{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-625.0405","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 625.0405","heading":"Appointment of attorney to represent indigent parent for termination of","body":"rights for purpose of adoption -- Expenses paid by prospective adoptive\nparents to be submitted to court -- Penalty.\n(1) A parent desiring the termination of his or her parental rights and a transfer of the\nparental rights to a person, persons, the cabinet, or a child -placing agency licensed\nby the cabinet for the purpose of adoption may prior to or upon the filing of the\npetition request the Circuit Court to appoint an attorney t o represent the parent and\nprovide legal representation in the termination action. If the court determines\npursuant to KRS Chapter 31 that the requesting parent is indigent, the court shall\nappoint an attorney (within forty -eight (48) hours) to represent t he indigent parent.\nThe attorney for the indigent parent shall receive a fee to be fixed by the court, not\nto exceed five hundred dollars ($500) and assessed as costs, and the court may order\nthe costs to be paid by the proposed adoptive parent, parents, o r agency before the\nentry of a judgment of termination, except the attorney's fee shall be paid by the\nFinance and Administration Cabinet if termination is not granted, or if custody of\nthe child is placed with the cabinet.\n(2) (a) In every voluntary termi nation proceeding, the expenses paid, including but\nnot limited to any fees for legal services, placement services, and expenses of\nthe biological parent or parents, by the prospective adoptive parent for any\npurpose related to a termination of parental ri ghts shall be submitted to the\ncourt, supported by an affidavit, setting forth in detail a listing of the expenses\nfor the court's approval or modification.\n(b) In the event the court modifies the expense request as it relates to legal fees\nand legal expenses only, the attorney for the prospective adoptive parents shall\nnot have any claim against the prospective adoptive parents for the amount not\napproved.\n(3) Any person who violates subsection (2) of this section shall be guilty of a Class A\nmisdemeanor.","path":["KRS Chapter 625"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=20245","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:08Z","sha256":"0253aa5557eaf68368fe030e8f681c59a1a8e7e5340880e428c1192775ea7cc6","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-625.0403","next":"us-ky/krs-625.0407"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}