The Marital Pot: Division of Marital Assets and Debts You owned a house before getting married, your husband’s name is the only name on both of your vehicles and your grandma passed away a few years ago leaving you an inheritance – what does all of this mean when you divorce? These are all common scenarios that divorce attorneys navigate every day. In short, Indiana lumps all of your property together into one “marital pot”….
A Look at Power of Attorneys and How They Work in Indiana Although it is not an enjoyable topic of conversation, it is important to discuss your preferences for financial and medical care in the event of incapacitation. While most think this conversation is limited to decisions in a person’s final days, incapacitation can occur at any time for numerous reasons. In Indiana, you can give someone a Durable Power of Attorney over you. That…
The Start of School and How it Affects Your Divorce It is hard to believe it is already time to start planning for the upcoming school year. Many districts throughout the state are operating on a balanced calendar and school will be starting up very soon. If you have children and are no longer with the other parent, chances are you are following some version of a court order with a parenting time plan and…
Collaborative Law: An Alternative to Litigation A trial that puts your personal life on display is not the only option for dissolving your marriage. In Indiana, it is possible to complete the divorce process without entering a courtroom. Often times, removing the necessity of court intervention also reduces the cost of the process and keeps emotions at a more manageable level. Collaborative Law is one way to stay out of the courtroom. Some divorce clients…
Should the Police Get Involved in Enforcing Your Parenting Time? It is your scheduled parenting time and your ex refuses to give up your child – what now? In most cases, the reaction would be to threaten a call to the local police. While there may be some benefit down the road to documenting denied parenting time, the effect may not be as immediate as a parent in that situation may hope. Police officers across…
How is Child Support Calculated and What Can I Expect? How is child support calculated? The amount of child support that is paid by one parent to the other is fact sensitive and is not the same in every case. It is not uncommon for two parents with the same number of children, living close together geographically and making similar incomes to receive substantially different amounts of weekly child support. In Indiana, a child support…
Mediation as an Alternative to Litigation Appearing in front of a judge to discuss personal matters such as the deterioration of a marriage, assets, debts or children can cause a lot of emotional stress for most people. There are several different types of Alternative Dispute Resolution methods in Indiana. These alternative ways to resolve matters can allow parties to resolve matters outside of the traditional courtroom. Mediation is the most commonly used method of Alternative…
What are the different legal standards in Indiana and when do they apply? You probably know that to be convicted of a crime, the State must prove you guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.” One question we get frequently, however, is what exactly “beyond a reasonable doubt” means. It is difficult to answer that question in a specific manner, but looking at some of the other standards of evidence in relation to reasonable doubt can help…