Sarah Okonkwo
Sarah Okonkwo covers legal and consumer-finance topics for CityDesk. She aims for the middle ground most legal content misses: accurate and carefully qualified, but written for people, not lawyers. Her coverage explains the rule, the exceptions, and what it actually means for the reader — without giving legal advice.
CityDesk reporting is produced with AI assistance and reviewed by our editors.
What Indiana Law Actually Lets Renters Do When a Landlord Won't Make Repairs
Withholding rent will likely get you evicted. Marion County renters have three real legal paths. Here's how all of them work.
What a Debt Collector Calling You in Indiana Can and Cannot Legally Do
A 2026 guide anchored in Indiana statutes, Marion County court realities, and Indianapolis legal aid resources — because the generic FDCPA explainers don't cover any of that.
What Marion County Homeowners Behind on Property Taxes Need to Do Before November 10
The penalty clock starts the day after the deadline. Before it does, delinquent homeowners still have real options: payment plans, hardship programs, and a specific window to act.
What Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Actually Costs in Indianapolis
The real numbers on attorney fees, Indiana's exemptions, and what happens to your rental applications after discharge
Can Your Indianapolis Employer Legally Take Money Out of Your Paycheck
Every fall, large numbers of workers are onboarded at the Amazon fulfillment center in Whitestown, the FedEx Ground hub in Plainfield, Meijer and Kroger distribution facilities, and the retailers f…
Your Indianapolis Car Was Repossessed. Here's What Happens Next and Whether You Can Get It Back.
National advice sites get Indiana's repossession rules wrong. Here's a statute-by-statute guide built for Marion County residents who still have time to act.
What a First-Offense OWI Actually Costs When You Add Everything Up in Indianapolis
No national cost guide has done the math using Marion County court schedules, Indiana BMV reinstatement fees, and quotes from local interlock installers. This one does.
How to File a Small Claims Case in Marion County and Actually Win
Before you fill out a single form, you need to know something every online guide misses: Marion County has nine separate small claims courts, and filing at the wrong one gets your case thrown out b…
What the Marion County Homestead Exemption Actually Saves You and How to Apply Before the Deadline
If you closed on a Marion County home in 2026 and haven't filed the homestead exemption, you're weeks from losing up to $1,000 in annual savings. Here's what it takes, start to finish.
How to Get a Protective Order in Marion County Without a Lawyer
A step-by-by guide to filing at the City-County Building — from the forms you need before you leave home to the free advocates who will walk through the door with you.
How Wage Garnishment Works in Indiana and How Much Your Employer Can Legally Take
Q4 is when debt collectors close their annual books. Here's the exact dollar math, the exemptions that protect you under Indiana Code, and where to fight back in Marion County.
What to Do When Your Indianapolis Contractor Takes Your Money and Vanishes
September is peak contractor-dispute season in Marion County. Summer projects are wrapping up, storm-chaser roofers are cashing deposits, and incomplete-work complaints are spiking. This is the onl…
Where Indianapolis Residents Can Get a Free or Low-Cost Lawyer for Civil Legal Problems
Indiana Legal Services and allied clinics are reopening fall intake. Here's what Marion County residents actually need to know before they call.
How Indiana Expungement Works in 2026 and Where to Get Help in Indianapolis
Indiana Legal Services and the IU McKinney School of Law Community Legal Clinic both run fall expungement clinics in Indianapolis. Before you walk in, here's what the process costs, how long it tak…
What Happens After Your Indianapolis Landlord Files to Evict You
From the courthouse on Washington Street to the sheriff at your door — the real Marion County timeline, the diversion program most tenants don't know about, and what each stage means for your options.
What Indianapolis Gig Workers Actually Owe in Indiana Taxes and the September 15 Deadline
DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart drivers in Marion County carry a combined tax burden of roughly 20 cents on every net dollar earned this summer. Most have no idea the Q3 bill is already due.
What Indianapolis Residents Need to Do Right Now to Protect Their Utility Service This Winter
Marion County LIHEAP funds have historically run out within weeks of the application window opening. Indiana's winter shutoff protections don't activate automatically. Here is what the law actually…
What Indianapolis Tipped Workers Are Actually Owed and How to File If You're Not Getting It
Indiana's $2.13 tipped minimum wage is a documented trap that almost no local source has explained clearly. With thousands of new servers and bartenders starting jobs this fall across Mass Ave, Fou…
How Marion County Probate Actually Works for a Small Estate
Indiana raised its small estate threshold to $100,000 in 2022. Here's what that means for families navigating Marion County Probate Court — and when you can skip the courthouse entirely.
Your Indiana LLC Biennial Report Is Due July 31 and Here Is What Happens If You Miss It
Indiana requires a biennial Business Entity Report, not an annual one. Missing the July 31 deadline puts your liability protection at risk starting the moment the state acts.
