Lexington, KY Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Lexington, KY Consumers

Kentucky Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Kentucky PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Fayette County: Key information about your local probate court (District Court in Kentucky) for Fayette County.
• How Probate Works in Kentucky: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Fayette County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Kentucky probate forms from the Kentucky probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Kentucky: Learn how to use Kentucky's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In Kentucky, there's no Affidavit procedure available for small estates. There is a summary probate procedure available for estates that are less than $30,000, there is no Will, and there is a surviving spouse. This procedure is also available if there is no surviving spouse and someone else has paid at least $30,000 in preferred claims.

    Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann 391.030, 395.455

• Kentucky Estate Taxes:

  • Kentucky, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in Kentucky. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Kentucky Wage & Hour Law

• Kentucky Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in Kentucky is the same as the federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.

    Fayette County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Fayette County is $7.25 an hour, the state minimum wage. Kentucky law prohibits city and county governments from adopting a local minimum wage that's higher than the state minimum wage. 

    Lexington Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Lexington is $7.25 an hour. The city of Lexington passed an ordinance setting a higher local minimum wage ($8.20, to start) in 2015. After this ordinance was passed, however, Kentucky's Supreme Court found that cities and local governments don't have the right to raise the minimum wage. As a result, Lexington employees are entitled only to the federal minimum wage, currently $7.25.

  • Learn more about Kentucky’s minimum wage and pay laws at https://labor.ky.gov/standards/Pages/Wages-and-Hours.aspx.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Kentucky and whether they apply to you.

  • If you work more than 40 hours in a workweek, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each overtime hour you work, unless you are exempt. If you work seven days in a workweek, your employer must also pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for work on the seventh day. See Kentucky Wage and Hour Laws, at the website of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, for more information on overtime rules and exemptions in Kentucky.

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Kentucky. 

  • The Kentucky Labor Cabinet has posted an online wage complaint form at its website. 

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Kentucky.

  • In Kentucky, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Kentucky law from the Kentucky Labor Cabinet. 502-564-3534

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Kentucky Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Kentucky: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Kentucky, unemployment benefits range from $39 per week to $665 per week.
  • Formula:

    In Kentucky, your weekly benefit amount will be 1.1923% of your wages during the entire base period. 

  • Duration:

    In Kentucky, the duration of benefits depends on the state's unemployment rate when you apply. The maximum period for which you can receive benefits ranges from 12 to 24 weeks. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Kentucky.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Kentucky MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Fayette County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free Kentucky BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Kentucky law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• Kentucky BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in Kentucky 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Kentucky Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Fayette County: Fayette County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Kentucky Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Kentucky!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Kentucky? Learn about whether Kentucky imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Fayette County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Kentucky, Fayette County, Lexington 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Lexington, KY.
• Gerrymandering in Kentucky: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Lexington, KY

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration
• Legal Aid in Kentucky:
  • Legal Aid Network of Kentucky 
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