Plain Kentucky guidesfor the moments that change a family.
A loss. A new baby. A parent who is starting to need help. These are the moments when a few Kentucky documents quietly matter most — and when the law is hardest to think about clearly. Each guide below is written by Durward Elton Johnson, a Kentucky-licensed attorney, for one person at a time. They are general orientation, not legal advice for your specific situation, and they are free to read.
The first thirty days after a parent dies.
Social Security to notify, death certificates to order, the will to find, and the big question of whether the estate needs Kentucky probate — in the order most families face them.
Read the 30-day checklistA new baby changes one legal thing most Kentucky parents miss.
Who would raise your child if you couldn’t? The few documents Kentucky parents typically record first — and why the guardian decision is the one not to put off.
Read the new-parent guideWhen a parent is starting to need help.
The documents that let you step in for an aging parent — pay their bills, talk to their doctors, honor their wishes — before a crisis forces the family into court.
Read the aging-parent guideThese pages are general orientation, not legal advice for your specific situation. Bluegrass Cornerstone is a service of Johnson Legal PLLC, a Kentucky law firm. An attorney-client relationship with Johnson Legal PLLC is formed only by a signed engagement letter following a conflict check, not by visiting this site.