Going through a divorce is hard. It is a stressful and emotional time for many. On top of this, divorce can also create complex financial issues. Financial issues tend to arise because people oftentimes forget to ask themselves the necessary questions to ensure financial stability after your divorce has finalized. This blog provides five questions every divorcee should ask themselves before they file for divorce.
Do I Have Health Insurance? One of the biggest financial concerns at divorce time is health insurance. Maybe you (and/or your children) obtained health insurance coverage through your soon-to-be-ex-spouse’s work. Or maybe you and your soon-to-be-ex ... Read More
Category: Property Division
21
Jan2020
10
Oct2019
Going through a divorce is one of the most stressful events in a person’s life. On top of the emotional and mental aspects of divorce, it can also create complex financial issues. Common questions include “who gets the house?” or “who gets the retirement fund?”. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule to answer those types of questions. Each case is fact sensitive. This is where seasoned divorce attorneys and clients spend their time; trying to figure out what makes sense financially and otherwise in the division in the post-divorce world. This blog provides a brief overview of what ... Read More
09
Jul2019
Divorce is shrouded in fear and urban legend. However, for most couples in a broken relationship, it is the pathway to move on in a new and more positive direction when the divorce is ultimately granted by the Court. While divorce is a complex legal and financial transaction—and also an emotional one—sometimes involving professionals from psychologists to tax experts, it all boils down to three basic concepts you must understand to properly begin a divorce or help a friend through the process: jurisdiction, property division, and child custody. The fundamentals of each of these components of a divorce are the ... 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 theory” state for divorce. What this means is ... 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 who does not prevail should consider an appeal if there are viable issues. Just waiting ... Read More
15
Nov2018
In a Divorce, Am I Entitled to Half the Value of Property Titled with My Spouse If It Creates an Unequal Division of Assets?
Maybe? This is a common question as many people logically think if the mortgage/deed and title to a car is in both names, half the value belongs to each spouse on divorce. This brings us three closely related legal concepts that were all recently addressed in a key case decided by the Court of Appeals on November 7, 2018. This case and how it answers this question is the topic of this blog post.
The most important legal ... Read More
27
Sep2018
Under the Divorce Act, the Legislature has expressly encouraged divorcing parties to reach agreements to divide their property. Most of the time, a divorce court will accept most any property (real property, like land and the marital home, and personal property, like furniture and pots and pans) agreement. In fact, the parties are free to enter a property division that the court could not order or would abuse its discretion in doing so.1 However, there are three critical mistakes that some parties make in settling their property that may be impossible or expensive to fix in the future; these are ... Read More
06
Sep2018
Sometimes a marriage may last many years, and sometimes divorces do too. Normally, if there is a mistake in the final decree, such as failure to decide an issue or misapplication of the law, the preferred remedy is filing a Motion to Correct Errors or taking an appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals within thirty days. If you do not, you may be stuck with the problem. Nevertheless, sometimes months or years later a party discovers a major problem with the decree1 or some fraud. What do you do? Well, Indiana’s laws are structured to provide due process and ... Read More
29
Aug2018
The divorce decision was handed down and it is now final. The property has been divided. The costs have been allocated, and attorney’s fees may have been awarded. If you have children, then custody, parenting time, and child support also have finally been decided. What are your rights if you disagree with the decision? You are not happy with the result. Maybe you feel the property division was unfair, or maybe you did not get joint custody. Whether you disagree with one provision or several, you have a right to appeal your divorce decree to the Indiana Court of Appeals. When ... Read More
13
Jun2018
Not long ago the trend was filing for divorce mid-winter and in early spring. However, in our ever-changing mobile society, everything is different. The same appears to be true for divorce. Working from home and/or blended school calendars may be a few factors that account for shifting trends of when divorce is filed. This blog explores key reasons why filing divorce in the summer may be a prudent consideration for some couples when it was not a norm or even considered in the past.
What is the right time?
As a practical matter, and first, if the parties do not have children, ... Read More