Meet Phyllis S. Armstrong
Between College and Law School, Phyllis S. Armstrong worked at a law firm in Washington, D.C. (in Georgetown) for 2 years. The firm concentrated on administrative law, specifically energy regulatory issues
Phyllis was Deputy Public Defender in Marion County Municipal Courts, including Domestic Violence Court.
Phyllis was an Attorney for the Marion County Department of Child Services (formerly known as the Marion County Office of Family and Children). She handled Children in Need of Services (CHINS) cases and Termination of Parent-Child Relationship cases (TPR) at all phases of the proceedings for 5 years.
Most recently, Phyllis has been the Attorney and then Director of Custody Program for Child Advocates, Inc. In this position, she represented the best interests of children in high-conflict custody cases, including paternity, dissolution, adoption and guardianship cases.
Phyllis has 12 years experience litigating cases involving issues of sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, parental substance abuse, domestic violence, parental mental health issues and parental alienation.
She has also handled adoption cases, including private, step-parent and foster parent adoptions. Phyllis is a Registered Mediator and has trained as a Parenting Coordinator with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC).
Other professional activities include:
- Serving on continuing education panels presenting on the issue of the role of Guardians ad Litem in abuse and neglect cases and high-conflict custody cases.
- Volunteer Attorney/Mediator for Project Peace, peer mediation program, a joint venture of the ISBA and Office of Attorney General, Jeffrey Modisett. Assigned to IPS Cold Spring School 1997-1998
- Delegate, Juvenile and Family Justice Delegation to South Africa, People to People Ambassador Program, September 2008
- Member of Broadway United Methodist Church since 1992 where she served as a tutor in after-school programs. She also has served on various church Boards/Committees
- Former Board Member of Healthy Families of Indiana
Memberships/Associations:
- Barrister – Sagamore American Inns of Court 2004-2009
- American Bar Association –Family Law Section, 1991 to present
- Indianapolis Bar Association – Family Law Section, 1999 to present
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts , 1998 to present
- National Association of Counsel for Children, 2007 to present
- Southern Poverty Law Center, 1997 to present
- Parent/Teacher Organization of Eagle Creek Elementary School, 2000 to present and North Central High School, 2009 to present
- Board member of North Central High School Women’s Soccer Booster Club, 2009 to present.
Personal information:
Married 17 years to Robert Faulkens, a high school administrator in Indianapolis. They are parents of a 14 year old daughter who attends North Central High School and 10 year old son.
When time allows, Phyllis has traveled to England, Greece, Mexico, Kenya, South Africa, British Columbia and Hawaii.
She is a sports enthusiast; playing competitive softball in high school and college (pitcher) as well as playing coed softball recreationally thereafter. She's also a big fan of collegiate football, basketball, soccer, and professional baseball (she graciously defers as to her favorite teams).
Phyllis is a proud soccer parent of children
who play
on travel teams
for the Zionsville Youth Athletic Association
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