Have you heard about the ICFI Fertility and Family Building Fair on April 24th? Attorney Michele Jackson will be speaking about foster parenting and adoption.
The Fertility and Family Building Fair is the concentrated effort to bring as many local resources together as possible for those working to build their families. The event will feature local REs and physicians, complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, financial assistance resources, fostering and adoption resources, local organizations dedicated to assisting those on their journey, and five educational presentations . The event is free to the community and takes place during National Infertility Week.
March 30th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in General Law
We work very hard to build a positive reputation in our community. In an ideal world, our attorneys great work would speak for itself. However, in today’s consumer driven world, we have to distinguish our firm from others in the area. The Indiana Lawyer recently interviewed our Director of Business Development, Leah Potter, on the hard work and effort that goes into promoting our positive message to the public.
The article content is below:
Lawyers know the importance of first impressions, and a client’s initial interaction with your firm may be through your website. That’s why savvy law firms have begun devoting more resources to presenting a polished online image. Perkins
“I think that as a firm, if we didn’t have a web presence – or perhaps even worse, had a web presence that is poor – to me, it’s no different than someone walking into our office and seeing the floors don’t get vacuumed, or seeing that the cleaning services don’t do their job, or that we don’t care enough to type our pleadings on something other than a 1983 dot matrix (printer),” said Andy Perkins, a partner with Peterson Waggoner & Perkins, in Rochester.
Perkins, who doubles as the firm’s webmaster, and other like-minded attorneys say that people expect law firms to have a website. And what firms do with those websites may be the key to winning clients.
Eye-catching content
Leah Potter, business development director for Harden Jackson in Carmel, said that photos are an important component of the firm’s online presence.
Potter
“We try to do professional photos once a year, to keep the content fresh,” Potter said. “We feel like getting the attorneys’ faces out there is really one of the most important things we can do for marketing.”
Even more important, Potter said, are the firm’s video segments. While the firm has been producing those since 2008, a few months ago, Harden Jackson began filming segments that feature its attorneys explaining some of the most common questions clients have about family law.
“Our thought behind that is that people are going to develop an automatic trust when they see someone on video; it’s a lot different than just looking at a picture of someone,” she said.
Harden Jackson owns the rights to the photos and videos on its website. Perkins said his firm also owns the rights to the images on its website.
Before redesigning the website, Perkins said his firm identified photos as being an important marketing tool.
“We read up on things that are useful for the site, and we wanted to have some nice ones done so we could use them not just on the site but for some other things here and there,” he said.
Jennifer Walker, chief marketing officer for Bose McKinney & Evans, agreed that having uniform, professional photos on the website creates an overall impression of consistency, as do the attorney biographies, which the attorneys and marketing staff write together.
Getting people there
Lawyers know that nowadays, most people find information through Google searches. So if you want to compete with other firms, your site needs better search engine optimization – or SEO. That means picking the right keywords and “tags” so that people searching for lawyers, or services your firm offers, will see your firm in the top search results.
While some lawyers feel comfortable performing their own SEO, others hire companies to do that work for them.
Harden Jackson hired Visual Blaze to perform SEO for the site.
“We are in constant contact with them, optimizing our SEO,” Potter said. “We make sure we’re up at the top with keywords. We have approximately 1,000 visitors a month, I would say, and they come to us from different sources.”
Miles Design optimized the SEO for Bose McKinney & Evans. While Walker was careful to avoid revealing any inside secrets, she said that some clients have reported finding their way to the firm because of a blog an attorney wrote, so keywords and tags in blogs may help drive client traffic to the website.
Perkins said his firm is already seeing returns on the investment in its website.
“We are getting feedback more frequently from clients who saw us via a search-engine search. In the past three months we’ve gotten three to five clients who have originated from out-of-state who would not have known us by local reputation and were able to come to us just by web presence,” he said.
As firms begin focusing more on their online presence, they may be increasingly shifting budgets away from traditional advertising.
Seth Buitendorp, a bankruptcy attorney for the Merrillville firm Genetos Retson & Yoon, has designed his own webpage using software made by The Modern Firm. Genetos Retson & Yoon has a static webpage that provides basic information, but Buitendorp’s individual page provides him a forum to explain in detail the services he officers.
