Family Law Tip of the Week: When Do Final Decrees Need to be in if Clients Want to be Divorced by Dec. 31 for Tax Purposes?

Welcome to Tip of the Week! Judicial officers will offer a tip each week for members of the Family Law Section. Feel free to send suggestions to Mag. Kim Mattingly at kimberly.mattingly@indy.gov.

By Mag. Kimberly Dean Mattingly, Marion Superior Court

The consensus is: the earlier the better, but really by Dec. 19 or 20. Many of us try to use up remaining vacation days during the last two weeks of December, so there is no guarantee that someone will be available to review and sign. And, the advent of Odyssey means you can no longer roam the halls searching for the lone Judicial Officer who is in and available; we generally can only access the work for the courts to which we are assigned.
 
Additionally, check your CLE accumulations now to avoid receiving a nastygram from the Disciplinary Commission in January. IndyBar is offering plenty of options for you to shore up your balances, and some are even free!

Stay tuned for a new tip next week!

If you would like to submit content or write an article for the Family Law Section page, please email Kara Sikorski at ksikorski@indybar.org.