Posts Tagged ‘Michele Jackson’
May 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Adoption
Press Contact:
Leah Potter
HARDEN JACKSON LLC
11450 N. Meridian, Carmel, IN 46032
Phone: 317.569.0770
Email: lpotter@hardenjacksonlaw.com
Web site: www.hardenjacksonlaw.com
For Immediate Release
ADOPTION ATTORNEY DISCUSSES FEDERAL ADOPTION TAX CREDIT SET TO EXPIRE IN 2012
CARMEL, IN – May 2, 2012 - Attorney Michele Jackson, who chairs the Adoption & Reproductive Law Practice Group of Harden Jackson LLC, was interviewed on WIBC 93.1 to weigh in on the federal adoption tax credit that is set to expire in 2012.
Currently, adoptive parents are allowed a $12,650 (non-refundable) tax credit. Unless Congress acts, the act will expire this year. There are two bills proposed for approval to extend the tax credit (HR184 and S82). However, if there is not an extension, international adoptions completed in 2013 will receive no tax benefits. Considering an adoption can cost anywhere from $10,000-$50,000, this tax credit can make a difference in financial planning for adoption.
Jackson remains dedicated to advocating for this tax credit extension and encourages potential adoptive parents to do the same. Through her law practice and adoption agency, Jackson will continue to provide education, support and advocacy for international adoption.
Jackson is a founding member of Jocham Harden Dimick Jackson where she offers numerous legal services for domestic and international adoptions including private and agency adoptions, step-parent adoptions, second parent adoptions, and surrogacy contracts. In addition, Jackson offers other international family law services, including adoption contract reviews, international custody, abduction prevention, and orphan visa appeals. Jackson was an Adjunct Law Professor at the IU School of Law, Indianapolis from 2005-2010, where she taught classes on International Comparative Family Law and International Organizations Law. She has also directed seminars and conferences as well as Continuing Legal Education classes on topics such as Adoption Law and Assisted Reproductive Law (Surrogacy). A frequent speaker, Jackson has addressed audiences in Indiana, nationally and internationally. Her articles on subjects such as adoption, child labor, sexual exploitation, and the plight of orphans, have been featured in numerous print and online publications.
Jackson had advised foreign Consulates on issues relating to international family law and orphan visa denials. As a member of the American Bar Association, she has been actively involved in developing and drafting the ABA Model Legislation for surrogacy and reproductive law.
She has also directed seminars and Continuing Legal Education classes on topics such as “How to Pursue International Adoption,” “A Child Without a Family,” and “CHINS in Indiana
Harden Jackson, LLC is a Carmel law firm providing personalized service with a responsive and compassionate approach. As effective and experienced litigators, the attorneys work with clients to develop strategies for negotiating settlements, while always preparing for litigation if necessary. The practice assists clients in all areas of family law, adoption and reproductive law matters. For more information, please contact Leah Potter at 317.569.0770 or www.hardenjacksonlaw.com .
To hear the news segment, go HERE
Tags: adoption, Michele Jackson
April 30th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Assisted Reproductive Law
An Indiana woman is claiming she was fired from her Catholic school teaching job for ungergoing in vitro fertilization treatments. The woman is now suing the diocese in what could be a legal showdown over reproductive and religious rights.
Emily Herx’s lawsuit accuses the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and St. Vincent de Paul school in Fort Wayne of discrimination for her terminating her last June. Herx says that the church pastor told her she was a “grave, immoral sinner” and that she should have kept quiet about her fertility treatments because some things are “better left between the individual and God,” the complaint said. The diocese responded saying it “views the core issue raised in this lawsuit as a challenge to the diocese’s right, as a religious employer, to make religious based decisions consistent with its religious standards on an impartial basis.” The Catholic church is against any type of infertility treatments. In fact, when Herx appealed the termination decision to Fort Wayne Bishop Kevin Rhoades, he told her IVF was “an intrinsic evil, which means that no circumstances can justify it.”
We’ve posted previously (HERE) about the possibility of discrimination against children conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology. Is seems that this now is extending to the potential parents as well. It will be interesting to follow the case to see what the future holds for Reproductive Rights.
Tags: assisted reproductive technology, infertility, IVF, Michele Jackson
April 27th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Assisted Reproductive Law
Picture of the week. One of these kids was born using Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and one was not. The chicken or the spider?
