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Clarissa Finnell is an attorney with Schultz & Pogue. Ms. Finnell 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. She also represents clients in stepparent adoption and guardianship matters.
She has been practicing for twenty- four(24) years and has extensive litigation experience managing heavy volume caseloads in complex, contested family law matters. In addition to her work as a divorce and custody litigator, Ms. Finnell is a trained collaborative attorney and can assist clients who are seeking to resolve their family law cases without going to court.
Ms. Finnell is a graduate of Indiana University, where she completed her undergraduate degree in criminal justice before earning her Juris Doctor from IU's School of Law-Indianapolis in 1997. For eight years, Ms. Finnell worked for the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society and was with another Indianapolis area family law firm where she represented clients primarily in divorce, custody and paternity cases involving father's rights. Ms. Finnell is also a Registered Domestic Mediator and served as the 2020 Chair of the ADR section of the Indianapolis Bar Association.
A member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Boone County Bar Association, Hamilton County Bar Association, AFCC and Indiana Association of Mediators . In 2011 and 2012, Ms. Finnell was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, an honor for attorneys under 40 that lists her as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in Indiana.
In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Finnell volunteers her time to various pro bono and legal services including the IBA's Ask a Lawyer and "Legal Line" programs.
- Divorce
- Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Consumer - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
- Collaborative Law
- Registered Domestic Relations Mediator
- Parenting Coordinator
- Guardian Ad Litem
- Zoom
- Credit Cards Accepted
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Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
Contact for details
- Indiana
- Indiana Supreme Court
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- English: Spoken, Written
- Of Counsel
- Schultz & Pogue LLP
- - Current
- Partner
- Harden Jackson Law
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- Associate
- Jocham Harden Dimick Jackson
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- Senior Attorney
- Cordell & Cordell
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- Staff Attorney
- Indianapolis Legal Aid Society
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- Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
- J.D.
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- Indiana University - Indiana University-Bloomington
- B.A. | Criminal Justice
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- Peer Review Rated
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Rising Star
- Super Lawyers
- 2011 and 2012
- Rising Star
- Indiana Super Lawyers Magazine
- Under 40, One of the Top Up-and-Coming Attorneys in Indiana
- Super Lawyers
- Under 40, One of the Top Up-and-Coming Attorneys in Indiana
- Super Lawyers
- Indianapolis Bar Association
- Member
- Current
- Activities: 2020 ADR Section Chair
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- Hamilton County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
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- Indiana State Bar
- Member
- Current
- Activities: Member Public Relations Committee
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- American Bar Association
- Member
- Current
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- Central Indiana Association of Collaborative Professionals
- Member
- Current
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- Collaborative Solutions Practice Group
- Member
- - Current
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- Boone County Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
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- International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
- Member
- - Current
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- Q. In the state of indiana do you have to fill out a financial worksheet for support even if you are doing joint custody?
- A: If you are asking if you will be required to file a child support worksheet in cases where you share joint physical custody then the answer is most likely "yes". It is not necessarily the case that neither party pays support when they share equal time with their children. Indiana utilizes an income share model to determine each parent's support obligation. If parties have fairly equal income and equal time, then the recommended support may be $0 or close to $0. However, if one party has higher income than the other party there may be a support obligation even if you share time. Even if both parents agree that neither will pay support to the other, the court will still want ... Read More
- Q. I am filing pro se divorce do I need to list my house and car since I owned them before I was Married
- A: All property owned at the time you file for divorce is included in the marital estate. It is included no matter how it is titled or when it was purchased. When dividing marital assets the court can consider value of assets brought into the marriage. There are many factors that may impact how the marital estate may be divided. I recommend that you consult an attorney who practices family law to discuss what factors may apply in your particular case.
- Q. State of Indiana
- A: Child support terminates in Indiana at age 19 unless you have a disabled child. If your support is being paid by income withholding you may need an order from the court to terminate the withholding order when your child turns 19. I recommend consulting with a family law attorney in you area to review the facts of your particular case. If you owe back support, then you cannot merely stop paying support when your child turns 19. Also, payment of college expenses can extend past the age of 19.
