In some divorces, there is “foreign” real estate within the total marital estate1. Typically, this falls into one of three categories: (1) a timeshare or some other similar factional ownership; (2) a home or property sited in another state; or (3) a home or property located in another country. Under the Indiana Divorce Act—Indiana’s body of law that guides judges in divorce proceedings—all such real property is subject to the jurisdiction of the divorce court and must be divided. This blog covers the unique legal concepts and issues ... Read More
08
Jan2018
16
May2017
Civil appeals are guided by very rigid appellate rules. Generally, missing an appellate deadline precludes a civil appeal. The only remedy is a malpractice action against counsel who failed to advise his or her of the appellate deadline or missed this deadline.
This is unlike criminal appeals, where belated appeals may be allowed due to the potential loss of life and liberty by incarceration. This blog explores a very narrow remedy that the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court have embraced where the facts of ... Read More
04
Aug2016
lSince criminal cases involve the potential loss of freedom, there are trial and appellate provisions for a criminal case to be brought by a filing belated Notice of Appeal. In civil cases, Appellate Rule 9(A), it clearly states that “[u]nless the Notice of appeals is timely filed, the right to appeal shall be forfeited.”
Historically, attorneys and Indiana courts have treated this rule stemming from the 1970s as jurisdictional. This means that without a timely filing, the appellate ... Read More
13
Apr2016
Every parent has heard or seen a story about a couple whose child is taken and secreted in another state by the other when troubles develop in the relationship. This has been a problem since the 1960s. In 1968, a uniform act was proposed that would ultimately be adopted in all states in some forms by the early 1980s. This blog post generally summarizes the potential use of the UCCJA.
In simple terms, the UCCJA allows a parent who files for divorce ... Read More
16
Jun2015
Supposing a custodial parent is permitted by a court to relocate with the child to another state, there are often matters that arise after relocation that must be decided by a court with regard to the child. This brings up a relatively frequent question of which court decides, the court in the child’s former state of residence, generally the “home state,” or the state where the child now resides.
Generally, the court in the child’s former “home state” retains jurisdiction so long as the non-relocating parent resides there. However, a petition ... Read More
03
Mar2015
In the 1960s, it was common for a parent and child(ren) to take a “vacation” to another state, file divorce, and have this new state decide custody matters. Ultimately, this gained enough attention that the laws changed, as this new state would not have the necessary evidence to decide custody fully in a child’s best interests, and as a policy matter, “rewarded” a parent who fled to avoid a court best positioned to decide divorce, custody, and property matters.
For this reason, more or less uniform child custody jurisdiction laws1 were ... Read More
06
May2014
When a matter is ripe for appeal, there first must be a determination of which Court has jurisdiction. In many cases, the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction, and the briefs, appendix, and related filings will be reviewed by the Court of Appeals. This is generally true for final orders. In some cases, however, the jurisdiction goes straight to the Indiana Supreme Court.
The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over all appeals from Final Judgments of Circuit, Superior, Probate, and County Courts (if the Supreme Court does not ... Read More
28
Aug2012
This blog series has focused on the bodies of law, loosely dealing with jurisdiction, that provide remedies for parents having their children taken or kidnapped from their legal custody by the other parent. We have discussed how there are both state and federal remedies to prevent and/or return children who have been taken or abducted within the United States.
However, the matter becomes more complex, difficult, expensive and delayed when a child ... Read More
29
May2012
Domestic partners, married couples, or really any family members can potentially be the victims of domestic violence. Sometimes this is a pattern, but sometimes it is a one-time event in the emotionally charged event leading unraveling of the relationship. In some cases, tensions are high, remain high, and domestic violence can be a very real, on-going concern for a party, friends, family, and lawyers.
However, there are a number of protections and safeguards in place to prevent a potentially tragic ... Read More
24
May2012
The process of perfecting an appeal, as discussed in previous blog posts, is often a complex one, with numerous rules and time limitations.1 The general trigger to file an appeal is that the order being appealed is a final order.2
There are, however, exceptions to this final order rule. An interlocutory order is an order of the court that is not final, often occurring during the pendency of the litigation. For example, during the pendency of a divorce ... Read More