Laura M. Gaskill
Experienced Family Law Adjudicator
Laura Gaskill is a partner with Massillamany Jeter & Carson LLP and leads the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) / Mediation Practice Group.
Laura returns to private practice after serving over 9 years on the bench as a magistrate in Marion County where she presided over family law related cases. Laura’s experience as a judicial officer provides her with a unique approach to assisting parties in settling their family’s legal disputes outside of court.
Prior to serving as a magistrate, Laura was an accomplished family law litigator at Mitchell Law Group where she represented clients in all family law related matters including dissolutions of marriage, paternity actions, post-decree custody, parenting time and child support modifications, relocations, third party custody actions and grandparent visitation cases.
Central Indiana Domestic Relations Mediator
The Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution outline the different methods by which parties can resolve their legal disputes outside of a courtroom. Different types of ADR include mediation, arbitration, mini-trials, and the assistance of a private judge. Mediation is a popular form of ADR and is often required by courts prior to taking a case to trial.
There are many advantages to ADR. Parties are able to maintain more control over the resolution of their family’s legal issues. Legal disputes can be resolved more promptly. Costly litigation expenses can be avoided. Creative problem solving can be used to best address a particular family’s needs. Further, allowing parties to resolve their case cooperatively helps a family to avoid further conflict and the involvement of children.
Laura is a registered domestic relations mediator and brings the perspective afforded to her by serving as a judicial officer to efficiently assist parties in resolving their family law legal matters.
Parenting Coordination and Guardian Ad Litem Services
Laura is also a trained Parenting Coordinator and Guardian Ad Litem. A Parenting Coordinator can be appointed by a court to assist families in high conflict cases reach resolutions on day-to-day parenting issues that arise and help to improve communication. A Parenting Coordinator can facilitate agreements between the parties that are then submitted to the court for approval. A Parenting Coordinator can also be given authority by the court to issue binding recommendations on disputed issues between the parties (but still subject to final review by the court). Parenting Coordination allows parties to avoid frequent and expensive litigation.
A Guardian Ad Litem is an independent party (usually either an attorney or trained volunteer) that can be appointed by the court to advocate for the best interests of the child. The Guardian Ad Litem investigates and submits a report to the court which includes recommendations regarding the child that the Court will consider when making its’ final determination in custody and parenting time related cases.
Education and Admissions
Laura received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University Bloomington where she graduated with honors in the field of Speech and Hearing Sciences. Laura then went on to attend law school at Indiana Mauer School of Law in Bloomington.
Laura is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association and the Hamilton County Bar Association.
Laura served as the Chairman of the Domestic Violence Advisory Committee with the Indiana Supreme Court from 2019 through 2023. Laura has spoken at various Continuing Legal Education Seminars throughout the Indianapolis area.
Laura resides in the Indianapolis area and, in her free time, enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, traveling, and watching Indiana Hoosier Basketball and the Indianapolis Colts.