Since 2010, Buitendorp has cut back on his phonebook advertising. He used to advertise in both major phone books in Lake and Porter counties. But he’s dropped advertising altogether in one phone book in each county, sensing that his clients will increasingly turn to the Internet to find him.
Buitendorp
“I’ve had some bankruptcy clients – younger to middle age – they may not even have Internet at home, but they have a smartphone,” he said.
What people want
Google Analytics, a free service that tracks interaction with websites, allows firms to determine how visitors find their website, how long they stay on the page and what kind of content they’re viewing.
Walker said that analytics tells her that people visit attorney profiles frequently, along with event pages. Recently, more people have been visiting the firm’s blog landing page.
“Blogs provide value by having an immediate forum for people to access the latest news,” Walker said. “Blogs tend to be very immediate and factual, yet engaging, and sometimes even a little more informal.”
Peterson Waggoner & Perkins includes on its website an online survey for clients to provide feedback about the firm’s performance. Another feature allows clients to make payments online. But the website is designed to be straightforward and user-friendly.
“I think the priority for us is not the technological capacity of a website, I think for us it’s more important that it look nice, that it’s professional, and that the information on it be current and show prospective clients what they need quickly,” Perkins said.
DIY design
Firms don’t need to spend a fortune on a good website. Buitendorp said he paid an initial set-up fee of about $1,500, and he maintains the site himself, paying only a modest monthly hosting fee. And his professional-looking headshot is courtesy of a friend – Buitendorp posed for the portrait in a garage.
Perkins uses Squarespace software, which is easy enough to use that the firm does not need an extra staff member to administer the website.
“The kind of person who’s comfortable updating their Facebook page probably can – with a little bit of exploring and training – be comfortable with managing a website,” he said. “I think what they’ve put together is a real game changer in terms of being able to manage content, because it no longer needs to be filtered through someone who speaks HTML as a second language.”•
Attorney Lanae Harden, who chairs Harden Jackson’s Family Law Practice Group, advises those parents who are considering relocating and how to ensure you are abiding by the state statute.
Job losses and the housing market decline during this economic recession have forced many people to relocate in order to downsize their residences or to pursue new job opportunities. A move may also occur following a divorce, especially if one of the former spouses had temporary living arrangements while the sale of the marital home was pending, or subsequently as the result of remarriage.
Divorce and relocation are two of the most stressful changes in an adult’s life. Numerous details and tasks must be managed and completed. When children are involved, the focus is usually whether the change will affect their friends or which school they attend. What many parents do not realize is that their move may violate a state statute. Pursuant to Indiana law, a relocating individual must file detailed written notice of their intent to move with the clerk of the court that issued a custody or parenting time order. The notice is required well in advance of a move, and applies regardless of whether the move is across the street, across town or to a different state. Many parents have been caught by surprise by the relatively new relocation statute (particularly those who divorced prior to its adoption), and have found themselves unwittingly in violation of such.
Previously, the statute only required filing of a relocation notice when a move was greater than 100 miles or out of state. Now, notice applies to every move and must be filed 90 days before the proposed relocation. The non-relocating parent then has 60 days to object to the move or request modifications in custody or parenting time from the court relevant to the relocation. The court considers numerous factors in determining whether any such modification should be granted, including the distance involved, and whether the relocating parent is making the move in good faith and has a legitimate reason for the move. The priority of the court is to confirm that the move is in the best interests of the children. If distance is a factor, other matters must be addressed, including how the move will affect parenting time and impact the non-relocating parent’s relationship with the children. This can be a volatile subject for many parents, and the financial and emotional stresses can exacerbate the situation. However, communication and cooperation can minimize the conflict and parents may be able to negotiate an agreement and alleviate many relocation hurdles and concerns. Consulting with an experienced family law attorney can help either the relocating or non-relocating parent understand how the statute applies to their particular situation and develop a plan of action to address their concerns.
On March 19th, 2012, the US Supreme Court began hearing arguments on whether a child who was conceived via in vitro fertilization after the death of his biological father can receive Social Security benefits as his father’s surviving child (Astrue v. Capato). This issue is increasingly relevant as the Social Security Administration is dealing with cases such as this and other complicated issues due to advanced technology in Reproductive practices.
