Jill Susan Swope

I believe that we can help clients get through difficult situations by communicating with them frequently, and always focusing on resolving matters informally before resorting to litigation. However, when litigation becomes necessary, moving in that direction with a client who is involved and knowledgeable is always my goal.

I focus my practice in family law, which includes dissolution, paternity, post-decree modifications, custody, child support, adoptions, and juvenile matters, primarily in Lake and Porter Counties.  I also devote part of my practice to appeals in family law matters to the Indiana Court of Appeals and Indiana Supreme Court.

I serve in the capacity of a Guardian Ad Litem, representing the best interests of children, in family law matters.  As well, I have been trained as a Parenting Time Coordinator through the Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts (AFCC), and enjoy the opportunity to assist families in difficult and high-conflict parenting situtations.

I was raised in Michigan and located in the Region after attending college and law school at Valparaiso University.  I am a proud double-graduate of VU with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, in 1995.  As a member of the Moot Court Honor Society Executive Board during law school, I participated as a team member in national moot court competitions across the country.  I also clerked with my now-business partner's law firm during all three years of law school, and took and passed both the Indiana and Illinois bar exams in 1995.

I have practiced in the field of family law for most of my career. I successfully completed the rigorous application and testing process to become one of the first Certified Family Law Specialists, as certified by the Family Law Certification Board, in the State of Indiana in 2002. I remain one of only a handful of certified specialists in Lake County. I am also a Registered Family Law Mediator and a trained Parenting Time Coordinator, providing services in high conflict matters. With extensive experience in dissolution of marriage, paternity, child custody, child support, adoption, name changes and appeals, I enjoy positively affecting the lives of my clients by making difficult times less stressful and easier to understand.

I am a member of the Lake County Bar Association, the Indiana State Bar Association and the Women Lawyer’s Association, Inc. I served on the Board of Directors for the Lake County Bar Association from 2002 to 2004, and served as Recording Secretary of the Women Lawyers Association, Inc. for several years.

I have been a presenter of continuing legal education seminars in the area of family law and have authored successful family law appeals in both the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court.

I am actively involved in the Indiana Chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliatory Courts (AFCC), currently serving on the Board of Directors, as Treasurer of the organization, and on the Programming Committee. This involvement has solidified my passion for multi-disciplinary work in which legal professionals, the judiciary and mental health professionals can work together to educate one another and assist high-conflict families.

I have volunteered as a speaker for Indiana State Bar Association programs which seek to educate children about the law and civics. I have presented on behalf of the “Why Lincoln Was a Lawyer?” community outreach program and the Indiana Kids’ Election Speaker’s Bureau, as well as serving as a judge for the We The People program.  Having been passionate about being a lawyer since I was in third grade, I want to share the profession with young children and encourage them to serve and make a difference as well.