team-member

Clarissa Finnell

N/A

Licensed for 24 years

Law Degree

Awards

Primary Practice Area

Child custody

Language

English

About

Clarissa Finnell is an attorney in Schultz & Pogue's Family Law Practice Group. Ms. Finnell practices exclusively in the area of family law, representing clients with cases including legal separation, divorce, child support, child custody, paternity, parenting time, modification and contempt issues. She also represents clients in stepparent adoption and guardianship matters.She has been practicing for nineteen (19) years and has extensive litigation experience managing heavy volume caseloads in complex, contested family law matters. In addition to her work as a divorce and custody litigator, Ms. Finnell is a trained collaborative attorney and can assist clients who are seeking to resolve their family law cases without going to court.Ms. Finnell is a graduate of Indiana University, where she completed her undergraduate degree in criminal justice before earning her Juris Doctor from IU's School of Law-Indianapolis in 1997. For eight years, Ms. Finnell worked for the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society and was with another Indianapolis area family law firm where she represented clients primarily in divorce, custody and paternity cases involving father's rights. Ms. Finnell is also a Registered Domestic Mediator.A member of the Indianapolis Bar Association, Hamilton County Bar Association, Indiana State Bar Associationa and American Bar Association.Ms. Finnell also sits as judge pro tempore for the Marion County Circuit Court-Paternity Division, usually hearing cases involving child support enforcement and paternity matters. In 2011 and 2012, Ms. Finnell was named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, an honor for attorneys under 40 that lists her as one of the top up-and-coming attorneys in Indiana.In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Finnell volunteers her time to various pro bono and legal services including the IBA's Ask a Lawyer and "Legal Line" programs.

Practices Areas

Child custody

Child support

Divorce and separation

Family

Language

English

Contact

Schultz & Pogue LLP520 Indiana AvenueIndianapolis, IN, 46202

Office: (317) 794-2259

Website: N/A

Reviews

Ray
October 9, 2017

Working with Clarissa was a very positive experience. She was always available and had the answers to all of my questions. She was very responsive to my case and handled it with the attention it deserved. I would highly recommend her to anyone.

anonymous
September 8, 2017

Clarissa works hard to achieve fair outcomes. She is easy to reach, very thorough, and knows family law very well.

Markus
January 25, 2021

Clarissa represented me in my recent divorce, she was empathetic, fair and responsive throughout the entire process. She reflected and advised in great detail on property division, child support issues, spousal support, and other details such as tax implication and co-parenting. She was able to negotiate an equitable settlement agreement between my ex-wife and myself. Clarissa was easy to work with via email and video conferencing, any question I've had in the process, and there were many, were answered within hours. I could be happier with her advice, representation and her engagement. I highly recommend her for any family law matter.

James
May 27, 2020

I contacted Clarissa with general questions about how to proceed with a divorce just before COVID-19 quarantined us all in early 2020. She made herself available to answer all of my questions, which resulted in me retaining her services to proceed with a divorce. Through the entire process, Clarissa was always quick to respond to any questions I had. She knew what needed to be done every step of the way and explained things to me as we went so there were no surprises during the process. Everything happened just as she said it would, resulting in a fast and acceptable resolution for an extremely difficult situation. I'm beyond satisfied with the professionalism and service I received from Clarissa. If anyone I know finds themselves in need of a lawyer for a family related situation, she will always be my recommendation.

Tyonna
March 29, 2018

I hired Clarissa for a custody/relocation case where the father objected to the child’s relocation and opted for full custody! As scary as the idea of being sued for custody is, Clarissa was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. She was patient, knowledgeable and attentive! Always prompt and thorough with her responses; She eased my mind throughout the process and even talked me out of giving up the fight when I thought I could no longer handle the stress of it all! She got me what I wanted and what my daughter needed. She was always upfront and clear about what should be expected and helped me understand all the possible options and outcomes! She probably did more in my case than she likely had time to bill for! I can assure you, she goes the extra mile and felt like more of a friend by the end of this frustrating process! I highly recommend her and will use her again and again if I need to! I hope she doesn’t retire before my daughter reaches 18 yrs old!

anonymous
November 1, 2017

Clarissa handled a very difficult case extremely well. She heard me from day one and protected me even from myself.

Preston
October 1, 2018

During my first meeting with Clarissa she told me that it was important to her that I would refer her to others after my case, well unfortunately I can't. Clarissa doesn't listen well and is not proactive, aggressive or persistent in helping her client reach their goal. Although she was VERY persistent in reminding me about outstanding fees. I felt like she spent more energy debating me about the approach to my case than she did actually working for me. My bill far exceeded my retainer and in the end I reached a settlement in my divorce through mediation that could have been negotiated between her and the opposing counsel. During the mediation she basically agreed with everything the mediator proposed. I felt like I was ganged up on by 2 attorneys that were hustling me rather than trying to negotiate a fair settlement. She didn't enter mediation with a solid strategy and the case would have went to trial if i hadn't pushed the issue with the mediator to reach a settlement. I feel like I could have accomplished the same thing on my own and saved myself the frustration and expense.

Ray
October 9, 2017

Working with Clarissa was a very positive experience. She was always available and had the answers to all of my questions. She was very responsive to my case and handled it with the attention it deserved. I would highly recommend her to anyone.

anonymous
September 8, 2017

Clarissa works hard to achieve fair outcomes. She is easy to reach, very thorough, and knows family law very well.

Markus
January 25, 2021

Clarissa represented me in my recent divorce, she was empathetic, fair and responsive throughout the entire process. She reflected and advised in great detail on property division, child support issues, spousal support, and other details such as tax implication and co-parenting. She was able to negotiate an equitable settlement agreement between my ex-wife and myself. Clarissa was easy to work with via email and video conferencing, any question I've had in the process, and there were many, were answered within hours. I could be happier with her advice, representation and her engagement. I highly recommend her for any family law matter.