In this particular case, Robert Capato deposited semen for storage at a local Sperm Bank in 1999 when he was diagnosed with cancer. Mr. Capato died in 2002. In 2003, his wife, Karen, used his sperm to become pregnant and give birth to twins. At the time of his death, Mr. Capato only named his three existing children as his beneficiaries in his will.
Mr. Capato resided in Florida when he died, so when Karen Capato applied for Social Security benefits in Florida she was denied due to Florida’s intestacy law. Florida law allows a postmortem child to inherit only if provided for in the decedent’s will, the court held that the twins were not eligible for child’s insurance benefits. In part, the legal issue hinges on the Social Security Administration’s definition of “child”, which a federal appeals court agreed that the Capatos did meet the definition as they are biologically Mr. Capato’s. However, the Social Security Administration’s position was that the issue should be decided by the wage-earner’s home state and whether that state would let a posthumously conceived child inherit property in the absence of a will. In the Capato’s case, the agency concluded that since Mr. Capato was a resident of Florida and it is a state that wouldn’t permit such an inheritance, the denial of benefits was upheld.
It is impossible to decipher the intent of Mr. Capato, but it seems clear that he had intended for children (or at least the possibility of children) after his death given that he had stored his semen at a Sperm Bank. Also, what if Karen Capato had been pregnant at the time of Mr. Capato’s death? The child would have been born after his death. Would that child have been denied Social Security benefits? Is there discrimination against children conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology versus naturally?
This case brings up very important legal questions that the Social Security Administration will be forced to recognize and resolve in the very near future. Assisted Reproductive Technology has brought forth issues that haven’t existed before. Hopefully, the court can make precedential decisions to address these issues. Ultimately it comes down to the best interest of the children and hopefully that is reflected in the rulings that are handed down.
March 19th, 2012 | Posted by Leah Potter | Posted in General Law
What can I say? I love my job at Harden Jackson Law! I know that is what I’m supposed to say, but it is honestly true. I have been affiliated with the firm and the attorneys here for several years, but have only recently had a more prominent (and important!) role in Business Development. Some people may not think that Business Development at a law firm would be an exciting job. I am here to attest that it is indeed very exciting. We are constantly revising our strategy to inform potential clients of our outstanding capabilities in family law. It is very exciting to work in an environment in which we truly have an impact on people’s lives. We are their advocate and work with them to achieve the results they want for their life.
However, I have to admit that I have a personal interest in the firm. Our attorney, Michele Jackson, is one of the foremost legal authorities on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in Indiana. This means she helps couples and individuals achieve their dream of having a family through advising them in surrogacy, egg donors and adoption matters. This hits home for me.
In 2006, I yearned for a child of my own. When my husband and I found out that we could not naturally conceive, we were devastated. After grieving for our “loss”, we then decided that we had to go through any means necessary to have a child. We considered adoption and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). After countless hours of research, crunching numbers and prayer, we ultimately chose IVF.
We went through blood draws, shots (and there were many shots!), labs and ultrasounds, and that was all before we even got pregnant. As with most IVF treatments, the plan was to implant 3 embryos, with the hopes that at least one would “stick” and I would become pregnant. Reproductive Endocrinologists will tell you the highest success rate with IVF comes from the implantation of three embryos. On the day of my egg retrieval, we were a little bummed as they were only able to retrieve seven eggs. Still if all of those fertilized, we would have seven embryos, more than enough. The next day we received a call from our doctor; of those seven eggs, only three were mature enough to fertilize. Of those three mature eggs, only ONE had fertilized. We only had one embryo. We were disappointed. IVF only has about a 40 percent success rate with three implanted embryos. The success rate drops to 15 percent with only one embryo. We tried to hide our disappointment and went through with the implantation of our one embryo.
We prayed hard for the sole embryo to “stick”. We tried to go about our business as usual for the next two weeks until we would be able to take a pregnancy test. Needless to say, this was impossible. I have to admit that I felt defeated and had very little hope that I would become pregnant. IVF is financially and emotionally draining. We knew that if I didn’t become pregnant, we could not go through this process again.
Thirteen days after my implantation, I couldn’t take the wait any longer. I had to take a test. Miraculously, the test came up positive. I was pregnant! Of course, we had to take at least five more tests to really be sure. We called our doctor the next day and took a blood test to confirm. We could not believe our good fortune. We were going to be blessed with a child.