Tags: ART, infertility, Michele Jackson
April 18th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Adoption, Professional
Harden Jackson attorney, Michele Jackson was recently featured in a New York Times article regarding moms who travel for work. Michele was honored to have been selected to offer her insight for the article. You can read a copy of the article below or link to it here: NY Times article featuring Michele Jackson
New York Times Article:
Amy Kossoff Smith, the founder of a parenting Web site, has a ritual when she has to go on the road. She leaves a printed itinerary of all the carpools, sports practices and games, baby-sitter hours and anything else her husband might need.
Michele L. Jackson, a lawyer in Indiana who travels for her international adoption work, said she leaves files back home for each of her children with information on their activities and their medical records. She said she also texts instructions from the road, adding that she is “sure to include some sweetness” for her husband in the note “so he doesn’t feel like an employee.”
Peace of mind for working mothers who have to travel comes in all sorts of forms. While working fathers who go away on business may use some of the same tactics, mothers are often the ones laying out their children’s skating outfits and freezing extra dinners before they leave town.
Ms. Smith, whose Web site is called MomTini Lounge, said children thrive on routine and structure, “so moms who travel try to minimize the disruption at home.” She said she jettisons any unnecessary commitments like play dates to streamline the family schedule as much as possible while she is away.
Single parents can find travel even more challenging because they have to hand over care of the children to a sitter, friend or relative. This is especially tough, Ms. Smith said, if those caregivers are not as familiar with the family routines. “Juggling these things might be second nature to Mom, but for the person who doesn’t do it all the time, it can feel overwhelming,” she said. She recommended making a list or sharing an electronic calendar.
Some working mothers said they also have doctor, emergency, school and neighbor contact lists. Others said they set up grocery delivery services and order drug store supplies online.
Technology helps, too, once parents are on the road. Ms. Smith suggested that parents follow their children’s lead in deciding whether to text, e-mail or go to Facebook. “If the kids communicate via text, then working parents do, too,” she said. “And every PC and smartphone is now a video conference device.”
Phaedra Cucina, the author of the picture book “My Mommy’s on a Business Trip” (DolceVita Woman, 2008), said mothers can show younger children their hotel room using Skype. “It’s comforting for a young child to see mommy in her hotel room waving and making silly faces,” Ms. Cucina said. Older children might prefer sharing the city sights with their mother via an iPhone pointed out the window of a taxi.
But while traveling parents may be tempted by the technology to check in often, Ms. Smith said they should not try to run their households from the road. “It’s time to focus on business, not making sure your son’s homework is done,” she said. “It can be a nice break for everyone.”
Ms. Smith also said parents should manage their family’s expectations before leaving. “Things may not run as smoothly,” she said. She said she advises parents to include children as part of a team, to get things done while a parent is on the road. “Sometimes parents come home from a trip and discover their children do know how to load a dishwasher or clean their own clothes,” she said.
Leaving a meal plan is another way for some traveling mothers to keep the home running smoothly, said Lauren Fix, an automotive expert and former racecar driver who traveled over the years for speaking engagements and automotive shows. She said she used to store premade meals in the freezer and refrigerator for her children and husband. Sometimes, she said, she would leave homemade cookies as a surprise or a pot of soup or chili that could last for a few meals.
As her children got older, she said, she taught them basic, and then more advanced, cooking skills so they could make their own omelets, rice, pasta, barbecued chicken and paninis. She asked them to do their own laundry and to leave the house “clean but not spotless.”
And while it took some nagging at the time, Ms. Fix said, now that one child is in college and the other will be soon, “it turns out that cooking, cleaning and doing laundry are skills their classmates don’t all have,” she said. Other students are “always asking my daughter how to get a stain out, or how to cook something.”
Laura Kastner, a psychologist and co-author of books on family issues in Seattle, said a family’s ability to function well with a traveling mother is also linked to its members’ attitudes. “When Mom loves her work, Dad is happy to contribute and feels appreciated, and the kids can adapt well to changes in routines, all should go smoothly,” she said. Parents who treat business travel as just another facet of life that needs to be managed “usually do just fine,” according to Dr. Kastner.
Problems arise, Dr. Kastner said, when parents feel ambivalent or resentful. “If Mom talks about feeling guilty, or Dad starts sniping about the extra load he is carrying, it can set off some bad dynamics,” she said, adding that she advises parents to approach travel with “resourcefulness and optimism.”
Some children are better equipped to handle things emotionally when a mother is away, Dr. Kastner said. “Kids who are resilient, can handle change and some adversity, and aren’t very emotionally volatile will go with the flow, “ she said.