James
May 27, 2020

I contacted Clarissa with general questions about how to proceed with a divorce just before COVID-19 quarantined us all in early 2020. She made herself available to answer all of my questions, which resulted in me retaining her services to proceed with a divorce. Through the entire process, Clarissa was always quick to respond to any questions I had. She knew what needed to be done every step of the way and explained things to me as we went so there were no surprises during the process. Everything happened just as she said it would, resulting in a fast and acceptable resolution for an extremely difficult situation. I'm beyond satisfied with the professionalism and service I received from Clarissa. If anyone I know finds themselves in need of a lawyer for a family related situation, she will always be my recommendation.

Tyonna
March 29, 2018

I hired Clarissa for a custody/relocation case where the father objected to the child’s relocation and opted for full custody! As scary as the idea of being sued for custody is, Clarissa was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. She was patient, knowledgeable and attentive! Always prompt and thorough with her responses; She eased my mind throughout the process and even talked me out of giving up the fight when I thought I could no longer handle the stress of it all! She got me what I wanted and what my daughter needed. She was always upfront and clear about what should be expected and helped me understand all the possible options and outcomes! She probably did more in my case than she likely had time to bill for! I can assure you, she goes the extra mile and felt like more of a friend by the end of this frustrating process! I highly recommend her and will use her again and again if I need to! I hope she doesn’t retire before my daughter reaches 18 yrs old!

anonymous
November 1, 2017

Clarissa handled a very difficult case extremely well. She heard me from day one and protected me even from myself.

Preston
October 1, 2018

During my first meeting with Clarissa she told me that it was important to her that I would refer her to others after my case, well unfortunately I can't. Clarissa doesn't listen well and is not proactive, aggressive or persistent in helping her client reach their goal. Although she was VERY persistent in reminding me about outstanding fees. I felt like she spent more energy debating me about the approach to my case than she did actually working for me. My bill far exceeded my retainer and in the end I reached a settlement in my divorce through mediation that could have been negotiated between her and the opposing counsel. During the mediation she basically agreed with everything the mediator proposed. I felt like I was ganged up on by 2 attorneys that were hustling me rather than trying to negotiate a fair settlement. She didn't enter mediation with a solid strategy and the case would have went to trial if i hadn't pushed the issue with the mediator to reach a settlement. I feel like I could have accomplished the same thing on my own and saved myself the frustration and expense.

Ray
October 9, 2017

Working with Clarissa was a very positive experience. She was always available and had the answers to all of my questions. She was very responsive to my case and handled it with the attention it deserved. I would highly recommend her to anyone.

anonymous
September 8, 2017

Clarissa works hard to achieve fair outcomes. She is easy to reach, very thorough, and knows family law very well.

Markus
January 25, 2021

Clarissa represented me in my recent divorce, she was empathetic, fair and responsive throughout the entire process. She reflected and advised in great detail on property division, child support issues, spousal support, and other details such as tax implication and co-parenting. She was able to negotiate an equitable settlement agreement between my ex-wife and myself. Clarissa was easy to work with via email and video conferencing, any question I've had in the process, and there were many, were answered within hours. I could be happier with her advice, representation and her engagement. I highly recommend her for any family law matter.

James
May 27, 2020

I contacted Clarissa with general questions about how to proceed with a divorce just before COVID-19 quarantined us all in early 2020. She made herself available to answer all of my questions, which resulted in me retaining her services to proceed with a divorce. Through the entire process, Clarissa was always quick to respond to any questions I had. She knew what needed to be done every step of the way and explained things to me as we went so there were no surprises during the process. Everything happened just as she said it would, resulting in a fast and acceptable resolution for an extremely difficult situation. I'm beyond satisfied with the professionalism and service I received from Clarissa. If anyone I know finds themselves in need of a lawyer for a family related situation, she will always be my recommendation.

Tyonna
March 29, 2018

I hired Clarissa for a custody/relocation case where the father objected to the child’s relocation and opted for full custody! As scary as the idea of being sued for custody is, Clarissa was a bright light at the end of the tunnel. She was patient, knowledgeable and attentive! Always prompt and thorough with her responses; She eased my mind throughout the process and even talked me out of giving up the fight when I thought I could no longer handle the stress of it all! She got me what I wanted and what my daughter needed. She was always upfront and clear about what should be expected and helped me understand all the possible options and outcomes! She probably did more in my case than she likely had time to bill for! I can assure you, she goes the extra mile and felt like more of a friend by the end of this frustrating process! I highly recommend her and will use her again and again if I need to! I hope she doesn’t retire before my daughter reaches 18 yrs old!

anonymous
November 1, 2017

Clarissa handled a very difficult case extremely well. She heard me from day one and protected me even from myself.

Preston
October 1, 2018

During my first meeting with Clarissa she told me that it was important to her that I would refer her to others after my case, well unfortunately I can't. Clarissa doesn't listen well and is not proactive, aggressive or persistent in helping her client reach their goal. Although she was VERY persistent in reminding me about outstanding fees. I felt like she spent more energy debating me about the approach to my case than she did actually working for me. My bill far exceeded my retainer and in the end I reached a settlement in my divorce through mediation that could have been negotiated between her and the opposing counsel. During the mediation she basically agreed with everything the mediator proposed. I felt like I was ganged up on by 2 attorneys that were hustling me rather than trying to negotiate a fair settlement. She didn't enter mediation with a solid strategy and the case would have went to trial if i hadn't pushed the issue with the mediator to reach a settlement. I feel like I could have accomplished the same thing on my own and saved myself the frustration and expense.