It is perfectly normal to feel frustrated, anxious, and targeted when you receive notification of an investigation by the state board. You studied hard and put in countless hours of time refining your practice to be the nurse your patients need. To have that dedication questioned is a serious matter — one that can lead to career-altering ramifications. Why would the Indiana State Board of Nursing choose to investigate my work? The Indiana State Board of Nursing may initiate an investigation due to various concerns, including: Violations of the Nurse Practice Act: This could include practicing ..read more

Birdnesting, also known as “bird’s nest custody” or “nesting,” is a unique arrangement for child custody after divorce or non-marital separation. Unlike traditional custody arrangements where children move between the parents’ separate residences, in birdnesting, the children always stay in a main house, and the parents move in and out as they take turns living with the children. There are three basic concepts involved with birdnesting. They are as follows: Children’s Residence: The children stay in the family home, providing them with a stable environment. There is relatively little disruptio ..read more

People generally expect to have as much control over their day-to-day lives and long-term personal choices as anyone can. For example, parents typically expect to have the legal authority to make choices about how their minor children live, such as what schools they attend and where they live. Yet, certain family circumstances can impose restrictions on people’s options. For example, someone who has minor children and who shares parenting time with their children’s other parent cannot necessarily decide to move without either getting the support of the other parent or the approval of the India ..read more

There’s no avoiding the fact that divorce is a huge life change for most people. Hopefully, this is a positive experience overall. After all, you or your spouse (or both of you) decided to end your marriage. There is almost always a good reason for this, even when neither side is “to blame” through adultery, wasting money, abandoning the family, etc. Still, divorce is often portrayed in Carmel as almost a traumatic event that negatively impacts every facet of your life, at least while you are in the proceedings and for a while afterward. The positive effects often go overlooked. But many peopl ..read more

You and your spouse will have to go through a property division process during a divorce. In most cases, any marital assets are evenly distributed between couples. It isn’t always clear what assets should go to whom – unless there’s a prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement. While you and your spouse may agree on who gets the furniture, art collection or vehicle, or certain sentimental assets are distributed, you both may be divided on who gets the house. While, ultimately, the decision is between you and your spouse, there may be pros and cons to keeping the house. Here’s what you shoul ..read more

One potential problem that occurs in some divorce cases is that one spouse tries to hide assets from the other. This is done when the court asks for a full disclosure of all assets, so it is a violation of that rule and an illegal act. But it still happens a lot because people are seeking to deprive their soon-to-be ex of financial assets. If you’re worried that your spouse is going to do this, you need to know how to uncover these assets. This starts with understanding how they may hide them and how you can look for evidence that they’ve been doing so. Checking electronic bank statements The ..read more

If you are going through a divorce and have a professional license, it’s important that you have an opportunity to protect yourself and your career. It is possible for your license to be threatened if your spouse makes claims against you in some cases, such as if they accuse you of domestic violence. You could also see your reputation damaged if you are distracted by your divorce instead of handling your work in a timely manner. What can you do to protect yourself? There are a few helpful tips. Be reasonable and ready to negotiate with your spouse Be prepared to shut down untrue claims against ..read more

During a military divorce, there is the potential that the military pension will need to be divided. A service member’s pension may be one of the most valuable assets to consider during a divorce, which is why it’s important to treat it appropriately. The Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act is in place to help protect those who used to be married to service members when they meet a qualifying status. It’s possible to receive a portion of a spouse’s pension regardless of the length of the marriage, as most states treat this kind of pension as community property. The Department of De ..read more

It is common for people to feel confused about their rights in an upcoming divorce. When one spouse is a military servicemember or someone who has retired from the military, there may be even more confusion about what happens in the divorce. There are many myths about divorce that people pass off as the truth. Especially with military divorces, people who don’t understand the rules may give bad advice with the best of intentions. One of the issues people find the most confusing in the military divorce is what happens with various military benefits. Some people don’t understand what rules apply ..read more

The question that causes much angst among nurses when they are renewing their license is Question #5, which states: “Since you last renewed, have you ever been terminated, reprimanded, disciplined, or demoted in the scope of your practice as a Nurse or as another health care professional?” This question is difficult because there is a lot of gray area.  Let’s start with the easy answers.  If you were terminated from a job, then you need to answer “yes” and provide an explanation.  Even if the termination was not because of “fault”, you need to provide that information.  It ..read more