By Michael Quiel
Investigative Reporter
Indianapolis, Indiana — A confidential source whose divorce had remained unresolved for seven years reached a settlement in just 62 days from when the investigation began. The real progress was made just after US~Observer published its first article examining the allegations of bad conduct of Indianapolis family law attorney Bryan Ciyou.
According to the source, the case had been stalled for seven years with little meaningful progress. Once our coverage appeared, she said the dynamic changed. “The litigants came to their senses,” the source stated, and a settlement followed in a matter of weeks.
The US~Observer takes credit for the sequence of events: the settlement occurred in days following the published articles. The source attributes the rapid resolution to the public scrutiny that followed the coverage.
Comment Sought
Prior to publication of this article, the US~Observer was contacted by Bryan Ciyou and Ciyou & Associates, P.C., seeking comment on the claims related to this specific divorce.
When Bryan Ciyou called the US~Observer, he branded the story a “smear piece,” accused Jennifer of fabricating the allegations, and refused to provide any documents. He threatened to “act in court,” gloated that Jennifer “makes it up right before trial every time, but I love it,” and declared, “Knock yourself out, and I can assure I will too.” He hung up without producing anything.
Less than 40 days later the case was settled without any documents provided by Ciyou or his clients.
Prior US~Observer Reporting
The US~Observer has previously detailed multiple complaints against Ciyou and his firm. Those articles remain available here:
- Concerns Raised About Attorney Bryan Ciyou’s Conduct in Client Defense
- Indiana Attorney Bryan Ciyou Accused of Malpractice and Excessive Billing – UPDATE
Among the accounts previously reported:
- Ashley Eilene Franklin has stated she paid nearly $40,000 and later filed a legal malpractice lawsuit against Ciyou and Ciyou & Associates, P.C. (Marion Superior Court, Cause No. 49C01-2511-CT-052294). That lawsuit remains pending and
unresolved. Franklin has described the representation as producing little meaningful work product. - An anonymous complainant previously told the US~Observer she paid almost $50,000 in a custody matter and that Ciyou never attended a hearing. That claim has not been independently verified by the US~Observer beyond the complainant’s account.
- Mark A. Roach, appearing as a pro-se opposing party in a Hendricks County case, has publicly accused Ciyou of failing to produce critical medical records despite repeated requests.
Editor’s Note: Anyone with direct knowledge of prolonged family-law matters involving attorney Bryan Ciyou who is willing to speak on or off the record may contact the US~Observer. submissions@usobserver.net or call 602-960-4609
