{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-645.060","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 645.060","heading":"Procedures upon filing petition -- Appointment of counsel.","body":"(1) Upon receipt of a petition for certification, the court shall appoint counsel from the\nDepartment of Public Advocacy to represent the child at every stage of the\nproceedings.\n(2) Within seven (7) days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, of the filing of a\npetition, counsel shall advise the court in writing whether the child wishes to\ncontest the petition:\n(a) If the child does not wish to contest the petition, the court may order the child\nhospitalized for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days; and\n(b) If the child wishes to contest the petition, a certification hearing shall be held\nwithin seven (7) days, exclusive of weekends and holidays, of the filing of the\nchild's wishes. Pending the certification hearing, the child's placement shall\nremain unchanged  unless the court finds a change would promote the best\ninterest of the child.\n(3) The court may order the parents to pay for the child's counsel.","path":["KRS Chapter 645"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=20328","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:09Z","sha256":"013ca5a29bc8429c9b4671a5a8d473a366bd500c1d276aac40e40f776529e414","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-645.050","next":"us-ky/krs-645.070"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}