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…

Many divorcing spouses ask what mediation is and why it would be beneficial in their divorce case.  In this article, we will go over those questions and others to look at some of the advantages mediation has over other methods of finalizing a divorce case  Mediation is considered an alternative dispute resolution.  Instead of going to court and having a judge decide all of the terms of a divorce, spouses may be able to resolve…

As the holiday season approaches, many parents and families may be wondering how parenting time will be affected by the holiday season. You may have an order issued by the court which states how holidays are to be divided. However, in many cases, Courts may adopt the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines to determine holiday parenting time. In order to help establish an equal and balanced schedule, Indiana has outlined special guidance for holiday parenting time….

In paternity cases and dissolution of marriage cases involving unemancipated children, your court will likely order that one of the parents will have to pay child support to the other parent.  However, as with most child related issues, child support can be modified.  And so, when can that be accomplished? In Indiana, child support can only be modified in two circumstances.  One is when there has been a substantial change of circumstances that is continuing…

When you file for a dissolution of marriage in Indiana, the Court will not grant the dissolution immediately.  At minimum, at least sixty days need to pass from the date the action is initiated to the date the Court is able to finalize the dissolution.  More often than not, the case will take longer than sixty days, sometimes lasting months or even longer than a year.  If you and your spouse are able to navigate…

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…

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…