Louisville Court Information

Before 1975, the Court of Kentucky was in chaos and needed reform. The structure of the court was very complicated. There were several levels of misdemeanor courts where the judges, in most of the cases, had no lawyer-background. The courts in Kentucky included Magistrate Courts, Municipal Courts, County Courts and Police Courts.

Finally, in 1975, the system was reformed by changing the Constitution which was created in 1840. On one hand, change brought a loss of judicial power of the judges, bringing them to the lesser status. On another hand, the new structure was more organized and transparent.

As a result, the concept of municipal courts does not exist anymore in Kentucky. Instead there are different courts that take care of cases presented before municipal courts. These courts are Family Courts, Probate Courts, Juvenile Courts or Drug Courts. These courts are clustered under Circuit Courts or District Courts.

Family and Juvenile Court System in Louisville

In the absence of Louisville Municipal Court, cases arising within Louisville are taken care of by these subdivisions. Louisville in Jefferson County is a part of the Family Court of Louisville in Jefferson County. Cases related to families are heard by it. It includes dissolution of marriage, support of spouse and children post-divorce, parental rights termination, domestic violence, issues of custody and visitation with children after divorce, and so on. If the case is not heard in Family Court of Louisville, it goes to the Court of Appeals.

You can reach Jefferson County’s Family Court by calling the Court Administration at (502) 595-4392 or the office of the Court Clerk at (502) 595-3025.

The Juvenile Court of Jefferson County sits at Louis D Brandeis Hall of Justice in Louisville. Juvenile Court hears cases of delinquency as well as abortion by consent, payment of restitution, non-support cases, etc. The address of the Justice Hall is:

Louis D. Brandeis Hall of Justice
600 W. Jefferson St.
2nd Floor, Room 2033
Louisville, KY 40202

For questions related to juvenile delinquency cases, call (502) 595-4433.

Louisville Probate Court

Louisville Probate Court hears cases of estates, name changed for guardianship, both for adult and children, settlements made up to $10,000 and trustee. The business hours of the Probate Court of Jefferson County are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. The Probate Court contact information is:

Louis D. Brandeis Hall of Justice
600 W. Jefferson St.
3rd Floor, Room #3001
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 595-4434

Paying Fines and Accessing Documents

Court charges for restitution payments are 5 percent of the amount. Payments of fines and other court costs are made at Rooms #1127 and #1146 of the Justice Hall.

Other proceedings like bonds, expungement of records, providing information regarding arrests, registration of vehicles or broken windshields are also done here. This office remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The office is on first floor and the phone numbers are (502) 595-3060 and (502) 595-3062.

Document copy costs are 25 cents per page, and certified copies are available for $5.

For more information visit http://courts.ky.gov/counties/Jefferson/hallofjustice.htm#11