explain what’s happening, what information is required, and what decisions may be approaching.

The process may include:

• Petition and service: The case begins by filing the divorce petition and serving the other spouse.
• Financial disclosures: Each spouse exchanges a verified preliminary disclosure statement listing income, assets, and debts early in the case.
• Temporary orders: Temporary Motion Hour may address pendency orders governing immediate issues while the divorce remains pending.
• Discovery: When disclosures don’t provide the necessary information, formal discovery may include interrogatories, document requests, subpoenas, depositions, or forensic accountants.
• Mediation: Most Northern Kentucky judges require mediation before setting a trial date.
• Trial and decree: If mediation doesn’t resolve every dispute, a judge considers the evidence and applicable law before deciding the remaining issues and entering a Final Decree.

Throughout these stages, we provide straightforward advice about settlement opportunities, litigation risks, and the decisions affecting your children, finances, and future.

Get Clear Guidance for Your Contested Divorce

Our contact form offers a convenient way to tell us about the unresolved issues in your divorce. We can assess the dispute and explain the available paths through negotiation, mediation, or court.

Call (859) 577-7552 to speak with us about contested divorce representation in Northern Kentucky.