Indiana Appellate Lawyers for Appeals From Every County

Problems. Resolved.

Bryan Ciyou and Kim Kessinger, attorneys at Ciyou & Associates

Indiana appeals attorneys

One statewide appellate practice, wherever your case was tried

Appeals attorneys in downtown Indianapolis, a short walk from the Statehouse where the Indiana Court of Appeals and Indiana Supreme Court sit, taking cases from any Indiana trial court. More than 175 appeals, over 20 years of appellate work and 500+ families helped. Our wins and losses are public, linked below.

Every Indiana appeal goes to the same place. Whether your order came from a judge in Lake County, Allen County, Vanderburgh County or Marion County, the Notice of Appeal is filed with the Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court, and the case is decided on the written record and briefs. You do not need an appellate lawyer in your town. You need one who knows the Indiana Rules of Appellate Procedure and has argued under them for years.

Appeals are a different job from trial work. There are no new witnesses and no new evidence. The appellate court reads the transcript, the exhibits and the briefs, then asks whether the trial judge got the law right and whether the evidence supports the findings. Winning depends on finding the real errors in the record and writing about them so three judges agree.

175+Appeals handled by the firm
52Indiana counties with cases in our published archive
8Indiana Supreme Court opinions in our archive

Your appellate team

Bryan CiyouPracticing since 1994
Kim KessingerPracticing since 2007

Bryan has argued in the Indiana Court of Appeals, the Indiana Supreme Court and the Seventh Circuit, and is admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court. We also speak Spanish.

Bryan and Kim lead a team of four attorneys, plus paralegals and an intake specialist who keep your case moving. Meet our full team

Attorneys Bryan Ciyou and Kim Kessinger of Ciyou and Associates

Notable results

Recent Indiana appeals decided in our clients' favor

A sample of recent decisions where the Court of Appeals of Indiana ruled for our client, either by reversing the trial court or by upholding a win our client earned at trial. Each case name links to the full decision.

Upheld for our clientCustody

Shannon v. Miracle

We represented the father, who won a custody modification giving him sole legal custody of the children. When the mother appealed, the Court of Appeals upheld the order.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, April 7, 2026
ReversedParenting time

Parsons v. Brock

We represented the mother. The trial court restarted parenting time for a father it had once found to be a clear and present danger to the children. The Court of Appeals reversed because the order was not based on the children's best interests.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, March 27, 2026
Upheld for our clientAdoption

C.C. v. A.F. and M.F.

We represented an aunt and uncle who adopted the child. The Court of Appeals upheld the ruling that the mother's consent to the adoption was not required.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, October 3, 2025
ReversedProperty division

Lopp v. Lopp

We represented the wife. The trial court divided the marital estate unequally without the findings Indiana law requires. The Court of Appeals reversed the division and sent it back.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, September 17, 2025
ReversedProtective orders

H.R. v. M.R. and H.W. v. M.R.

In two related appeals, the Court of Appeals reversed protective orders against our client because the evidence did not show a present, credible threat.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, May 30 and June 16, 2025
ReversedProtective order

K.K. v. B.B.

The Court of Appeals reversed a protection order against our client because the record held no evidence of a present credible threat.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, March 24, 2025
ReversedContempt

Roush v. Roush

The trial court found our client in contempt and ordered jail time after letting her attorney at the time withdraw in violation of the trial rules. The Court of Appeals reversed.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, May 2, 2024
ReversedDivorce

Casimiro v. Romero

Our client represented herself at trial, and her prenuptial agreement never made it into evidence. The Court of Appeals reversed the divorce judgment and ordered a new trial where the agreement can be considered.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, December 19, 2023
ReversedStepparent adoption

Br.S. v. J.N.S.

We represented a stepmother whose adoption petition was denied. The Court of Appeals held the biological mother's consent was not required and sent the case back to decide the children's best interests.

Court of Appeals of Indiana, May 12, 2021

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case turns on its own facts and law.

Appeals on the record, statewide

Indiana appellate decisions from courts across the state

Our case archive is public. It holds 295 entries, 238 of them appellate decisions and opinions, from trial courts in 52 Indiana counties. Here is a sample from around the state. Every name links to the full decision.

238Appellate decisions in our archive
88Published or Supreme Court opinions
Ciyou & Associates case archiveIndiana appeals by county
Case
Trial county
Year
Court
Putnam County
2026
Indiana Supreme Court
Johnson County
2014
Indiana Supreme Court
Marion County
2016
Indiana Supreme Court
Marion County
2006
Indiana Supreme Court
Scott County
2026
Court of Appeals, published
Allen County
2024
Court of Appeals, published
Bartholomew County
2024
Court of Appeals, published
Elkhart County
2024
Court of Appeals, published
Lake County
2024
Court of Appeals, published
Hamilton County
2018
Court of Appeals, published
Hancock County
2021
Court of Appeals, published
Hendricks County
2015
Court of Appeals, published
Jefferson County
2014
Court of Appeals, published

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. County is the trial court named in each decision.

Indiana Appellate Rules timeline

How an appeal moves through the Indiana Court of Appeals

The deadlines below come from the Indiana Rules of Appellate Procedure. Some are short and unforgiving, which is why the first call matters most.

