Practice Overview
Attorney Jonathan M. Schulte was admitted to the Kentucky Bar Association on October 23, 2009 after successfully passing the July 2009 Kentucky Bar Exam. Thereafter, Mr. Schulte was admitted to the Indiana Bar Association on October 15, 2010 after successfully passing the July 2010 Indiana Bar Exam.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Schulte was an associate with one of Kentuckiana’s largest creditors’ rights firms for more than two years from January 2010 to April 2012. This associate experience enabled Mr. Schulte to understand the creditor [and debtor] dynamic in great detail.
In April of the year 2012, Mr. Schulte joined the firm as an Associate Attorney where he was one of four (4) Associates of the firm in 2012. In 2012, the firm had five (5) Partners [Cheryl Carpenter, Pamela Thompson, Mary Fondrisi, David Lewis, and Rachele Cummins].
In July of 2017, Mr. Schulte became a Partner of Smith Carpenter Cummins & Schulte, LLC with his current partner, Rachele Cummins, and the now retired partner, Mary Fondrisi.
Mr. Schulte legal practice consists of a wide range of practice areas assisting clients in Indiana and Kentucky.
His practice areas include, but are not limited to: collection(s), creditor rights’, debtor defense, debt settlement, estate planning, probate, contract dispute, contract review, contract(s), bankruptcy, evictions [Landlord only], traffic violations, and business formation to name a few. Mr. Schulte also provides local appearance coverage on behalf of attorneys that residing outside the Southern Indiana [or Louisville, Kentucky] area(s).
Mr. Schulte also helps creditors when their debtor [or debtors] have filed for bankruptcy protection under the Federal Bankruptcy Code in Kentucky and Indiana.
His estate planning practice is focused in helping clients identify and document their wishes not only for the distribution of assets after death, but also how they should be cared for in the event of incapacitation. Once these wishes are known, Mr. Schulte prepares the applicable estate planning documents, which often consist of a will (or a will and trust), a living will, and a healthcare directive and power of attorney.
In his business practice, Mr. Schulte helps clients with business entity formation with the Secretary of State in both Indiana and Kentucky, and he is also available to litigate matters in the event of legal disputes that cannot be resolved.
Mr. Schulte serves his clients by adding a level of comfort that their matter is in capable and experienced hands. Clients know that as soon as they entrust me with their matter, Mr. Schulte will immediately begin working on their matter and on developing a strategy towards achieving a favorable result to the extent possible given the circumstances of the case.
Mr. Schulte is admitted in the following Courts in the United States of America:
STATE COURT(s)
- Kentucky [2009]
- Indiana [2010]
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT(s) for INDIANA:
- S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana
- S. District Court, Northern District of Indiana
- S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Indiana
- S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Indiana
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT(s) for KENTUCKY
- S. District Court, Western District of Kentucky
- S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
- S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Kentucky
- S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Kentucky
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS:
U. S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
PEER REVIEW(s)
Martindale-Hubbell Rating
Mr. Schulte has received an AV Preeminent© peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
This rating signifies the highest level of professional excellence by Martindale-Hubbell’s rating system, and is based on a peer review of a lawyer’s legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards.
Historically the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system utilized an “A – B – C” scale to estimate the legal ability and ethical standards of an attorney. To qualify for an “A” rating an attorney had to be reported as “Very High” in their legal ability and had been practicing for at least 10 years, a “B” rating meant an attorney was rated “High” and had to be practicing for at least 5 years, and a “C” rating meant that the attorney was rated “fair” with no limitations on how long they were practicing. A second rating was also given to go along with the “A – B – C” rating and that was a “V,” meaning that the attorney’s peers stated they had “Very High” ethical standards. Over the years this transitioned to “AV”, “BV”, and “CV” ratings – with an “AV” rating meaning that the attorney had reached the highest of professional excellence and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
Today, Martindale-Hubbell conducts a thorough review of attorneys who wish to receive a Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™, through a secure online peer review survey where a lawyer’s ethical standards and legal ability in a specific area of practice is assessed by their peers.
