Family law disputes can be the most emotionally draining types of cases in the legal system. And it is no surprise as to why. The end of a relationship that leads to divorce brings out a host of emotions, ranging from anger, distrust, resentment and sorrow.
And while dealing with these emotions, parties must deal with legal issues they are not familiar and have had no prior experience. Division of marital assets, allocation of marital debts, moving out of a residence, and having to establish a new household become exceedingly more difficult when a person is under emotional strain.
Child custody issues are the most emotional of all. A party loses their previous relationship with their child, and some may see their children only on a limited basis. Competent, loving parents have the people that matter most, the children, living away from them. The ability to properly parent is often hindered.
Men in particular, often feel they are second class citizens in the court system in family law matters. Statistics may bear this out. Statistics indicate that fathers are the paying party more than 87 percent of the time in child support matters. Men pay alimony in 97 percent of cases. Fathers are custodial parents only 17 percent of the time. Though laws are parent neutral, and often explicitly state that a court cannot favor one parent over the other, the statistics show a numerical bias against the father.
A father's rights movement has begun in recent years, grass roots, informal movement. Several associations of fathers have been created, with the goal of supporting other fathers in family law matters. But informal or not, fathers are now beginning to speak up and stand up for their rights more often.
Most importantly, some law firms are now actively representing primarily men in their practice, with the goal of evening the odds against them. When looking at a firm in such a matter, it can be helpful to look at the satisfaction level of their clients. When clients are satisfied, despite the uncertainties of the legal system and emotions involved, it is an indication of the attorneys involved doing their jobs properly.
A firm such as Cordell & Cordell, with offices in numerous states, represents primarily men in domestic matters and has a high satisfaction percentage. And in a way, firms representing males in the system are helping for foster social change. By giving a proper voice to males in the legal system, they are helping to erase stereotypes and dissolving long running legal biases.
