Marriage

You may obtain a marriage license and get married at 18. You apply for a marriage license at any County Clerk’s office. 

Once married, you will have certain legal benefits and responsibilities as a married person.  The government recognizes you as married and you may, but are not required to, change your legal name.  Your legal responsibilities also include an obligation to support each other and the children of the marriage.  The property you and your spouse get during the marriage may also become marital property. The marriage will also create certain legal rights in the event of a divorce or the death of a spouse.

Divorce

Each state has different laws which govern divorce.  Kentucky is a “No Fault” state, meaning that the grounds for divorce is simply no longer getting along or what is called the “irretrievable” breakdown of marriage. Neither party has to prove there was fault during the marriage to obtain a divorce. 

You file for divorce through court and after an agreement, or alternative dispute resolution, a divorce will allocate the marital property between the parties, restore each party to his or her non-marital property, determine custody, timesharing, and financial support. Once you are divorced, you are restored to the status of a single person.