Fortunately, I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy, but throughout the nine months it always weighed heavily on our minds that this was our only chance for a child. Finally, on June 29th, 2007, our little miracle was born at 8lbs. 3 oz. He was as healthy as could be.
As one can imagine, the experience changed me. When I hear the stories from our clients about their plight to have a child, I completely understand. While the paperwork, agreements and legalese can be confusing during an often emotional time, I am so thankful that there are resources, such as Harden Jackson to guide clients through their path towards a family. I truly enjoy watching our clients achieve their dreams of having a family. I want to tell each and every person not to give up. Their miracle will happen.
March 12th, 2012 | Posted by Leah Potter | Posted in General Law
Consultation Fees
Why do you charge a consultation fee to speak with a family law attorney?
There are three primary reasons that responsible law firms charge a fee for initial consultation: efficiency, quality, and liability.
HARDEN JACKSON LLC offers counsel that is recognized as among the best in the state. Our reputation for customer service and positive outcomes generates literally thousands of inquiries per year from potential clients seeking legal advice. The intent of charging a consultation fee is not to limit access to legal counsel, but to serve the best interests of our existing clients by ensuring the most efficient use of each attorney’s time, as well as maintaining a consistent standard of quality service to our clients.
This standard would be diluted if, by offering numerous free consultations, our firm were to limit either the amount or quality of the service provided to our existing clients.
A consultation consists of much more than simply answering a couple of questions. It is a conversation that includes review of the facts of the matter, evaluation of whether it is prudent to create or continue a legal case, and a review of the best path forward for all involved, including the consulting attorney.
Whether they are paid for it or not, when attorneys offer formal legal advice they are undertaking risk. All attorneys pay liability insurance to protect them and their clients for this specific reason.
But what if I just have ONE question?
Without hearing all of the relevant facts around any particular set of circumstances, it is ethically impossible to provide a clear cut answer to one question isolated from those facts. HARDEN JACKSON is dedicated to providing sound, thorough advice that is specific to each person’s situation. This includes taking the time necessary to hear all facts of the case, ask relevant questions, and offer advice that will allow prospective clients to understand the risks, the options, and the possible outcomes of moving forward with their case.
What is provided in an initial consultation?
Your initial consultation will be assigned to an attorney of our firm (not an associate or paralegal) who will:
Review information or documents provided about the case
Discuss the case with you and provide answers to your questions
Provide legal advice, strategies and options based on the information you provide that will allow you to make informed decisions moving forward.
What are the charges for an initial consultation at HARDEN JACKSON?
Our initial consultation fees vary, based primarily on the complexity of the circumstances involved. Every effort is made to keep the fee reasonable while still offering appropriate service and expertise. You will always be informed of the cost prior to a consultation being scheduled.
At HARDEN JACKSON, we want all of our clients to be satisfied with the fees charged relative to the services provided. It is appropriate and important to discuss fees with your prospective attorney during a consultation. You are entitled to an estimation of potential total costs related to your particular situation.
Of course, if, after initial consultation, you should decide not to retain one of our attorneys, you are under no legal obligation to proceed.
March 8th, 2012 | Posted by Leah Potter | Posted in Family Law
Founding Partner, Lanae Harden was recently interviewed by a local new channel regarding the changes in Indiana’s Parenting Guidelines. Harden is considered among the top attorneys in Indiana in Family Law and is a skilled litigator with over 16 years experience with divorce and child custody cases.
Indiana’s Supreme Court is seeking the public’s opinion on possibly changing laws governing parental guidelines for divorced Hoosiers with children. Many Hoosiers said the current laws are far from perfect because many of them decide how much time a child spends with each parent. Divorce attorney Lanae Harden said the new proposed guidelines could provide some relief for parents and may put an end to the decision making.
“(Parent have to decide), whose weekend is it if I had two in a row? Do we switch? Who gets the birthday if it’s Thanksgiving and I have Thanksgiving and it’s his year to get the birthday?” Harden said.
Divorced parents have been dealing with those types of custody issues for years, RTV6’s Jenna Kooi reported.
