KRS § 403.290 Court may interview child -- Court may seek advice of professional personnel -- Paid visitation supervisors and parenting coordinators. (Effective January 1, 2027)

403.290 Court may interview child -- Court may seek advice of professional personnel -- Paid visitation supervisors and parenting coordinators. (Effective January 1, 2027) (1) The court may interview the child in chambers to ascertain the child's wishes as to his or her custodian and as to visitation. The court may permit counsel to be present at the interview. The court shall cause a record of the interview to be made and to be part of the record in the case. (2) The court may seek the advice of professional personnel, whether or not employed by the court on a regular basis. The advice given shall be in writing and made available by the court to counsel upon request. Counsel may examine as a witness any professional personnel consulted by the court. (3) (a) Paid visitation supervisors and parenting coordinators in a custody proceeding under this chapter, whether appointed by the court or engaged by one (1) or more parties, shall document participation training focused on the following: 1. Early childhood, child, and adolescent development; 2. Dynamics of domestic violence; 3. Effects of domestic violence on adult and child victims; 4. Lethality and risk issues; 5. Model protocols for addressing domestic violence; 6. Available community resources and victim services; and 7. For paid visitation supervisors, the role of the paid supervisor and ethical principles of supervising visitation. (b) The training described in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall consist of: 1. Sixteen (16) hours of initial training before the paid visitation supervisor or parenting coordinator is eligible to provide services to a party to a custody proceeding; and 2. Eight (8) hours annually thereafter. Effective: January 1, 2027 History: Amended 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 92, sec. 4, effective January 1, 2027. -- Created 1972 Ky. Acts ch. 182, sec. 19.