How many custody & visitation resources are in Indiana?

Women's Corner tracks 14 custody & visitation resources for women in Indiana.

Are custody & visitation resources in Indiana free?

13 of the 14 listed custody & visitation resources in Indiana are explicitly free or low-cost.

Which cities in Indiana have custody & visitation resources?

Listings span cities including Indianapolis, Lafayette, Evansville.

What are some examples of custody & visitation resources in Indiana?

Featured entries include Indiana Legal Services — Family Law, Volunteer Lawyer Program of Indianapolis, Legal Aid of Western Indiana, Indiana Self-Service Legal Center, Legal Aid Society of Evansville.

Do these listings include phone numbers?

6 of 14 Indiana custody & visitation listings include phone numbers.

Do I need a lawyer to file for custody?

No — you can file pro se using forms from your county's Family Court Self-Help Center or Family Law Facilitator at no cost. A lawyer is strongly recommended if your ex is contesting custody, there's a history of abuse, or you need to relocate. Legal aid organizations cover custody cases for income-qualifying mothers.

How does the court decide who gets custody?

Judges apply the 'best interest of the child' standard, weighing each parent's caregiving history, stability, work schedule, the child's bond with each parent, any abuse or substance use, and (for older children) the child's preference. Being the primary caregiver — the parent who handles school, doctor visits, and daily routines — carries significant weight.

What if my ex won't follow the parenting plan?

Document every missed exchange, denied visit, or violation with dates, screenshots, and witnesses, then file a Motion for Contempt or Motion to Enforce with the court that issued your order. Courts can order make-up time, fines, or even change custody for repeated violations. Don't withhold the child in retaliation — that can hurt your case.

Can I get sole custody?

Yes, but courts presume joint custody is best unless you can show the other parent is unfit — documented abuse, untreated addiction, abandonment, or serious mental illness that endangers the child. Bring police reports, medical records, CPS findings, and witness statements. A guardian ad litem may be appointed to investigate.

Best Custody & Visitation in Indiana — 14 resources

About Custody & Visitation for Women

Custody and visitation cases for women are handled in state and county family courts under each state's 'best interest of the child' standard. Mothers seeking sole, joint, or primary physical custody can use free self-help centers inside most courthouses to file petitions, parenting plans, and modification requests without an attorney. The ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence and the Women's Law Project track state-by-state custody trends, and organizations like the Battered Mothers Custody Conference advocate where abuse intersects with custody. This directory combines official state court self-help portals, county family law facilitators, women-focused family law firms, and maternal advocacy organizations.

Custody & Visitation in Indiana

Indiana superior and circuit courts hear family matters in all 92 counties, with some counties operating dedicated domestic relations divisions. The Child Support Bureau operates under DCS. Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, and South Bend are the largest metros. Indiana Legal Services and the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence offer civil legal aid and shelter referrals for women.

14 Resources

1. Indiana Legal Services — Family Law — Free

Indiana Legal Services runs its statewide intake from 1200 Madison Ave in Indianapolis, providing free family-law representation to women whose household income falls at or below 125% of federal poverty. Staff attorneys handle contested custody, paternity actions, and visitation disputes in courts from Marion County to the rural southwest. Mothers can apply online or call 317-631-9410 weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm; ask about the dedicated DV team if safety is at issue.

317-631-9410 · 1200 Madison Ave, Suite 300, Indianapolis, IN 46225 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website

2. Volunteer Lawyer Program of Indianapolis — Free

Run by the Indianapolis Bar Foundation at 140 N Illinois St, the VLP matches Marion County mothers with volunteer attorneys for divorce, custody, and protective-order cases. Income cap is typically 200% of federal poverty, broader than ILSI, which helps women just over standard legal-aid limits. Call 317-269-2000 weekdays 9am to 5pm to be screened; cases are placed as volunteer capacity opens up.

317-269-2000 · 140 N Illinois St, Suite 400, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website

3. Legal Aid of Western Indiana — Free

Lafayette-based program at 501 Main St serving Tippecanoe and the surrounding west-central counties with free custody, divorce, and paternity help. Especially useful for Purdue-area student mothers and women in rural Benton, Warren, or Fountain counties where private family-law attorneys are scarce. Reach intake at 765-423-5327 Mon-Fri 8:30am to 5pm.

765-423-5327 · 501 Main St, Suite 300, Lafayette, IN 47901 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm

4. Indiana Self-Service Legal Center — Free

Operated by the Indiana Supreme Court's Office of Judicial Administration, this online portal hosts plain-language guides and approved fillable forms for women filing custody, divorce, or paternity actions without an attorney. Forms are accepted in every Indiana county circuit and superior court. Call 317-232-2542 if a form will not download or you need to confirm which packet applies to your county.

317-232-2542 · Statewide Online Resource · 24/7 Online

5. Legal Aid Society of Evansville — Free

Southwestern Indiana's free civil legal-aid office at 216 SE 6th St in downtown Evansville, covering Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, and Gibson counties. Family-law attorneys take custody, paternity, and protective-order cases for low-income mothers. Call 812-435-5222 weekdays 8:30am to 4:30pm; the front desk can confirm whether your county is in their service area before you start an application.