“I think … with these guidelines, disputes will be reduced. Therefore, attorney fees will be reduced and parents can spend money on their children instead of litigating about children,” Harden said.
One of the proposed changes concerns holidays. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents Day would be addressed, as well as who gets custody on fall break. Under the current laws, Christmas and New Year’s Day are two separate holidays, but under the new proposals, the two holidays would be combined into one and split between each parent.
“I’ve had situations where people are calling on Christmas Eve, and it’s really upsetting for a parent not to know if they are going to get their parenting time on Christmas Eve if they’ve made plans,” Harden said.
Currently, parents aren’t allowed to have a child three weekends in a row, but the new proposal would change that to what’s called a Parallel Parenting plan.
“There is now a special provision relating to situations where parents cannot get along, they are litigating every year,” Harden said. “In these situations, instead of calling your attorney or having them call their attorney and go back and forth, you go to this independent party that’s neutral. You kind of mediate these disputes between the parties.”
Harden said the new guidelines would only apply to new divorces, unless both parents who abide by the current rules agree to adopt the new rules. Court officials said the new guidelines could go into effect as soon as July 1.
We are looking for a dynamic Marketing Intern to work as a part of our team at our two sister companies (Harden Jackson LLC and MLJ Adoptions). Qualified candidates will be highly motivated, have excellent writing skills, extremely adept with social media, detail-oriented and able to operate under basic guidance. This position has the possibility of becoming a full-time paid position for the right candidate. This Internship will begin in May-June. Are you ready to make it happen?
Responsibilities
Assist with writing ad content for print media.
Assist with managing blog schedule, topics and writing.
Keep online listing and advertisements up to date with firm developments and changes.
Keep internal contact databases updated.
Assist with social media (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc.) updates.
Assist with web content updates as appropriate
Develop business through coordinating social functions through the local bar associations involving local firms and attorneys.
Qualifications
1. At the Junior or Senior undergrad level majoring in Marketing or related discipline
2. Ability to work with limited supervision
3. Proven ability to manage social media campaigns
4. Strong organizational and time-management skills
5. Excellent communication skills
Working understanding of Excel, Word, PowerPoint and the Internet
About Harden Jackson LLC: The team at HARDEN JACKSON is committed to providing our clients with personalized, compassionate service while remaining assertive advocates protecting our clients’ interests whether they are fighting for custody or negotiating the terms of a surrogacy contract. As effective and experienced litigators, the attorneys work with clients to develop strategies for negotiating settlements, while always preparing for litigation if necessary. The firm’s practice areas are restricted to: divorce, child custody and other areas of family law, adoption and reproductive law (including surrogacy and egg donors).
February 24th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Custody, Divorce
Communicating with your former (or soon-to be former) spouse can be difficult. Emotions and disputes often make civil conversations difficult. However, it’s easier than ever to communicate without ever even speaking. Between email, social media and texting, we can now have a relationship or dialogue with pretty much anyone and never have to see them in person. On the reverse side of that, emails, social media and texts can be used to enhance or detract from your case in a divorce or custody battle.
Attorney Clarissa Finnell, a seasoned attorney who practices exclusively in the area of family law, explains that using media as a tool has become prevalent in her family law cases. Finnell explains, “Often times, a client comes in with emails or text messages to be submitted to the court to prove the spouse participating in inappropriate behavior, infidelity etc.” However, Finnell also warns that this very same documentation can also be used against the client. Finnell gives several tips on how to use technology in your favor for your divorce or custody dispute.
Limit communication. Do not engage in or reply to any other communication unless it’s directly related to the children. Communication should be limited to information about children’s well-being, parenting time, education etc. This includes texts, emails and online private messages.
Communication is important. While limiting communication is important, it’s also important not to withhold child-related information.
Communicate via documented channels. Phone calls are hard to admit in a court. Emails and texts are much easier to submit to the court. Establish a preferred method to communicate with your ex-spouse and keep all communications, when possible, through this method.
Save any emails, texts, Facebook posts or any other information you would like to submit to the court, but keep in mind that your ex-spouse can do the same. This is why it is important to abstain from any communication that isn’t informational or about the children.
Do not post anything online that you wouldn’t want the court to see. Anything you post online including your status updates, pictures and even jobs you apply for can be used in court. This also includes pictures of your children.
