Attorney Bio & Practice Areas

 

Rebecca J. Berfanger, J.D., M.S.J.

Quick contact: RJB@rjberfangerlaw.com ; Click here for Contact form: Contact Us for an Appointment »

Why Should I Hire Someone With A Journalism Background?

I use my skills as a trained journalist to provide legal research and writing services to my clients, as well as other attorneys in a variety of practice areas on a project-by-project (contract) basis. I’ve also provided background research for books and articles for other journalists as a contract researcher and fact-checker. Contract work for other attorneys includes assistance with Appeals, Motions to Correct Error, Motions for Summary Judgment, and general research on a variety of practice areas.

After I earned my B.A. from Ball State University in Journalism (Magazine Concentration) and French in December 2000, I was the associate editor for Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly, and I contributed articles to other publications and websites for Lawyers Weekly, Inc., based in Boston, Mass. (2001-04). I earned a Master’s of Science in Journalism (Magazine Publishing) from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., with an assignment in the Medill Newsroom in Washington, D.C. (MSJ; May 2004 - March 2005). From Spring 2005 until Summer 2012, I freelanced and worked full-time for Indianapolis publications, including: NUVO (Spring 2005), The Indianapolis Star’s INTake publication (2005-06); Indiana Lawyer and Indianapolis Business Journal (2006-11); and Indianapolis Monthly (2011-12).

After leaving full-time journalism as a law student, I continued to contribute articles to Indianapolis Monthly, NUVO, Columbus Magazine (Indiana), SOUTH (Indy’s Southside Magazine), Res Gestae (Indiana State Bar Association), Indiana Lawyer, and Mirror Indy (American Journalism Project). Much of my freelance writing has been about visual artists and photographers, writers, performers, film, local and nationally recognized stage performers, and local arts and non-profit organizations. My dream, if I had unlimited funds and time, would be to produce a podcast to promote local arts events (theater, film, music, books, visual arts, libraries, museums, one-day roadtrips, etc.).  

Quick contact: RJB@rjberfangerlaw.com ; Click here for Contact form: Contact Us for an Appointment »

 

Legal Experience:

As an attorney for individual clients in Central Indiana, I’ve represented clients on a variety of civil legal needs, but I have a few areas I focus on: Probate and Estate Planning, Family Law, and Small Businesses.

PROBATE AND ESTATE PLANNING:

I have represented Personal Representatives (also known as “Executors”) who need a trustworthy attorney to explain, file, and oversee their unsupervised Probate cases; as well as estates that the State of Indiana would consider to be “small estates.” (In Indiana, estates that are valued at under $100,000 may have different procedures than other probate cases valued at more than $100,000: https://indianalegalhelp.org/legal-topic/small-estate/, but this is a fact-specific designation to determine what is an asset or debt of an estate, how to make those valuations, etc. Even if you don’t hire me, I strongly encourage you to work with an attorney to make this determination).

With all of the steps required for both small estates and probated estates, such as retitling cars, accessing bank accounts, determining how to pay debts of an estate, when you need to open a bank account for the estate, and keeping all cars and vehicles paid and insured until they are sold or transferred, I make myself available throughout the process to quickly and effectively answer all of your questions.

I also have assisted many Indianapolis-area families, occasionally multiple generations of the same family, with their Estate Planning needs. In my initial meeting, I will focus on each client’s individual needs and goals regarding their loved ones and themselves. I typically offer a package that includes: legal advice, drafting and execution of Wills, Trusts (if needed), Durable Power of Attorney for Financial decisions, Advance Directives for Health Care decisions, planning for Standby/Emergency Guardianships for minor children, and answering other questions and concerns they have to make the process as simple as possible.

FAMILY LAW:

In an effort to make sure I am the best fit for a Family Law case, the initial consult will be about a family’s legal goals and needs. I prefer to focus on low-conflict cases and do my best to keep clients from needing to go to court. This includes new and uncontested adoptions, including step-parent adoptions; standby/emergency guardianships for minor children; new divorces and modifications; establishing paternity; child support; custody; and parenting time. Limited scope representations are available for the purpose of filing petitions, motions, and agreements for a reasonable fee.

