A CIVIL LITIGATION LAW FIRM SERVING CENTRAL AND EASTERN KENTUCKY
PRACTICE
AREAS
Childers & Baxter, PLLC is a civil litigation firm with an excellent reputation and over 50 years of combined litigation experience in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, as well as trial courts across central and eastern Kentucky, the Kentucky Court of Appeals, and the Kentucky Supreme Court. Let our decades of combined experience work for you.
ENVIRONMENTAL/LAND USE
We represent persons who have been harmed by the coal, oil and gas industries. We also represent persons in zoning disputes and appeals.
PROPERTY
We litigate claims for trespass and nuisance, quiet title actions, and cases to recover coal, oil, and gas royalties owed to land owners. We also litigate issues related to the purchase and sale of real estate.
EMPLOYMENT
We have represented numerous public and private employees who have been wrongfully harassed, been subjected to discrimination or retaliation, and wrongfully terminated from employment. We also represent employees in disciplinary hearings, and wage and hour claims.
CIVIL RIGHTS
We litigate employment issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, First Amendment retaliation, and due process.
PERSONAL INJURY
We represent persons who have experienced automobile collisions, slip and fall accidents, premises liability incidents, and other negligence and tort law cases.
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
We litigate contract disputes and commercial torts.
PROBATE & ESTATE LITIGATION
Probate
We help ensure that you carry out the process of administering an estate correctly, and that all the legalities are followed according to estate laws.
Estate Litigation
We assist in Estate and Trust litigation matters related to power of attorney, loss of capacity, transfer of wealth, recovery of assets transferred by undue influence, financial abuse or resulting trusts. We have expertise and the understanding of the sensitivity around estate matters.
Estate Planning
We assist individuals with personal estate planning, including Wills, Powers of Attorney, Trusts and Personal Directives. We understand the importance of creating an individualized estate plan concerning the transfer of our clients’ wealth to their intended beneficiaries. We advise each client based on their unique circumstances to create a customized and practical estate plan.
This is an advertisement. Information on this website is for general information purposes only and should not be taken as legal advice..
OUR VISION
We strive to provide economical service, deliver successful results, and build extraordinary client relationships.
We are a small firm, and our relationship with clients is paramount. If you call us to talk about your case, we will be here to talk to you.
The law is complex, and the legal process can be stressful. It is important to us to simplify the process while helping you understand it. When you engage our firm, you can expect to get answers to your questions.
OUR ATTORNEYS
JOE F. CHILDERS
Working to protect Kentucky’s most vulnerable citizens and natural landscapes has long been Joe’s personal and professional passion. As an undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky, Joe successfully lobbied for Appalachian studies curricula and the formation of the UK Appalachian Center. As a law student, Joe spent his summers working throughout east Kentucky and central Appalachia with the Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force documenting absentee land and mineral ownership by out of state energy giants. This work inspired the creation of the Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition, which later became Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. Joe started his legal career with the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund (AppalRed) in Jackson, Kentucky, and has now been in private practice for forty years. He represented landowners in some of Kentucky’s most important mineral and tax litigation, which led to major reforms in property tax of unmined minerals and passage of the Broad Form Deed Amendment to the Kentucky Constitution in 1988.
From 1988 to 1992, Joe was a partner of Shepherd & Childers, where he practiced with now Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd. From 2007 to 2011, Joe was a partner in Getty & Childers, a Lexington civil litigation firm. In 2012, Joe started Joe F. Childers & Associates, the predecessor to Childers & Baxter, PLLC. Joe has served on the boards of the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, Kentucky State University, Kentucky Employers Mutual Insurance Company, the State Board of Claims, and as Commissioner on the State Mine Safety Review Commission and the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Since 2015, Joe has served as Board Chair of the Kentucky Resources Council. Joe and his wife Denise have two adult children.
BETHANY N. BAXTER
Bethany was born and raised in Lexington, and as an environmental studies major at Sewanee: The University of the South, developed a deep appreciation for Appalachian culture and ecology. After graduating, Bethany spent a couple of years working at the Appalshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky, and then went on to earn a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before deciding to go to law school. During law school at the UK College of Law, Bethany served as an articles editor for the Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law. Upon graduating in 2012, Bethany was awarded the Faculty Cup for her outstanding contribution to the law school. After working as a staff attorney for the Franklin Circuit Court Division I, Bethany began as an associate at Joe F. Childers & Associates in 2014.
Bethany currently serves on the board of the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust and the Good Shepherd Day School, and has previously served on the boards of Appalshop, Inc. and the Mentelle Neighborhood Association. Bethany is a volunteer administrative hearing officer for LFUCG and serves as a small claims mediator for the Fayette District Court. Bethany and her partner Willie have three young children.
CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
"We prevailed! Thank you to the firm Childers & Baxter for your hard work, commitment, and dedication to my case. I believe you and your firm were "GOD SENT" in my time of need. There are few firms willing to take cases such as mine and you saw it through. Principle and honesty are important to me, and it was wonderful to work with attorneys who share these values." -- Wanda Wallen
"My experience with Childers and Baxter was extraordinary. They take the time to listen to what you have to say. They would answer my calls any time of the day or return my calls as soon as they possibly could. They are there to work for you and to get you what you deserve." -- Colleen Fannin
"Joe is a friendly, down-to-earth person and an attorney who will fight for your rights. He is a staunch advocate who is willing to stand up and fight for his clients. I would recommend him to anyone." -- Shane Marcum
"Bethany Baxter was recommended to me by an attorney friend of mine, for some advice. Bethany did not hesitate to jump in and investigate my particular situation. While she could have been too busy for me, only giving me a few minutes of her time, she did research, gave me suggestions, and was so kind and helpful! She is a professional working mom of twins! I’m also a twin mom! And if you didn’t know… twin moms mean business! 😆🙋🏻♀️ She’s helpful, honest, and efficient. If you’re looking for legal help, I’d hire her!" -- Jessica Kress
CONTACT
CHILDERS &
BAXTER
Address
The Lexington Building
201 West Short Street, Suite 300
Lexington, Kentucky 40507
Telephone: 859.253.9824
Fax: 859.347.2310
Email:
