Articles

Indiana Supreme Court divided over custody reversal

Two Indiana Supreme Court justices have dissented from their colleagues’ denial of transfer in a child custody dispute that resulted with the mother gaining sole legal custody of her kids. The dissenting justices would have granted joint legal custody to both parents instead.

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COA reverses award of legal custody

A trial court’s order in a protracted feud between a divorced mother and father over the care of their child brought a partial reversal of custody from the Indiana Court of Appeals and a warning in a concurring opinion about the bias the parenting coordinator admitted to having against the mother.

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Making the best: Adoptive families find new ways to celebrate as in-court ceremonies are called off

With in-person proceedings largely called off, adoptive families have had to adjust their plans. But as long as a case is uncontested, lawyers say judges have been willing to hold final hearings via Zoom or other platforms to give these families a sense of finality. And in some cases, adoptions in the age of COVID-19 have become a cause for community celebration.

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Mom wins federal ruling against Carmel schools in son’s special education case

A Carmel mother is celebrating a federal court ruling that concluding that the public school district had denied her son a free and appropriate education since January 2018 and May 2018, in part by failing to ensure he received his special education and related services. The family attorney says the case sets precedent for parents whose special-needs children rely on individual education plans.

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Makris: COVID-19 presents new co-parenting issues

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread changes to everyday life that have presented new questions for parents and family law practitioners alike. While we began in uncharted territory, this experience has been an opportunity for attorneys to creatively problem solve in a time when we, like our clients, are navigating many of the same uncertainties.

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Split COA reverses award of stock following divorce mediation

A woman who was awarded half of a $122,000 stock account held by her former husband after the couple entered into a mediated divorce settlement agreement that didn’t mention the account was stripped of that share of the stock account on appeal Wednesday. However, a dissenting judge would have affirmed the grant of money to the ex-wife.

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Family ties: Reunification celebration spotlights families who achieve stability

Although many may be skeptical of parents whose children are removed from their care, statistics show that nearly 67% of Hoosier youths exit foster care and are successfully reunited with their moms and dads. Those stories of resilience inspired the Marion Superior Court Juvenile Division and the Marion County Public Defender Agency to celebrate National Reunification Month for the first time in Indiana.

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