A typical Kentucky residential closing involves four attorney-prepared documents: the deed, the mortgage (or deed of trust), a title opinion, and the closing statement. Kentucky case law — most directly Frazee v. Citizens Fidelity Bank & Trust Co. and Countrywide Home Loans, Inc. v. Kentucky Bar Ass'n — requires that deeds, mortgages, and title opinions be prepared by a Kentucky-licensed attorney. Lay closings on routine matters are permitted; the document drafting is not.
For commercial matters — small CRE deals, ground leases, title work on multi-property portfolios — the same rules apply, with the added complexity of entity ownership, financing structure, and lease drafting.