Mom loses appeal of denied relocation petition
A Dubois County mother who wanted to move with her child to New Mexico has lost her appeal of the denial of her relocation petition.
Family Law
Articles
COA rejects vagueness, sufficiency arguments against domestic violence conviction
The Indiana Court of Appeals has upheld a domestic battery conviction against a man who claimed he wasn’t actually married to his victim. The panel also rejected arguments that the statute was unconstitutionally vague.
Bill giving guardians authority over final dispositions gets House support after Senate debate
A bill to extend the duties of guardians when an incapacitated adult dies was much better received in an Indiana House committee Tuesday than when the bill was introduced in the Senate.
Even virtually, law school clinics teach value of personal connection
Talking and connecting is important in any legal setting, but for the clinics at law schools around Indiana, in-person interaction not only helps the students learn valuable skills, it also may provide low-income individuals the only means to get legal help.
Ex-wife loses appeal in property, contempt dispute
A woman who sought to hold her ex-husband in contempt for failing to sell or refinance their family home has lost her appeal of the contempt denial, with the Indiana Court of Appeals noting the woman repeatedly “thwarted” the man’s attempts to comply with their dissolution agreement.
LGBTQ rights bill ignites debate over religious liberty
A sweeping bill that would extend federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ people is a top priority of President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. Yet as the Equality Act heads to the Senate after winning House approval, its prospects seem bleak — to a large extent because of opposition from conservative religious leaders.
Lilly Endowment gives $250K boost to legal aid
Indiana Legal Services has received a $250,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment to help the growing number of Hoosiers who have legal needs as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency.
Father must consent to stepfather’s adoption of children, appellate court rules
The adoption of two children by their stepfather after their mother died cannot proceed without their father’s consent, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Thursday, reversing a trial court order.
Justices reinstate adoption without mother’s consent
An Indiana trial court properly allowed an adoption to proceed without a mother’s consent, the Indiana Supreme Court has ruled, reinstating an adoption petition for the child whose mother failed to communicate or pay child support.
Thinking small: Attorneys see opportunity in stepping away from big law
At the start of 2021, family law practitioners and longtime colleagues James Reed and Michael Kohlhaas made a career move that runs counter to the current trend — they went from big to boutique.
Web Exclusive: New pro bono mediation project resolves family law cases with less time, money
Two Indianapolis lawyers who had an idea to start a pro bono mediation service for family law cases were stunned by the reception from the local legal community, as more than 100 answered a call for volunteers. “It’s mind-blowing,” said one of the organizers of a program described as “blue jeans mediation.”
Juvenile justice reform bill heads to House with bipartisan support
The Indiana Senate passed a bill Wednesday that could save the state nearly $1 million in federal funding by prohibiting juveniles charged with crimes from being held in adult jails.
Parents’ gender-marker change requests for transgender kids splits COA
Two Indiana trial courts must reconsider parents’ requests to change their children’s birth certificate gender markers, a majority of the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, finding parents have statutory authority to request the changes for their minor transgender children. A dissenting judge, however, opined that Wednesday’s decision was a judicial overreach into legislative powers.
Bill giving adult guardians say over final dispositions set for final Senate vote
A bill to give adult guardians authority to oversee the disposition of a ward’s remains is up for a final vote in the Indiana Senate this week, but the version of the bill senators will vote on is markedly different from the introduced legislation.
COA upholds denial of grandparents’ adoption petition
A request by grandparents to adopt a grandson found to be a child in need of services was properly denied, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday, upholding a trial court’s determination that adoption was not in the child’s best interests.
COA affirms denial of birth mother’s consent argument in adoption dispute
A birth mother unsuccessfully argued that her consent was required for her daughter’s aunt and uncle to adopt the child, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Monday.
Bill would require listing biological parents on birth certificates
A bill in the Legislature could reignite Indiana’s battle over birth certificates and possibly upend federal court rulings that allow married lesbian couples to have both their names listed as their children’s parents. Some attorneys, however, see numerous unintended consequences if the bill passes.
Judicial Conference seeking comment on proposed rule amendments
The Indiana Judicial Conference is seeking feedback on proposed changes to rules governing specialty courts.
Reversal: Court erred in CHINS findings, placing kids in foster care
An out-of-state father whose children were placed in foster care after one of them was injured during a domestic dispute between their mother and her boyfriend was wrongly denied an opportunity to parent his children, the Indiana Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday.
Appeals court orders second remand of divorce dispute
A ex-husband will again take his challenge of the final judgment in his divorce case back to the trial court after the Indiana Court of Appeals ordered a second remand to address the division of marital property.