Parents need to tend to emotional issues also, and younger children can be especially upset when parents travel, Ms. Cucina said. She suggested that the caregiver plan a special event like a pizza night while a parent is away so the child will have something to look forward to.
Some families prepare a calendar showing when the mother will be away, display a map or take the children to the airport to say goodbye. “These little touches make younger children feel a part of what’s going on,” Ms. Cucina said, and give mothers the chance to reassure the children that they will “be back home soon.”
Tags: Michele Jackson, moms who travel, parenting time
April 13th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Assisted Reproductive Law, Surrogacy
Have you heard about the Family Act ( S 965/HR 3522) that is before Congress this session? This bill was introduced in Congress in May of 2011 and if passed, will create a tax credit for the out-of-pocket costs associated with infertility medical treatment. As you can imagine, this bill could have a major impact for intended parents and may help them overcome some of the financial barriers associated with Infertility.
Infertility groups across the nation have rallied support for this bill. RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association is taking that a step further. RESOLVE is sponsoring Advocacy Day on April 25th, 2012 in Washington D.C. Participants will spend the day talking to Members of Congress about the disease of Infertility. The message from RESOLVE is that, “Congress can help make a difference in the lives of patients battling infertility by making vital medical treatment options more accessible, and strengthening the federal commitment to research that will lead to prevention of and treatments for infertility.”
Once registered, the organization will make appointments with the participants’ Congress person, and then provide training and materials for participants to make the most of their meeting. Participants will also be paired with other advocates from their state or RESOLVE staff members at these meetings to ensure effective communication of their message.
If you are interested in attending Advocacy day, you may find more information at: http://familybuilding.resolve.org/site/PageServer?pagename=advday_home
Tags: infertility, Michele Jackson, surrogacy
April 6th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Adoption, Assisted Reproductive Law, Surrogacy
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.
Tags: adoption, ART, Michele Jackson, surrogacy
March 21st, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Assisted Reproductive Law, General Law
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.
Tags: ART, Michele Jackson, social security benefits, sperm bank, third party reproduction
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.
Tags: ART, infertility, IVF, Michele Jackson
February 17th, 2012 | Posted by Leah | Posted in Adoption
From Attorney Michele Jackson’s trip to an African orphanage. What a beautiful smile!
Tags: adoption, Democratic Republic of Congo adoption, Michele Jackson
February 15th, 2012 | Posted by Leah Potter | Posted in Adoption, Collaborative Law
Press Contact:
Leah Potter
HARDEN JACKSON LLC
11450 N. Meridian, Carmel, IN 46032
Phone: 317.569.0770
Email: lpotter@hardenjacksonlaw.com
Web site: www.hardenjacksonlaw.com
For Immediate Release
ATTORNEYS FROM HARDEN JACKSON RECOGNIZED BY SUPER LAWYERS
CARMEL, IN – February 15, 2012 – Three attorneys from Harden Jackson, LLC have been recognized by Super Lawyers for 2012. Attorney Lanae Harden, who chairs the firm’s Family Law Practice Group, has been named to the “Super Lawyers” list as one of the top attorneys in Indiana for 2012. Attorney Michele Jackson, who chairs the firm’s Adoption and Reproductive Law Practice Group, has been named to the “Rising Stars” list as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in Indiana for 2012. In addition, collaborative law attorney Clarissa Finnell has been named to the “Rising Stars” list.
The selection process for Super Lawyers employs a rigorous, multiphase process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.
Super Lawyer Lanae Harden is a founding member of Harden Jackson, LLC where she practices divorce and family law litigation with more than 15 years of experience. She chairs the firm’s Family Law Practice Group and frequently handles complex custody and parenting time litigation cases. Rising Star Michele Jackson chairs the firm’s Adoption and Reproductive Law Practice Group and focuses her practice in domestic and international adoptions as well as reproductive law matters. Rising Star Clarissa Finnell is a seasoned attorney who practices exclusively in the area of family law, representing clients with cases including legal separation, divorce, child support, child custody, paternity, parenting time, modification and contempt issues.
Harden Jackson, LLC is a Carmel law firm providing personalized service with a responsive and compassionate approach. As effective and experienced litigators, the attorneys work with clients to develop strategies for negotiating settlements, while always preparing for litigation if necessary. The practice assists clients in all areas of family law, adoption and reproductive law matters. For more information, please contact Leah Potter at 317.569.0770 or www.hardenjacksonlaw.com .
Tags: Clarissa Finnell, Lanae Harden, Michele Jackson, Super Lawyers
