Elizabeth Roetter v. Michael P. Roetter, Jr.

Danville, Indiana family law lawyers represent parties in a divorce action involving the division of martial property.



Elizabeth Roetter (Wife) and Michael Roetter (Husband) married in

May 2014 with no prenuptial agreement. Husband's premarital assets

included an individual retirement account (IRA) valued at just over

$82,000; a 401K account valued at $383,000; and two life-insurance policies

of nominal value. Wife entered the marriage with over $100,000 in

student-loan debt for an incomplete college education. The marriage

produced two children—Mason (born 2014) and Oscar (born 2017), both

pseudonyms—for whom Wife, per the couple's agreement, quit her job

and devoted herself as full-time caregiver. Mason suffers from autism and

requires several types of therapy. Husband worked outside the home

during the marriage and earned an annual salary of over $100,000.



Wife petitioned for divorce in October 2019. The parties agreed on

custody arrangements, parenting time, and child support. But they

quarreled over spousal maintenance and distribution of the marital estate.

Wife sought $100 in weekly spousal maintenance for three years due to

the level of care required by Mason, along with fifty-five percent of the

marital estate, half of the full value of the two retirement accounts, and for

Husband to assume half of her student-loan debt. Husband objected to

Wife's spousal-maintenance request (disputing the level of care required

for Mason) and requested the full value of both retirement accounts, save

for fifty percent of the 401K's increase in value during the marriage.

The judgment entered by the Circuit Judge was affirmed on appeal.