812-435-5222 · 216 SE 6th St, Suite 200, Evansville, IN 47708 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-4:30pm

6. Indiana State Bar Association — Lawyer Referral

The ISBA referral line at 1 Indiana Square in downtown Indianapolis connects mothers to family-law attorneys statewide for a reduced-fee 30-minute consultation, typically under $50. Useful when income is too high for ILSI but full retainer fees are out of reach. Call 317-639-5465 Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm and describe your county so the operator can match a member who practices in your local court.

317-639-5465 · 1 Indiana Square, Suite 530, Indianapolis, IN 46204 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website

7. WomensLaw.org — Custody Information — Free

Plain-language legal guides written by attorneys covering Indiana's best-interest standard under IC 31-17-2-8, how parenting time is set under the Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines, and how to request supervised visitation in DV cases. The site includes a quick-exit button and printable safety plans for mothers leaving an abusive partner.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

8. ABA Family Law Section — Find a Lawyer — Free

The American Bar Association's Family Law Section publishes free fact sheets on relocation, military families, and grandparent rights, plus a directory of Indiana members who concentrate in family practice. Useful as background reading before paying for a consultation so you can ask sharper, more specific questions.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

9. Federal Office of Child Support Services — Free

OCSS partners with Indiana's DCS Child Support Bureau and explains how interstate cases work when a father has moved out of Indiana, how to request income withholding across state lines, and how passport denial for arrears over ,500 is triggered. Particularly helpful when an Indiana mother's case crosses into Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, or Michigan.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

10. USA.gov — Child Custody and Support — Free

The federal government's plain-English entry point for custody and support questions, with direct links to Indiana's DCS Child Support Bureau and to the Indiana Self-Service Legal Center. Use it as a starting point if you are not sure which Indiana agency handles your situation.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

11. ChildWelfare.gov — Custody Resources — Free

Federal information gateway curated by HHS covering kinship care, grandparent custody petitions (common in Indiana opioid-affected families), and ICWA cases for Miami and Potawatomi families. Free downloadable fact sheets you can hand a judge or share with a Guardian ad Litem.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

12. National Council of Juvenile & Family Court Judges — Free

NCJFCJ publishes the bench-book guidance that many Indiana family-court judges train from, including the Safe Babies Court Team model used in pilot counties such as Marion. Their public site has free briefs on domestic-violence-informed custody decisions worth reading before a contested hearing.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

13. Cornell Legal Information Institute — Family Law — Free

Free legal reference from Cornell Law School covering custody doctrine, the UCCJEA (which Indiana has adopted at IC 31-21), and the constitutional rights of parents. Useful when you want to verify a claim an opposing party or attorney is making about Indiana law.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

14. FindLaw — Child Custody — Free

Plain-language legal articles aimed at non-lawyers, covering how Indiana courts approach joint legal custody under IC 31-17-2-13, how relocation requests work, and what typically happens at provisional orders hearings. Free and ad-supported — useful for a quick concept check.

Nationwide · Online · Visit Website

Frequently Asked

How many custody & visitation resources are in Indiana?: Women's Corner tracks 14 custody & visitation resources for women in Indiana.
Are custody & visitation resources in Indiana free?: 13 of the 14 listed custody & visitation resources in Indiana are explicitly free or low-cost.
Which cities in Indiana have custody & visitation resources?: Listings span cities including Indianapolis, Lafayette, Evansville.
What are some examples of custody & visitation resources in Indiana?: Featured entries include Indiana Legal Services — Family Law, Volunteer Lawyer Program of Indianapolis, Legal Aid of Western Indiana, Indiana Self-Service Legal Center, Legal Aid Society of Evansville.
Do these listings include phone numbers?: 6 of 14 Indiana custody & visitation listings include phone numbers.
Do I need a lawyer to file for custody?: No — you can file pro se using forms from your county's Family Court Self-Help Center or Family Law Facilitator at no cost. A lawyer is strongly recommended if your ex is contesting custody, there's a history of abuse, or you need to relocate. Legal aid organizations cover custody cases for income-qualifying mothers.
How does the court decide who gets custody?: Judges apply the 'best interest of the child' standard, weighing each parent's caregiving history, stability, work schedule, the child's bond with each parent, any abuse or substance use, and (for older children) the child's preference. Being the primary caregiver — the parent who handles school, doctor visits, and daily routines — carries significant weight.
What if my ex won't follow the parenting plan?: Document every missed exchange, denied visit, or violation with dates, screenshots, and witnesses, then file a Motion for Contempt or Motion to Enforce with the court that issued your order. Courts can order make-up time, fines, or even change custody for repeated violations. Don't withhold the child in retaliation — that can hurt your case.
Can I get sole custody?: Yes, but courts presume joint custody is best unless you can show the other parent is unfit — documented abuse, untreated addiction, abandonment, or serious mental illness that endangers the child. Bring police reports, medical records, CPS findings, and witness statements. A guardian ad litem may be appointed to investigate.