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During the recession, it was understandable that many parents paying child support sought modification of those orders, to more accurately reflect the reduced income they were earning at the time.

Child support orders in Indiana can still be enforced for parents who are receiving unemployment benefits, but the amount may be significantly less if the court grants a modification in line with current income.

As we emerge from these tough times, we find that some people are still struggling more than others. But in some situations, the courts have found parents who could work and earn more if they wanted – but they aren’t doing it. The courts call this being “voluntarily underemployed.”
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A massive mangle of metal and ice was still being sifted and cleared more than 24 hours after a major wreck on I-94 in Indiana, near Michigan City.

Ice, snow and white-out conditions are believed to have played a role in the fatal crash, which reportedly claimed three lives and resulted in dozens more injuries. Authorities reported at least one person was believed to have been trapped in a vehicle for hours before rescue workers could bring aide.

Our personal injury lawyers note two of the injured – two men, ages 79 and 48 – were listed by hospital officials in critical condition. Those killed included a Michigan couple in their late 60s.
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A 2008 National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Survey provided a number of conclusions concerning pre crash factors, including, but not limited to destructed driving, crash ability, road construction and environmental considerations.United States Department of Transportation Causation Survey.pdfAn assessment of the roadway design, environmental conditions, and participant interviews. Among such cases, roads slick with ice and other debris were the most frequent roadway-related critical causes of accidents.

The incredibly bad weather in Northwest and Central Indiana clearly reflects how the current icy and snowy weather and resulting slippery road surfaces have resulted in accident after accident. Perhaps the worst of which took place, January 23 2014, on Interstate 94, and US 421.The collision involved over 40 vehicles, including 15 tractor trailers and at least three fatalities. Whiteout conditions probably played a role making it difficult for truck and automobile drivers to see the road in from of them.

Just days ago, another multiple vehicle crash involving semi-trucks and other vehicles took place on Interstate 65, just outside Lafayette, Indiana. As a result, northbound and southbound. Lanes were closed for hours. Slick roads,winds, snow and fog limited visibility.
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Termination of parental rights is something the Indiana family courts take very seriously. Such proceedings will only be initiated if the either the parent losing the rights consents or the court deems the action to be in the child’s best interests.

Cases of direct abuse or neglect are some of the most obvious reasons, but another common reason termination would be requested would be if a stepparent wishes to initiate a formal adoption of the child. This cannot be done without first terminating the other parent’s parental rights.

Our Highland adoption attorneys recognize there are many sound reasons why stepparents and their marriage partners would want to do this. In many cases, it’s simply making legal what is already the reality. To start, it may give every child in the household equal status. It’s a demonstration of not only affection, but commitment. Beyond that, the stepparent may want to solidify his or her legal relationship to the child, should the biological parent die or become incompetent.
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A newly-married couple departed from their wedding reception and headed back to their hotel when they witnessed another vehicle run into some winter-weather road troubles. According to the Chicago Tribune, the couple saw another vehicle slide off the road and into a ditch. The two parked their vehicle in a nearby driveway and attempted to help the stranded motorist. The new groom walked to the troubled vehicle while his new wife waited in the car. As the groom helped the driver, he and the stranded driver, a local teacher, were hit by three passing vehicles. Both were killed.

The road was not icy, but they were two banks that were piled up along the ditch from snow plow trucks. Officials believe that these banks forced the two closer to the traffic while walking for help. No charges are expected to be filed against drivers involved, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Our Highland car accident lawyers understand that we all have car troubles from time to time. Whether it’s caused by unpredictable weather conditions or a breakdown that leaves you stranded. The key is dealing with these kinds of unfortunate mishaps is to know what to do and how to correct the situation without putting yourself or anyone else in danger.
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Most Americans can agree — impaired driving is a serious threat to everyone on our roadways. Officials with the National Safety Council (NSC) report that roughly 97 percent of surveyed drivers say that it’s a serious threat. At the same time, about 75 percent of drivers say that they support more severe and tougher penalties against those who endanger others by getting behind the wheel after drinking.

Still, someone is killed in an alcohol-related accident every 30 minutes in the U.S. And although there have been some serious changes in the 80s and 90s to help to reduce the risks of these accidents, the progress has since leveled off.

Our accident attorneys in Highland know about 40 percent of all traffic accident fatalities involve alcohol. With the New Year, we’re asking drivers to resolve to stay sober behind the wheel. Officials in Indiana and throughout the nation are working to help curb the dangers, too.
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Anytime a person has suffered injuries as a result of an Indiana car crash, we strongly recommend at least setting up an initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer.

There are a number of reasons for this, many of which have to do with the time-sensitive nature of injury claims under state law. The case of Schoettmer v. Wright, recently reviewed by the Indiana Supreme Court, is a good example.

This case involves a car accident in which the offending driver was an employee of a government subdivision, making the claim subject to the Indiana Tort Claims Act, which has very strict time requirements for those seeking to pursue damages.
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When it comes to issues of child custody in Indiana, the best interests of the child are going to be viewed as a higher priority than any other argument presented.

Part of ensuring that the child’s interests are protected is ensuring that each parent involved in litigation is given due process so that he or she may effectively present their case. Ensuring that those due process laws are followed will be the job of the attorney you hire to represent you, so it’s imperative that you choose wisely.

In a recent case out of St. Joseph County, Wilson v. Myers, the Indiana Supreme Court found that a trial court had abused its discretion in modifying a physical custody order for two children absent an evidentiary hearing.
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It’s every holiday traveler’s worst nightmare: A semi-truck, seemingly out-of-control, barreling toward you on the expressway at a high rate of speed.

Gary personal injury attorneys know know tractor-trailer accidents are not an everyday occurrence. But too often these crashes are deadly and a recent spate throughout the Midwest reminds us of the risks as we enter the busy holiday travel season.

We expect these kinds of crashes will increase over the holidays, with a combination of icy winter weather and the tendency of trucking companies to overload their vehicles and overwork their drivers in an attempt to meet end-of-the-year demands for goods and materials.
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Family law court judges in Indiana work hard to establish balanced child custody and visitation schedules that are fair to both parents and in the best interest of the child.

It’s not uncommon, however, that an agreement that worked at the outset of the separation or divorce is no longer sustainable or acceptable for one reason or another. This is referred to as a material change in circumstance. Of course, that’s life, and for this reason, it’s common for parents to at some point request that the court revisit the issue of child custody and visitation, also formally known as parenting time.

Indiana parenting time guidelines were recently updated in March and again in August of this year. The arena of family law is one that is always evolving, and the family law case of Moix v. Moix, recently heard by the state supreme court in Arkansas, deftly illustrates this issue.
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8320 Kennedy Ave
Highland, IN 46322
Phone: 219-836-2200
Fax: 219-836-9388

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