Four Critical Concepts for Post-Secondary Expenses
College costs and other post-secondary expenses continue to rise, and articles about these increasing costs and the growing debt that many students come out of college with are nearly everywhere you look. In fact, apart from buying a home, attending college or another type of post-secondary institution may be the biggest expense that one has in their life. Sometimes, the divorced parents of a child who plans on attending college or another post-secondary institution may have very different opinions about what they believe their respective roles should ... Read More
20
Feb2019
15
Feb2019
Normally these cold, overcast days and dark weather leave us a bit glum. Nevertheless, for parents who have children who are not in a relationship with the other parent (by paternity and the relationship did not last or divorced parents), it’s time to think about the Spring Holidays, Holy days and the Summer and, well of course, parenting time. On the upside, on February 2, 2019, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, so it should all be a little brighter and happier soooooon . . . .an early ... Read More
14
Feb2019
Custody disputes between a minor child’s parents, grandparents, relatives, and/or others in a minor child’s life can arise in a variety of different cases – marriage dissolutions (divorces), paternity cases, and guardianships are just a few. Other times, one of the parties involved in a child’s life may petition for a modification of custody under certain circumstances. The type of evidence that you may be required to present may be different depending on the type of case you are litigating and the current custody status of the minor child ... Read More
06
Feb2019
Do I need an attorney if I am contacted by DCS about my children? Yes. Your right to parent your child is a fundamental right, guaranteed by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. But, just like any other right in life, it is not absolute. For example, parents can discipline their children (known as the parental privilege) but do not have carte blanche to abuse or neglect their children. When a child is in a detrimental home environment or is found not having their basic needs met, then the State can ... Read More
31
Jan2019
Whoever said “there is a fine line between love and hate” was on to something. Frequently, two people who were madly in love, somewhere stumbled and are now getting a divorce. As you may have already figured out, those loving days are gone, and not only are they gone, but that love has been replaced, in most cases, with resentment towards the other person. So, what do you do when you are going through a divorce? What shouldn’t you do? How do I act? How should I treat the other person? These ... Read More
24
Jan2019
One of the best ways to make the most of a divorce is to try to remove yourself from the emotion and clearly understand what you want, why, and if your legal desires are realistic. Divorce law is complex making this difficult. However, there are three pervasive myths about divorce law that have many litigants confused before they even consult with counsel. They are debunked and the focus of this blog.
The first myth is with property (e.g., stocks, bonds, cash, homes) that a party brought into the marriage. Indiana is a “one-pot ... Read More
16
Jan2019
Most of us will have multiple jobs during our work career. The days of starting, working for and retiring with a company are mostly past. For divorced parents or those who have children born outside of marriage, a move for a job, new relationship, or the myriad of reasons, the move is more complicated because of Indiana’s custody relocation status. This requires these parents to provide advance notice of relocation or face legal consequences from payment of legal fees to loss of custody. This blog ... Read More
15
Jan2019
Probably. Divorce is unique in civil suits because the parties likely will continue to know each other (particularly) if they have children and interact into the future. With a divorce if you lose custody, child support is wrong, or the property is not properly divided or completely divided, you need to appeal to protect your future rights. This blog explores why you should consider an appeal in divorce and paternity cases.
Where children are involved (divorce or paternity), if child custody is at issue, the parent ... Read More
08
Jan2019
Yes, in some cases. Nationally as well as in Indiana, grandparents are increasingly raising their adult children’s children. Sometimes this is just being great and helpful grandparents. In some cases, such as a parent going back to school or distant work relocation, parents must do so to better their lives, but in others, they do so for legally impermissible reasons, such as addiction issues; these parents simply leave their children with grandparents to raise. For all practical purposes, the grandparents take over the role of caregiver and provide all the support, shelter, ... Read More
03
Jan2019
Indiana trial court judges can consider literally anything and everything relevant to a parent-child relationship to make a child custody decision that is in the child’s best interests. Sometimes a single factor—such as a severe drug abuse or incarceration—make the decision much easier for the judge to sort through the evidence, as it is apparent that a parent who is locked up cannot be the child’s custodian. However, in most cases, both parents have good qualities and faults in parenting. This blog explores the three most important factors that influence a judge’s ... Read More