30

Notice of Appeal

Filed within 30 days after the final judgment is noted in the Chronological Case Summary, or 30 days after a ruling on a timely motion to correct error. Late means the appeal is forfeited.

Ind. Appellate Rule 9(A)
45

Record and transcript

The trial court clerk assembles the Clerk's Record within 30 days, and the court reporter has 45 days after the Notice of Appeal to file the transcript.

Ind. Appellate Rules 10 and 11
30

Appellant's brief

Due 30 days after notice that the record or transcript is complete. This is where the case is won or lost.

Ind. Appellate Rule 45(B)
30

Appellee's brief

The other side answers within 30 days after service of the appellant's brief.

Ind. Appellate Rule 45(B)
15

Reply brief

The appellant may reply within 15 days. Then the Court of Appeals decides, sometimes after oral argument.

Ind. Appellate Rule 45(B)
45

Rehearing or Supreme Court

Rehearing is due 30 days after the decision. A petition to transfer to the Indiana Supreme Court is due 45 days after an adverse decision, or 30 days after rehearing is decided.

Ind. Appellate Rules 54 and 57

Some orders can be appealed before the case ends. Interlocutory orders of right need a Notice of Appeal within 30 days, and other interlocutory orders need the trial court to certify them on a motion filed within 30 days. Read more on interlocutory appeals and final appealable orders.

What we handle

Indiana appeals we take on

Family law appeals are the core of the practice, and we also handle civil and criminal appeals, petitions to the Indiana Supreme Court and successor counsel work when a case changes hands mid appeal.

Reach by county

Indiana counties where we have taken cases up on appeal

Each county below has at least one case in our archive, with a link to a real decision from that county. Counts include every archive entry tied to the county.

Marion County

78 cases in our archiveR.E. v. M.S., 43 N.E.3d 1276

Hamilton County

17 cases in our archiveHamilton v. Hamilton, 103 N.E.3d 690

Lake County

13 cases in our archiveM & K Truck Center of Gary, LLC v. Rita M Tafelski

Hendricks County

12 cases in our archiveJones v. Gruca, 2020 WL 3282524

Putnam County

10 cases in our archiveKnox v. Walker

Allen County

8 cases in our archiveEvan Schwarz v. Michelle Schwarz

Jasper County

8 cases in our archiveAnselm v. Anselm, 2020 WL 1933238

Bartholomew County

7 cases in our archiveIn Re, the Marriage of Chelsea Burnett and Andrew Burnett

Johnson County

7 cases in our archiveIn re Adoption of B.C.H., 22 N.E.3d 580

Tippecanoe County

6 cases in our archivePradeep Kumar Toppo v. State of Indiana, 2021 WL 2408418

Clark County

5 cases in our archiveIn re the Paternity of S.G.H., 913 N.E.2d 1265

Delaware County

5 cases in our archiveAlyssa Svatba v. Justin Svatba

Hancock County

5 cases in our archiveMaxwell v. Maxwell, 2021 WL 323766

DeKalb County

4 cases in our archiveJ R v. B S

Madison County

4 cases in our archiveJacob M Johnson v. Rachel M Johnson

Scott County

4 cases in our archiveH.W. v. M.R.

Dearborn County

3 cases in our archiveMcDaniel v. McDaniel, 2020 WL 3968085

Jackson County

3 cases in our archivePadilla v. Watts, 2020 WL 5415827

LaPorte County

3 cases in our archiveF.P. v. D.R.

Morgan County

3 cases in our archiveParsons v. Brock

Ripley County

3 cases in our archiveAdam Ray Rohrig v. Amy Lynn Rohrig

Vigo County

3 cases in our archiveState of Indiana v. Tobias Smith, 2021 WL 5822737

Boone County

2 cases in our archiveShowalter v. Thorntown, 902 N.E.2d 338

Clinton County

2 cases in our archivePenry v. State, 110 N.E.3d 1192

Harrison County

2 cases in our archiveWhitman v. Denzik, 882 N.E.2d 260

Henry County

2 cases in our archiveS.A.W. v. K.L.W., 134 N.E.3d 87

Jennings County

2 cases in our archiveMary Gerth v. Estate of William Bloemer

Kosciusko County

2 cases in our archiveDalton E. Griffith v. Dawn M. Griffith

Miami County

2 cases in our archiveD.L. v. T.L.

