The Importance of Hiring an Attorney in the AI Era

By Savannah Gutierrez | July 7, 2026

Hiring an attorney when you are a party to a lawsuit has always been important for Plaintiffs and Defendants alike. Attorneys, unlike artificial intelligence, are licensed professionals educated and trained to advise, counsel, advocate on your behalf, and represent your interests. Courts in Indiana are governed by the Indiana Rules of Trial Procedure and the…

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Premises Liability in Indiana: Essential Elements and Defenses

By Janelle Cooper | July 7, 2026

When someone is injured on another person’s property, the injured party often brings a premises liability claim against every business or individual connected to the location. Courts in Indiana have long held “[t]he mere allegation of a fall is insufficient to establish negligence, and negligence cannot be inferred from the mere fact of a fall.”…

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Juvenile Delinquency in Indiana

By Cortney Sweat | July 7, 2026

Juvenile Delinquency is a very specific set of laws in the state of Indiana, which are unlike adult criminal matters. While criminal charges for a juvenile utilize the Indiana adult criminal code as a framework for the charges, the way juvenile delinquency cases are handled in Indiana courts are far different than the way adult…

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A Contractor’s Guide to the Indiana Home Improvement Contracts Act (HICA)

By Katlyn Foust Hunneshagen | June 1, 2026

If you’re a contractor performing residential work in Indiana, the Indiana Home Improvement Contracts Act (HICA) isn’t optional reading. Compliance with the statute is mandatory pursuant to Indiana Law. The statute is designed to protect homeowners, but in practice it also protects contractors who follow it by creating clear expectations, reducing disputes, setting expectations, and…

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Mediation in family law cases – What to expect

By Jon Rogers | April 27, 2026

Virtually every family law case is settled in mediation. I assist my personal clients through the mediation process, and other times I serve as the mediator – where I assist two parties in resolving their differences. On some occasions, two parties even will hire me to serve as their mediator wherein they do not hire…

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Building Community from the Ground Up: Understanding Condominium Associations in Indiana

By Brittney Lugg | April 8, 2026

In Indiana, condominium associations are on the rise and have become a common structure in modern residential developments. A condominium represents a unique form of property ownership, one in which individuals own their specific units while sharing ownership of common elements such as lobbies, fitness centers, pools, and landscaped areas. The responsibility for maintaining and…

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Indiana Medicaid’s Spousal Impoverishment Rules

By Nathan Barnes | April 8, 2026

When a married couple applies for Medicaid benefits for the spouse who resides in a nursing home or hospital (referred to as the “Institutionalized Spouse”), the other spouse who resides at home (referred to as the “Community Spouse”) may be able to protect assets (referred to as “resources” by Medicaid) from Medicaid’s regular resource rules.…

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Why Updating Beneficiaries After Divorce (and Other Life Changes) Is Critical in Indiana-Especially for Retirement and Insurance Accounts

By Matthew Anderson | March 3, 2026

On February 2, 2026, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Indiana, ruled that sending a fax to request removal of a beneficiary when the plan documents require contacting the benefits center or updating the intended beneficiary online do not constitute substantial compliance, even when the fax clearly evidences intent to make the change.…

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Basics of ERISA in Indiana: A Practical Overview

By Katherine Iskin | February 27, 2026

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal statutory scheme that governs many employer-sponsored benefit plans. What Types of Benefit Plans Does ERISA Cover? ERISA generally applies to “employee benefit plans,” a term that includes employee welfare benefit plans (for example, health and certain disability-type benefits) and employee pension benefit plans…

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January 2026 Promotion Announcements

By May Oberfell Lorber | February 12, 2026

SOUTH BEND / MISHAWAKA, IN – May Oberfell Lorber, LLP is happy to announce that Laura D. Faulstich has been promoted to partner and Marissa S. Claxton has been promoted to Senior Associate, effective January 2026. Laura Faulstich earned her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School in 2015, and received her undergraduate degree in…

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