PRACTICE AREAS
FAMILY LAW
Family law is an area of the law dealing with family matters and domestic relations. Such as, prenuptial agreement, marriage, adoption, divorce, annulment, property settlements, spousal maintanence, child custody, visitation, and juvenile adjudication.
IMMIGRATION LAW
Immigration is the act of entering a country with the intent to permanently live and/or work there. United States immigration laws encompass a wide range of situations that involve a person from a foreign country coming to this country, whether for a temporary visit, or to live here permanently. The American immigration system is set up primarily to grant immigration status based on factors such as family reunification, in-demand work skills, and capital investment. The procedure for gaining legal immigrant status will depend upon, among various factors, which path you are eligible to pursue based on your employment, education, and family situation.
CRIMINAL LAW
Criminal defense includes defense of individuals charged with criminal activity. Crimes range from Class C misdemeanor to Class A misdemeanor. Felony criminal activity ranges from Level 6 to Level 1 felonies, and Murder.
EXPUNGEMENTS
Expungement involves the sealing of a criminal record after the expiration of the required time period or when an arrest is unlawful or does not result in a conviction. Initiated through a court process, the result of expungement is that a person’s criminal history is, for most purposes, erased. After an expungement, with limited exception, you do not have to report your criminal history employer, landlord or others. Getting a job often means that your potential boss will review your criminal or driving record, and renting an apartment often means going through a criminal background check.
OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED
The State of Indiana has strict penalties for Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) up to and including license suspension, mandatory community service or jail. A conviction of Operating While Intoxicated does not only include alcohol, it also includes marijuana, over the counter medication, prescription medications, or any substance that impairs the driver's ability to operate a vehicle in a safe manner. You should consider your Operating While Intoxicated charge very seriously, a conviction will have long lasting consequences that will not only affect your drivers license, but also your future, your personal freedom and your employment. You should't hire just any attorney, consider an attorney who has the knowledge and skill in this technical and complicated area of law.
SPECIALIZED DRIVING
PRIVILEGES
The specialized driving privileges statute (Indiana Code 9-30-16) recognizes that the ability to drive is essential to employment and the economy. Specialized driving privileges (SDP) allow you to drive to and from work, to medical appointments, to the grocery store and for virtually any legitimate need. This statute has taken the place of the older hardship/restricted license laws, which were more rigid and narrow.
TRAFFIC CITATIONS
The State of Indiana operates on a point system for traffic violations. The severity of the violation determines the amount of points assessed to the driver, and range in value between 0 and 8 points. If you’re convicted of a violation which carries points, those points will stay on your driving record for a period of 2 years, however the conviction will always remain on your record. There are two distinct kinds of violations in Indiana: moving and non-moving. A moving violation is a violation committed while you are driving the car. A non-moving violation is any other citation, such as a parking ticket or equipment violation. The BMV may suspend your license for accumulating too many points.
VETERANS SERVICES
There are numerous types of claims that apply to disability compensation. They can be based on disabilities that existed when entering military service, but were made worse, disabilities that occurred during service, or disabilities that arose after you left military service. Additionally, there are claims that are filed for special circumstances. Additionally, for veterans who have served in uniform and received a less than honorable discharge, the impact on their post-service lives can be dramatic. While the process is not simple and the results not guaranteed, there is a way to appeal the discharge classification. All veterans are eligible to apply to the Discharge Review Board for an upgrade of their discharge characterization or a change of the reason given for their discharge.