Montgomery County

2 cases in our archiveRobertson v. Robertson, 60 N.E.3d 1085

Brown County

1 case in our archiveE.B. v. DCS

Carroll County

1 case in our archiveHuffer v. Huffer, 144 N.E.3d 217

Crawford County

1 case in our archiveIn re Guardianship of Broughton, 110 N.E.3d 1191

Daviess County

1 case in our archiveHoward v. State, 32 N.E.3d 1187

Decatur County

1 case in our archiveEllenburg v. Kropp, 2021 WL 4235012

Fayette County

1 case in our archiveC.R. v. V.R., 31 N.E.3d 1044

Grant County

1 case in our archiveJohnson v. Bradberry, 2020 WL 7393249

Huntington County

1 case in our archiveGarrett v. Brown, 21 N.E.3d 897

Jay County

1 case in our archiveLawrence E. Kellogg v. Mary C Reynard

Lawrence County

1 case in our archiveC.C. v. A.F and M.F

Marshall County

1 case in our archiveTomblin v. Tomblin, 991 N.E.2d 625

Noble County

1 case in our archiveZiebell v. South Milford Gain Co., 977 N.E.2d 478

Orange County

1 case in our archiveRobinson v. Robinson

Perry County

1 case in our archiveHartsock v. Fulkerson, 79 N.E.3d 1011

Porter County

1 case in our archiveS.B. v. J.B., 69 N.E.3d 950

Shelby County

1 case in our archiveEvans v. Thomas, 976 N.E.2d 125

St. Joseph County

1 case in our archiveCole v. Cole

Wabash County

1 case in our archiveNiccum v. Niccum, 31 N.E.3d 1043

Wells County

1 case in our archiveNotice of Appeal of Interlocutory Order

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Appeals from any Indiana county

Appellate attorneys for Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend and every Indiana city

Whether you searched for an appeals lawyer in Carmel, Fishers, Lafayette, Bloomington, Gary, Muncie, Terre Haute or Monticello, your appeal goes to the same courts in Indianapolis. We meet clients downtown at 320 N. Meridian St. and in Fishers at 10412 Allisonville Rd., and by phone or video statewide. We take appeals from all 92 counties.

View all 92 counties we serve
  • Adams County
  • Allen County
  • Bartholomew County
  • Benton County
  • Blackford County
  • Boone County
  • Brown County
  • Carroll County
  • Cass County
  • Clark County
  • Clay County
  • Clinton County
  • Crawford County
  • Daviess County
  • Dearborn County
  • Decatur County
  • DeKalb County
  • Delaware County
  • Dubois County
  • Elkhart County
  • Fayette County
  • Floyd County
  • Fountain County
  • Franklin County
  • Fulton County
  • Gibson County
  • Grant County
  • Greene County
  • Hamilton County
  • Hancock County
  • Harrison County
  • Hendricks County
  • Henry County
  • Howard County
  • Huntington County
  • Jackson County
  • Jasper County
  • Jay County
  • Jefferson County
  • Jennings County
  • Johnson County
  • Knox County
  • Kosciusko County
  • LaGrange County
  • Lake County
  • LaPorte County
  • Lawrence County
  • Madison County
  • Marion County
  • Marshall County
  • Martin County
  • Miami County
  • Monroe County
  • Montgomery County
  • Morgan County
  • Newton County
  • Noble County
  • Ohio County
  • Orange County
  • Owen County
  • Parke County
  • Perry County
  • Pike County
  • Porter County
  • Posey County
  • Pulaski County
  • Putnam County
  • Randolph County
  • Ripley County
  • Rush County
  • St. Joseph County
  • Scott County
  • Shelby County
  • Spencer County
  • Starke County
  • Steuben County
  • Sullivan County
  • Switzerland County
  • Tippecanoe County
  • Tipton County
  • Union County
  • Vanderburgh County
  • Vermillion County
  • Vigo County
  • Wabash County
  • Warren County
  • Warrick County
  • Washington County
  • Wayne County
  • Wells County
  • White County
  • Whitley County

Questions we hear

Indiana appeals FAQs

It depends on the size of the trial record, the number of issues and whether the case goes on to the Indiana Supreme Court. A long transcript takes more hours to read and brief than a short one. We review your order and record at a $250 consultation and then give you a written fee estimate before you commit.

For a final judgment, the Notice of Appeal must be filed within 30 days after the judgment is noted in the Chronological Case Summary. If a timely motion to correct error was filed, the 30 days run from the ruling on that motion. Miss the deadline and the right to appeal is forfeited, so call us as soon as the order comes down.

The court reporter has 45 days to file the transcript, then briefing runs 30 days for the appellant, 30 for the appellee and 15 for a reply. After briefing the Court of Appeals decides the case. Most appeals take many months from notice to decision, and a petition to the Indiana Supreme Court adds more time.

Custody rulings are reviewed with deference to the trial judge, who saw the witnesses. Appeals win when the judge applied the wrong law, ignored required factors or made findings the evidence does not support. We read the record first and tell you plainly whether those errors are there.

The trial court’s order stands. You may ask the Court of Appeals for rehearing within 30 days or petition the Indiana Supreme Court to transfer the case within 45 days of the decision. Losing an appeal does not usually add new penalties, though costs can be assessed.

No. Every Indiana appeal is filed with the Clerk of the Indiana Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court, briefed in writing and argued, if at all, in Indianapolis. Our archive holds cases from 52 counties, and we take appeals from all 92.

What Our Clients Say About Us

Super Lawyers badge recognizing Ciyou and Associates PC for 2027 in Indiana appellate practice Super Lawyers badge for Bryan L Ciyou 2027 Indiana Appellate

Talk to an Indiana appellate lawyer

(317) 210-2000
info@ciyoulaw.com
320 N. Meridian St., Suite 600, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Consultations are $250 and are with an attorney.