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Kentucky’s Access To Justice Commission and Four Legal Aid Programs Announce Covid-19 Civil Legal Helpline

Kentucky’s Access to Justice Commission and the four Kentucky civil legal aid programs, AppalRed Legal Aid, Kentucky Legal Aid, Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, and Legal Aid Society, introduce

New Short Video Guides Kentuckians How to go to Court Alone

Going to court without an attorney is intimidating and can be confusing. Yet, as many as seventeen million people represent themselves in civil cases each year.1 This number is expected to increase as more Kentucky families experience civil legal issues as a result of Covid-19. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (LABG) is releasing “Your Day in Court: Representing Yourself in Kentucky Courts” a short animated video that educates self-represented litigants on court basics. 

LABG Housing Counselors Top of Their Field

In August 2017, the HUD Housing Counseling Exam became the new standard of certifying HUD housing counselors.  Regardless of one's years of experience in the housing field, the exam has gained a formidable reputation. Across the nation, only 26% of counselors have passed the exam and a passing grade is needed to continue representing clients with housing counseling dollars from HUD.  All counselors need to be certified by August 1, 2020.

Updates to Kentucky Expungement Law

A fresh start is available to more people this year with the passing of Senate Bill 57, which expands the list of expungable Class D felony convictions and lowers the costs associated with felony expungements.  While a person can still only expunge one lifetime Class D felony conviction, there is an exception or loophole that allows a person to expunge a second lifetime Class D felony, but only if they expunged the first Class D felony conviction prior to June 27, 2019.  In addition to the specific list of eligible Class D felony convictions found in K

A Reason to Appeal
Often times at Legal Aid of the Bluegrass, we find ourselves running into new frontiers of law and at the forefront of changing laws and interpretation of statutes.  In January 2016, some of those new laws took shape in Kentucky as an expansion of our ability to provide protection to the victims of domestic violence.  This change expanded the reach of our domestic violence laws to create what is called an “interpersonal protective order” - allowing victims of dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to receive orders of protection as well.  
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass Receives Technology Grant from the Legal Services Corporation

WASHINGTON – The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) has announced that Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (LABG) will receive a $176,966 Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) to reinvigorate and improve the Kentucky statewide legal information website, kyjustice.org. Established in 2000, LSC’s TIG program supports legal aid organizations in developing and replicating technologies that improve efficiency and provide greater access to high-quality legal assistance.

Landlords Aren't Lawyers

For years, landlords have been evicting clients by incorrect process. Recently, Legal Aid took on this issue and in a recently published decision the Kentucky Court of Appeals held that the housing authority executive director who is a non-attorney has no authority in a legal capacity. In Hornsby v. Housing Authority of Dry Ridge, 566 S.W.3d 587, the Court of Appeals ruled that an executive director of a housing authority who files a forcible detainer action without an attorney engages in the unauthorized practice of law.

Managing Grief and a Looming Foreclosure

When a loved one passes, the burden of finalizing affairs often falls to the people closest to the deceased. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass helped a woman living in Scott County regain stability and move forward after the death of her husband but only after a series of mishaps.

Family Law Statutory Changes

In April 2017, Governor Matt Bevin signed a bill into law which mandates that custody cases in Kentucky begin with the presumption of joint custody and equally shared parenting.  The new law presumes that children are better off when both parents are involved.  The statutory changes apply the presumption of joint custody and equally shared parenting to both initial custody determinations and custody modifications. The Kentucky General Assembly previously passed a measure last year applying the presumption to temporary custody orders.

The Opioid Crisis in Kentucky

Easy access to opioids and poor living conditions are leading many Kentuckians to becoming addicted and overdosing from substance abuse. In 2016, 1404 Kentuckians overdosed, a nearly 13% increase from the previous year.  Our 33 county service region has been hit hard by this crisis. This is partially due to the location of our service region. Several counties are located on the borders of Ohio and West Virginia, two states that rank high in opioid related issues.

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