Meet Our Team

Melissa Middleton

Attorney

When going through a contentious divorce, dealing with post-divorce matters like child custody or support, or facing issues related to your professional licensure in Indiana, you need an experienced attorney who will take your problems seriously, and do everything in her power to protect you and your livelihood. This is precisely why clients choose to retain the services of lawyer Melissa Middleton. She combines empathy and experience when handling highly emotional and complex family law matters, and aggressively employs effective legal strategies when working to protect her client’s Indiana professional licenses.

Once Protecting Children, Now Protecting Families: Melissa Middleton, Indiana Family Law Attorney

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Melissa is a proud member of the Choctaw Nation. She learned early on in life that achieving one’s goals required resilience and hard work. She brought that same mindset with her to the University of Oklahoma, and later, to law school at the University of Oklahoma, where she was an editor at the American Indian Law Review.

After obtaining her J.D. in 2007, Melissa spent two years in private practice in Oklahoma City. In 2009, she began working as an attorney for the Choctaw Legal Assistance for Victims Program and was made Director of the program in 2011. Three years later, in 2014, Melissa began work as the Director and Lead Attorney for the Indian Child Welfare program, where she was responsible for delivering direct legal services to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, representing the Nation in tribal, state, and/or federal courts.

In 2019, Melissa, alongside her husband and daughter, moved to the Indianapolis area and opened a private practice where she provided Indian Child Welfare consulting to clients across the country. Prior to joining Keffer Hirschauer LLP in 2022, Melissa gained invaluable experience handling Indiana family law cases, including adoption and child custody-related matters, with the Indianapolis-based Hanley Law Group.

Compassionate, Yet Aggressive Female Divorce Attorney in Indianapolis

The best female divorce attorneys in Indiana possess an array of skills. They have a deep understanding of Indiana family law and how it applies in child custody and child support matters. Experienced divorce attorneys also understand the complexity regarding the division of assets in the marital estate, and how that pertains to business valuations and tax matters in Indiana. Not only does Melissa possess this entire skill set, but she makes a point to communicate and gently guide her clients through highly emotional matters relating to family law.

Melissa Assists Keffer Hirschauer LLP Clients in Matters of Family Law Related To:

Protecting Your Licensure, Protecting Your Livelihood

Your professional license in Indiana represents years of hard work and dedication. It is the foundation of your livelihood. However, a single claim filed against your license can have an immediate and tremendous impact on your reputation and ability to work. When that happens, you need an experienced Indiana professional license defense attorney like Melissa Middleton. She stands ready to craft a robust and effective defense strategy that will help clear your name and safeguard your career.

As an Indiana professional license defense lawyer, Melissa can help you understand the defense process and capably represent you each step of the way, including:

Reviewing the complaint
Investigating the allegations
Drafting and filing an appropriate response to the complaint
Reviewing all documentation from the AG’s office, the PLA, and your profession’s governing body
Appear and argue on your behalf before the board or governing body
Drafting and filing an appropriate appeal from a decision of your profession’s governing body

Throughout your Indiana professional license case, Melissa will ensure that you are informed and involved. Communication with her clients is paramount, as being on the same page is the best way to craft and execute the optimum strategy for prevailing against the allegations.

Melissa Middleton: Compassionate, Communicative, Ready to Protect You and Your Loved Ones

Whether you seek a compassionate and empathetic female divorce attorney in Indianapolis or need an experienced professional license defense attorney to protect your livelihood, Melissa is here for you. With years of experience advocating for and protecting the needs of children and their families, she provides her clients with a unique understanding of both the emotional and legal complexities that arise during legal matters related to family law. Furthermore, when it comes to defending your professional license, Melissa understands just how important it is to maintain both your reputation and the ability to work. She employs aggressive and nuanced defense strategies to help fight the allegations levied against her clients and works tirelessly to clear their names.

When she’s not protecting the rights and interests of her clients, you can find Melissa spending time with her husband and daughter. On weekends, they are often traveling the region for her daughter’s softball tournaments, attending a professional sporting event, or taking in a local concert. Melissa is also passionate about education. Prior to entering law school, she obtained a master’s degree in Education Administration and spent three years teaching in the classroom. Now, Melissa sits on the Brownsburg Education Foundation, where she leverages her education and legal background to improve the academic quality of Brownsburg Public Schools.

As an Indianapolis Family Law attorney, serving clients in Marion County and throughout the state of Indiana, Melissa Middleton provides exceptional and focused family law counsel, along with expert professional license defense. To learn more about her, or to schedule a consultation with attorney Melissa Middleton at Keffer Hirschauer LLP, call (317) 751-7186 or complete this online contact form.

Areas of Practice:

Bar Admissions:

Education:

University of Oklahoma, College of Law; Norman, Oklahoma
J.D., 2007
American Indian Law Review, Writing Competition Editor
Native American Law Students Association, Chapter President
National Association for Women Lawyers, Member
East Central University; Ada, Oklahoma
M. Ed; Education Administration, 2001
Choctaw Nation Scholarship
National Head Start Association
University of Oklahoma, College of Education; Norman, Oklahoma
B.S., Elementary Education, 1999
OU Honors Scholars; Mentor
Choctaw Nation Scholarship
OU Honors Scholarship
Lottie Conlan Scholarship

Presentations and Seminars:

“Collaborating with Tribes for Better Outcomes in Child Welfare Cases” – Presenter – Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth, 2018
“Active Efforts in Indian Child Welfare Act Cases” – Presenter – National Association of Counsel for Children, 2018
National Institute for Trial Advocacy: Investigative Questioning Techniques – 2018
National Institute for Trial Advocacy: Training the Lawyer to Represent the Whole Family – 2017

Professional Associations and Memberships:

Indiana Bar Association, Member
American Bar Association, Member
Oklahoma Bar Association, Member
Women in Law Committee
Indian Law Committee
Family Law Committee

Past Employment:

Hanley Adoption Law Group; Indianapolis, IN; Attorney; 2020-2022
Inof8 Legal; Oklahoma City, OK; Contract Attorney; 2021-2022
Melissa Middleton, Attorney at Law; Brownsburg, IN; 2019-2022
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma,
Children & Family Services; Legal and Compliance Director; 2017-2019
Indian Child Welfare Program; Director and Lead Attorney; 2014-2017
Legal Assistance for Victims Program; Director and Lead Attorney; 2011-2014
Choctaw Legal Assistance for Victims Program; Staff Attorney; 2009-2011
Woodrow Snell Law Office, Purcell, OK; Of Counsel; 2009
Mason & Olson, P.L.L.C., Oklahoma City, OK; Associate Attorney; 2008 to 2009