Case Results
We believe that everyone has a right to their day in court and the right to a fair trial. When the other side is not willing to reach an agreement, we passionately fight for these rights for our clients.
Robert Schembs has tried over 100 jury trials, and trials before the court probably number in the thousands. The following is a small sampling of these many cases. Please bear in mind that it is more common to reach a fair settlement without the need for trial:
Divorce and Paternity – These cases do not lend themselves to a showing of “case results” in the manner of other cases. We have represented clients in hundreds of divorces, paternities, and their modifications over the years. Such cases are often more about damage control, keeping down costs, ensuring a fair division of property, and assuring that parents get the time with their children they deserve. We strive to accomplish these goals in every case. Of course, if the other side is not interested in being fair, the case results below illustrate that we are not afraid to take your case to trial, and to give you the strongest effort possible if a trial is needed.
Fathers’ Rights/Child Custody – Mother accused Father of rape during a custody dispute and had him evicted from his own home through a fraudulently obtained protective order. Successfully vacated the protective order, Father returned to his home, and obtained custody of newborn child for Father at a hearing in which Mother’s rape allegations were shown to be false.
Grandparent Visitation – Father killed Mother in front their children, and was convicted of that crime. With Father imprisoned and Mother deceased, children were adopted by maternal Grandfather. We successfully obtained meaningful visitation rights for our clients, the paternal Grandparents, who were closely bonded with the children, in spite of strong and continued efforts by maternal Grandfather to curtail such visits, and high publicity surrounding case. Received favorable grandparent visitation rulings from multiple judges after trials in multiple Indiana counties during the course of this litigation.
Child Neglect/CHINS – Client arrested for felony neglect for allegedly locking his very young children in a room while he and his wife went to get tattoos. Became a high publicity case, and Child Services (DCS/CPS) removed the children from the home. Client faced up to 3 years in prison, if convicted. Efforts resulted in showing that our client was innocent of the charges, the case was dismissed, and the children were quickly returned to him by Child Services.
Contested Adoption – Represented children’s Godmother in successful contested adoption effort against children’s biological mother and their foster parents. Exposed fact that foster parents had filed a secret adoption in another county, and were attempting to complete that adoption before case with our client went to trial. Caused secret adoption to be dismissed by the Judge in that county, and won adoption for Godmother.
Domestic Battery/CHINS – Represented reality show TV star in CHINS and domestic-related criminal felony actions, where client was filmed on TV show hitting her boyfriend in the presence or their child. Worked out plea agreement for therapy for our client, and no jail time.
Termination of Parental Rights – Requested by Judge to act as counsel for a mentally disturbed Mother in a trial to permanently take her children from her. Our client was opposed by Division of Child Services, Guardian Ad Litem, and the children’s Father. After a multiple-day trial, the Court refused to terminate Mother’s rights. Instead, the court awarded guardianship to members of Mother’s family, enabling Mother to remain a part of her children’s lives, in spite of her condition.