The dower statutes in Kentucky present challenges when deciding what parties to name in a foreclosure complaint. When dower issues arise, title claims might be necessary, which means foreclosures can be delayed and court costs can increase.

Dower is a somewhat complex right given to protect spouses who are not listed as titleholders on the deed for their homestead. Dower rights in English law date back to the Magna Carta, when widows were granted some protection from the economic hardships that occurred when their title-holding husbands died.