Once the review process is completed an attorney may receive one (1) of the three (3) following Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™:
(1) AV Preeminent®
(2) Distinguished or
(3) Notable
Mr. Schulte has received the AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System for the following years:
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
For more information see the following link:
Mr. Jonathan M. Schulte Profile | Jeffersonville, IN Lawyer | Martindale.com
CLIENT REVIEW(s)
Martindale-Hubbell Rating
Mr. Schulte has received the CLIENT CHAMPTION – PLATINUM from Martindale-Hubbell® numerous times.
[This rating signifies the highest level of professional excellence by Martindale-Hubbell’s rating system, and is based on a peer review of a lawyer’s legal knowledge, communication skills, and ethical standards].
While the Peer Review Ratings™ is still the gold standard in attorney ratings – times have most certainly changed since the first attorney ratings were released in 1887. With the rise of the internet and how easy it is to share your experience with a business – it was important that Martindale-Hubbell also introduced a rating system for client reviews.
In 2017 Martindale-Hubbell introduced a yearly client review rating award known as the “Client Champion” award to help consumers understand the real world experience previous clients had with a lawyer or law firm. Attorneys can qualify for 3 different award levels of “Client Champion” based on client reviews: Platinum, Gold, and Silver.
“Platinum: Has received at least 10 client reviews and maintains and average client rating of 4.5 or higher. [Mr. Schulte has been awarded “Platinum” since the distinction became available in 2017].
Mr. Jonathan M. Schulte Profile | Jeffersonville, IN Lawyer | Martindale.com
Mr. Schulte has received the Platinum Award Rating from Martindale-Hubbell’s Client Review Rating System for the following years:
2017 *[First Year of Availability]
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
For more information see the following link:
Mr. Jonathan M. Schulte Profile | Jeffersonville, IN Lawyer | Martindale.com
Additional CLIENT Review Website(s):
Mr. Jonathan M. Schulte – Jeffersonville, IN Attorney | Lawyers.com
Mr. Jonathan Schulte – Lawyer in Jeffersonville, IN – Avvo
Smith Carpenter Law | Better Business Bureau® Profile (bbb.org)
Personal Background
Mr. Schulte was born in Louisville, Kentucky in August of 1982 to Mark and Virginia Schulte.
His parents moved from Pittsburgh, PA to Louisville, Kentucky in 1974 after his father was accepted to the University of Louisville Dental School. He is the youngest of three boys [Mark Jr. and David]. Mr. Schulte attended St. Albert the Great Catholic grade school in Louisville, Kentucky where he graduated in the year 1996. In the fall of 1996, Mr. Schulte enrolled as a freshman at St. Xavier High School [“St. X”] in Louisville, Kentucky where he graduated in the year 2000. At St. X, Mr. Schulte was a member (and cKHSAA”] Cross Country State Championship team where he was lucky enough to be coached by the legendary Coach Chuck Medley (who won a record ten (10) State Cross Country Championships [tied for most all-time in the Commonwealth of Kentucky] and was on Coach Medley’s 1st State Cross Country Championship team [1999]. Saint Xavier High School Athletics | Team Page
Additionally, Mr. Schulte was elected as school “Secretary” of the Student Activities Counsel in a school-wide election [1,500 students] for the school for 1999-2000. His graduating class set a St. X school record by winning five (5) State Championships [Football, Cross-Country, Golf, Swimming and Tennis].
Mr. Schulte received offers to run cross country in college from Division One universities, but decided to focus on his academics and follow his eldest brother [Mark, Jr.] to the University of Dayton where he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing and “minor” in Communications in the year 2004. He attended the Western Michigan University’s Thomas M. Cooley School of Law where he graduated in the year 2009. At Western Michigan University he made the Dean’s list four times in eight semesters and was selected as a teaching assistant by his Contracts II professor after achieving the second highest grade in his Contracts II class. Mr. Schulte stated at the time, “Most of my classmates are afraid of contracts law, but I have always had an interest in contracts law after hearing about so many pro-athlete stories regarding contract disputes on ESPN as a kid growing up an avid-sports fan.
Mr. Schulte is married to his wonderful wife Rebecca. He also has two (2) children: his daughter (Reaves) and his son (Jackson).
