Supreme Court Innovation Initiative adds Civil Litigation Taskforce
The Indiana Supreme Court’s Innovation Initiative is expanding, with the court creating a third working group to address issues surrounding civil litigation.
Family Law
Articles
Bill to ensure foster care subsidy for adoptive parents advances
Proposed legislation that would extend financial support to parents who adopt Hoosier children from foster care advanced in the Indiana Senate on Monday, with the bill’s sponsor hoping the bill’s third time will be the charm.
The fight to unite: International adoptions suffer under COVID-19 restrictions
International adoptions were already on the decline, lawyers say, and there’s concern that COVID could further reduce them. However, there are ways to unite families even as a pandemic keeps borders closed.
Applegate: What to do after an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis
The diagnosis is in. Unfortunately, you or a loved one is diagnosed with the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Obviously, the first step is to work with your doctor to slow the progression. However, there are legal steps you need to take as quickly as possible.
CHINS filings stabilize after surge in recent years
Filings for child in need of services and termination of parental rights cases have swung in opposite directions in the past few years, according to statistics released recently by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Soshnick: The income conundrum in Indiana divorce law
One of the perplexing areas of Indiana divorce law is “income.” At first blush, that vexation seems out of place. Upon closer inspection, the confusion is understandable. Why? The reason is that there frequently are disputes as to whether payments are income or property in divorce cases.
Makris: Review of notable Indiana property division cases in 2020
In 2020, the Indiana Court of Appeals issued three notable decisions relating to the division of property in dissolution of marriage cases. From the interpretation of asset appreciation in premarital agreements to the admissibility of mediation evidence in actions to avoid or enforce a settlement agreement, the following are three cases that provide valuable takeaways for family law practitioners.
Supreme Court amends trial procedure rules
Amendments have been made to Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure regarding child paternity cases, as well as e-filing processes and procedures for filing probate and guardianship cases, according to an order from the Indiana Supreme Court.
Spending package contains historic appropriation for legal aid
With the president’s signature on the $2.3 trillion spending bill, the Legal Services Corporation is set to receive $465 million, the largest appropriation in actual dollars for the organization in its history.
‘It all starts with the family’
With a pending move to a new courthouse, Marion County Courts are launching a new family division that aims to follow a one family, one judge model.
Appeals court affirms termination of mother’s parental rights
A Marion County mother has failed to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals that her parental rights over her 13-year-old daughter should be reinstated.
Justices reverse custody order after judge ‘conflated’ contempt with best interests
A mother has regained legal custody of her child for now after the Indiana Supreme Court reversed a trial court order Friday, finding that a lower court judge improperly “coupled” a finding of contempt against the mother with an analysis into the child’s best interests.
Web Exclusive: Marion County sees high success with child support, driver’s license initiative
Just one year after introducing a new program intended to bring additional child support to custodial parents and more freedom for noncustodial parents, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office sees promise in its Good Faith Initiative.
Guardians seek changes to assist in final arrangements
A guardianship task force has recommended that the Indiana Legislature amend state statute to give guardians authority over dispositions if necessary. While the concept received general support in a recent meeting of the Probate Code Study Commission, the question remained: how do you balance the authority of a guardian with that of another party, such as a POA?
ILAS starts annual fundraiser amid growing need
For the first time in its history, the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society’s holiday dollar campaign is going virtual. The fundraiser has become a tradition since it was started in the mid-1990s but will be critical this season to meet the needs created by the pandemic.
Married moms ask SCOTUS to reject birth certificate case
The married lesbian couples who successfully challenged Indiana’s prohibition on listing both women as parents on their children’s birth certificates have filed their brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, telling the justices not to bother with this long-running dispute.
Down to business: Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence legal team helps survivor untangle from financial mess
A pro bono team of lawyers helped a grateful domestic violence survivor get untangled from a business her ex-husband had set up in her name that left her facing substantial financial obligations.
Fostering hope: Adoption attorney releases documentary series on Indiana’s foster care system
The importance of working for social change runs deep in the veins of adoption attorney Natalie Chavis, who’s advocating for foster awareness through a new documentary series.
A more conservative court hears same-sex foster parent case
The United States Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed likely to side with a Catholic social services agency in a dispute with Philadelphia over the agency’s refusal to work with same-sex couples as foster parents.
In ‘painful’ case posing ‘terrifying precedent’, COA reverses mom’s TPR, lets dad’s stand
The Indiana Court of Appeals in a decision admonishing the Indiana Department of Child Services has reversed the termination of a mother’s parental rights to her son, while upholding the termination of his father’s parental rights in a separate case.