How to Appeal Your Marion County Property Tax Assessment Before the Deadline
Marion County reassessment notices have started hitting mailboxes. The 45-day window to file a PTABOA petition is already running for notices already received. Here's the complete process from read…
What Indianapolis Employers and Workers Need to Know About Indiana Employment Law in 2026
From final paycheck timelines to contractor classification — what the statutes say, sector by sector
How the Marion County Eviction Process Actually Works in 2026
Indianapolis consistently ranks among the highest-eviction cities in the country. Here is what landlords filing and tenants responding need to know right now: courthouse locations, real docket time…
What Gen Con Vendors Selling in Indianapolis Need to Know About Permits and Sales Tax
Indiana requires its own sales tax registration from every vendor making taxable sales inside the Indiana Convention Center, regardless of where your business is based. Here's what to do before mov…
Where Indianapolis Residents Can Get Free or Low-Cost Legal Help Right Now
Indiana Legal Services, IVLP, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, and IU McKinney each take different cases, different incomes, and different amounts of your time. Here's who to call first — and w…
How to Apply for the Marion County Homestead Exemption and What It Actually Saves You
Marion County homeowners who bought in the past 12 months are leaving more than $1,200 a year on the table. A plain-language guide to what Indiana's most valuable property tax break actually does —…
Where Indianapolis Ranks Among Midwest Cities for Starting a Business
Tax rates, licensing timelines, startup support, and honest weaknesses. The side-by-side breakdown that chamber brochures won't give you.
Where to Find Small Business Grants in Indianapolis in 2026
A program-by-program guide to what's open, what pays, and what disqualifies you — specific to Marion County businesses.
What Happens to Your Security Deposit When an Indianapolis Landlord Sells the Building
Your landlord just sold the property. You got a handwritten note slipped under your door—or maybe nothing at all—and now you're wondering what became of the $1,200 you handed over the day you signe…
How to File a Small Claims Case in Marion County Superior Court
The court's own website won't walk you through this. We will.
Indiana Non-Compete Agreements in 2026 and What Workers Here Should Do Now
By CityDesk Indianapolis
What Indiana Businesses Actually Need to Know About Registered Agents
Every Indiana LLC, corporation, nonprofit, and limited liability partnership must maintain a registered agent. That's not optional — it's a hard statutory requirement under Indiana Code § 23-0.5-4-…
What Indiana's Child Support Formula Actually Calculates and How to Use It
The state's online calculator exists and it's free, but it doesn't explain the Income Shares model behind it, and it won't tell you how a Marion County judge will rule when the numbers get contested.
How the Indianapolis Startup Ecosystem Actually Looks at Midyear 2026
A reported check on which companies raised, who's deploying capital, and what the city's most candid founders say needs to change before the second half begins.
What Indianapolis Business Owners Need to Know About the Indiana Commercial Lease Before They Sign
Indiana gives commercial tenants almost no automatic protections — here's what that means for your lease, your liability, and your negotiating position right now
How to Find a Fee-Only Financial Advisor in Indianapolis Who Actually Works for You
NerdWallet will give you a ZIP-code-filtered list. Here's what to do after that.
What Indianapolis Accountants Say Small Businesses Get Wrong at Mid-Year
Local CPAs flag Indiana-specific tax traps: the Marion County income tax most owners forget about, estimated payment math that changed in 2026, and deadlines that close fast after summer.
Free and Low-Cost Legal Help in Indianapolis Organized by What You Need
Indiana Legal Services, Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic, IU McKinney's clinics, and a $35 option that isn't free — here's how to reach each one and whether you qualify.
How the Marion County Probate Process Works and What It Costs
Most search results are attorney marketing pages. Here's a procedural walkthrough of the Marion Superior Court Probate Division, with real numbers and the specific factors that shape how long your …
What the Indiana Estate Tax Situation Actually Is in 2026
Indiana repealed its inheritance tax more than a decade ago and never brought it back. The real planning question is federal — and a legislative change in 2025 shifted the answer for Indianapolis r…
Indiana Laws Taking Effect July 1 2026 That Indianapolis Residents and Businesses Should Know
The General Assembly wrapped its short session this spring. Here's what changed — and what it means on the ground in Marion County.
What Indiana's Right-to-Work Law Actually Does and Doesn't Mean for Unionized Indianapolis Workers
On your first day at Allison Transmission, you sit through orientation with a stack of paperwork. HR covers benefits, safety protocols, parking. Then a UAW Local 933 representative hands you a sepa…
Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy for Indiana Debtors
The exemption amounts, income thresholds, and Southern District court details that generic bankruptcy guides skip entirely