  • If your case is what I would consider to be high-conflict, or if you already know you would prefer to have a judge hear your case, I may refer you to another colleague who is a Family Law attorney.

As a Registered Mediator in Indiana since February 2020, in the majority of my cases, I discuss with clients an end goal of keeping my clients out of court as much as possible. This might include mediation or settlement agreements, sometimes known as “kitchen table negotiations.” Staying out of court solves at least three issues: 1. It is more cost-effective than going to court in terms of legal fees for both parties; 2. It lets parties come up with creative solutions that a court is less likely to consider, and; 3. It helps parties keep as much private information out of the eyes of the court — and out of public records — as possible (some information will need to be shared by Indiana statutes, but settlement agreements tend to include fewer details as long as it is enough information to keep the agreement enforceable).

If you hire me to be a Family Law Mediator, I can provide information as a neutral third party on your family law matters, whether parties have hired their own attorneys or not. As mediator, I cannot provide legal advice, but can help negotiate mutually acceptable agreements to maintain amicable relationships, and potentially save clients money and time in court costs. I can also file documents as mediator after agreements have been reached by the parties, and I will be upfront about any associated costs, including amount of time I expect your case will take. (While each case is different, several of my clients have been able to settle their divorces or modifications with just one or two short meetings.)

For cases with more complicated parenting time structures or issues where the child needs a neutral third-party to investigate their best interests, I have served as Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) on divorce cases, both as volunteer/pro bono GAL for cases where Kids’ Voice has been appointed, and as a paid court-appointed GAL for modest means cases. (My pro bono work is only when the Marion County-based organization Kids’ Voice is appointed to a case through a court order; I do not otherwise take pro bono Guardian Ad Litem cases as an individual).

BUSINESS LAW:

As a small business owner, I appreciate helping other small business with a variety of needs. I have helped a variety of businesses with contracts: negotiations, drafting, and review (including lease review and drafting); LLC formations; partnership agreements; and general questions. If your question is something I cannot answer, I can provide referrals to colleagues.

OTHER REPRESENTATION:

  • Name changes

  • Contract review and drafting

  • Expungements:

    • Misdemeanors

    • Non-violent, low-level felonies

  • Appeals (various practice areas; may depend on availability)

Quick contact: RJB@rjberfangerlaw.com ; Click here for Contact form: Contact Us for an Appointment

 

OTHER PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE:

Recent and Current Adjunct Professor:

  • Ball State University, Muncie, Ind.

    • Media Law & Ethics (Fall 2015 - present)

    • News Editing (Spring 2022 - Spring 2023)

  • Indiana University McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Ind.

    • First Amendment Law (Summer 2019 - present)

    • Legal Writing for LLMs (Spring 2020 - present)

    • Constitutional Law for LLMs (Spring 2024)

  • Butler University - Lacy School of Business, Indianapolis, Ind.

    • Business Law & Ethics for MBA students (Fall 2023, Fall 2024)

Community Involvement

  • Indianapolis Bar Association (since Fall 2011)

    • IndyBar Leaders Series (June 2021 - June 2022)

  • Indiana State Bar Association (since Fall 2011)

    • Leadership Development Academy (2018 Class)

    • Contributor to Res Gestae Magazine

    • Solo and Small Firm Conference Planning Committee (since 2019)

  • Indiana Bar Foundation — We The People, Volunteer Judge for Middle School Competition (2015 - 2019)

  • Indy Film Fest — Board of Directors (2019-2022; president 2021-2022); Volunteer (2011-2022)

  • STEP-UP, Inc. — Board of Directors (2008-2018)

  • Earth Charter Indiana — Board of Directors (2019-2020)

  • Theatre on the Square — Board of Directors (2016-2017)

  • Circle City Roller Derby — Events and Marketing Volunteer (2009-2016); Board of Directors (2015)

  • Indiana AIDS Walk — Events and Marketing Volunteer (2005-2010)

  • FBI Citizens Academy in Indianapolis — Class of 2010.

Quick contact: RJB@rjberfangerlaw.com

Click here for Contact form: Contact Us for an Appointment »

 
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