Adoption is in our DNA
Adoption is in our DNA
In 2006, Jennifer Hanley and Kelly Myhls, attorneys and co-workers at the Department of Child Services, left the agency to found Hanley Myhls Attorneys at Law. We started only with letterhead and a dream but grew to become Indiana’s largest adoption-focused law practice.
Our story began eighty years earlier, in 1926, when H. Paul Carpenter, Jennifer’s father, was adopted as an infant. Jennifer’s grandmother took what was, at the time, an unusual step in maintaining a relationship with his birth family. Jennifer did not only inherit her father’s work ethic, but also his deep appreciation of the impact adoption has on a child and both the adoption and the birth family. That legacy has been the foundation for Jennifer’s forty-plus-year career serving families and children.
Kelly, too, had a personal connection with adoption. Not only did her parents adopt her brother from foster care, but two of her nephews were also adopted. So, when it came time to leave the Department, Jennifer and Kelly knew they wanted to create an adoption-focused law practice that not only provided exceptional legal representation but also unparalleled client service at a fair and reasonable cost.
Our unique focus on adoption resonated with families, leading to our rapid growth. As our practice expanded, we welcomed additional support staff and attorneys to our team. In early 2020, Kelly took on a new role outside our firm, further contributing to our growth and change. Today, our team stands as one of the country’s most qualified and experienced adoption-focused law firms, a testament to our dedication and success.
As a result, sixteen years from when we first started, our firm has been privileged to serve families in over 2,500 successful adoptions! But each adoption has been unique. We say we’ve done thousands of adoptions…one at a time.
We are deeply grateful for the trust that each of those families placed in us during such a significant stage of their family’s journey. We are humbled by the confidence of both our clients and adoption professionals, whose word-of-mouth recommendations have been instrumental in promoting our firm over the years. Their support has been invaluable, and we are honored to be a part of their adoption stories.
Entering 2022, Hanley Adoption Law Group finally embraced the benefits of modern technology and launched our first website! But, as we make important and helpful changes, our DNA remains the same: we are dedicated adoption attorneys exclusively focused on making a difference in the lives of children and families through adoption.