best family law attorney indianapolis

In determining the rights and responsibilities both parents have towards a child, establishing paternity may simplify the process. In Indiana, paternity provides a child born outside of marriage a legal father. Establishing paternity outlines a father’s legal rights and responsibilities towards a child. Additionally, establishing paternity can aid in issues revolving around child custody, parenting time, and child support. Resolving paternity issues may allow a child the rightful ability to bond with both parents. How…

A common question comes up during and after a custody case:  Am I allowed to move out of state if I have custody of my kids?  The answer is, not surprisingly, it depends.  In Indiana, relocating when there is an ongoing custody case or following a custody case is governed by the state statutes. In the last few years, the Indiana legislature has updated the law to make the requirements on a relocating parent less…

Since the groundbreaking civil rights victory in Obergefell codified same-sex marriage in 2015, same-sex couples across America have utilized the legal protection to build their lives and their families. However, there have been some recent insinuations from the Supreme Court that the legal principle of substantive due process may be getting a new, conservative-leaning interpretation. Substantive due process not only is one of the key building blocks that fortifies same-sex marriage but also interracial marriage….

Indiana is a no-fault state, meaning that you can get a divorce in the state without the necessity of proving there was fault by either spouse.  That being said, when you’re dealing with custody of children, whether that be as part of a dissolution of marriage, post-dissolution of marriage, or in a paternity proceeding, various factors that would not be relevant for a divorce can be relevant in the Court’s determination of which parent should…

The ability to travel outside of the United States with your child is dictated by a number of factors.  First and foremost, you should determine if there is a court order that covers the topic.  In many instances Divorce Decrees, Paternity Decrees or subsequent orders of the Court address the parent’s ability to travel outside of the country and sometimes out of the state.  In this article, we will discuss several scenarios and options for…

It’s well established that the United States has one of the highest divorce rates in the world with approximately 50% of first marriages ending in divorce, 60% of second marriages and 73% of third marriages. Further, the CDC estimates that 43% of children in Indiana are born out of wedlock.  Throw in the statistic that most American’s move approximately 11 times in their lifetime and you have a good chance that you’re going to be…

Stuck in the Middle:  Co-Parenting Children After a Separation or Divorce               Once you have separated from the other parent of your children, you may have an order from the court or an agreement as to who has custody of the children, and when each parent will exercise parenting time, but there is more to co-parenting than just setting up a schedule.  When you are co-parenting with your former partner or spouse, sometimes you…

A Quick Look at Stepparent Adoption Adoption is an instrumental process in the lives of many Indiana children and can give them the consistency needed for a well-balanced life.  An adoption requires a petition filed to the court containing information regarding the child sought to be adopted along with information of the petitioner seeking to adopt. So what happens when the petitioner is married to a biological parent of the child? With divorce at its…