Divorce & Separation
From uncontested filings to complex litigation, we guide you through each decision with a clear view of the road ahead and regular communication.
Divorce · Custody · Support · Paternity
Steady counsel for families in transition.
Divorce, custody, support — the legal side of life's hardest moments, handled with clarity and care. Vare Family Law helps you understand your options, protect what matters, and move forward on solid ground.
Practice areas
Help for whatever your family is facing.
Every family matter is different. These are the ones we handle every day.
Child Custody & Support
Providing steady counsel aimed at securing custody and support arrangements that provide stability and shield your children from conflict.
Spousal Maintenance
Candid advice to determine whether spousal maintenance is appropriate in your case, with a goal toward ensuring your most stable future possible.
Property & Asset Division
A common-sense approach to reaching an equitable distribution of your marital assets and debts.
Paternity Matters
Offering seasoned legal counsel to protect a father's parental rights, and to assist in securing the financial support your children deserve.
Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
Practical agreements to alleviate unknown outcomes and eliminate property division concerns in the event of a divorce.
Facing something not listed here — guardianship, adoption, a protective order? Ask us. If we're not the right fit, we'll point you to someone who is.
How we work
A clear process for an unclear time.
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Listen first
Every case starts with a candid conversation about your situation, your children, your concerns, and your priorities. The information you share is used to formulate a tailored strategy for your case.
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Plan candidly
You receive a candid assessment of your case, including strengths, risks, likely timelines and potential outcomes. Only the work deemed necessary to advance your case is undertaken — rather than a one-size-fits-all checklist.
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Resolve deliberately
Most families are best served when they resolve their differences by agreement. We aim for a cooperative resolution but are prepared for litigation when agreement is elusive.
Settlement-minded, trial-ready
We negotiate from strength and litigate when necessary.
One attorney, start to finish
You work directly with your lawyer — not a rotating cast.
Clear fees
Written fee agreements and monthly itemized billings make charges straightforward.
Regular and clear communication
You will always be informed of the status of your case; no surprises.
About the firm
Counsel you can actually reach.
Melissa began her legal career at Ice Miller and spent most of her prior legal career with large Indianapolis firms, where she focused on general and management-side employment litigation. Melissa now devotes her practice to a variety of family law matters, including marital dissolution, paternity actions, child custody and support, and prenuptial agreements.
Melissa has significant experience, having litigated hundreds of cases in Indiana state and federal courts. She is admitted to practice in all Indiana state courts, the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Family law, exclusively — it's all we do
- Hundreds of cases litigated in Indiana state & federal courts
- Admitted in all Indiana state courts, N.D. & S.D. Indiana, and the Seventh Circuit
- Confidential initial consultations by appointment
Common questions
Answers before you even ask.
How much will this cost?
It depends on how contested your matter is. Uncontested divorces and agreements are often handled on a flat fee; contested cases are billed hourly against a retainer. It starts with a 30-minute confidential consultation, offered for $50. From there, you'll get a written fee agreement and a realistic cost estimate before we begin — and itemized billing throughout.
What happens at the first consultation?
We spend about thirty minutes, confidentially, on your situation: what's happened, what you're worried about, and what you want life to look like afterward. We'll provide an honest assessment of your situation and use the information gathered to formulate a strategy for your case.
How long does a divorce take?
An uncontested divorce can wrap up in a few months. Contested cases — especially with custody or significant assets in dispute — can take a year or more. We push for the most efficient resolution your situation allows, and we'll give you a realistic timeline at the outset.
We already agree on everything. Do I still need a lawyer?
An amicable split still deserves a careful agreement. Support miscalculations, vague parenting plans, and mishandled retirement divisions are expensive to fix later. A flat-fee review or drafting engagement is cheap insurance — and keeps things amicable.
Will my case go to trial?
Statistically, probably not — the great majority of family cases settle. But the strongest settlements are negotiated by lawyers who are genuinely prepared to try the case. We build every file that way from day one.
Is what I tell you confidential?
Consultations are confidential. One caution: please keep sensitive details out of the website contact form and initial emails — save those for our conversation, after we've run a conflict check.
Consultations
Talk it through before you decide anything.
A 30-minute confidential consultation is offered for $50, in order to partially compensate the lawyer for their investment of time. Bring your questions and concerns and leave with a clearer picture of where you stand and how we will handle your case.
- Office
- 9783 E. 116th Street, Suite A257 · Fishers, IN 46037
- Virtual consultations available
Thanks — we've got it.
We'll be in touch within one business day. If it's urgent, call (317) 663-9711.