About Lisa F. Karges, Executive Partner
The emotionally complex issues family law presents are what Lisa F. Karges found appealing about representing men in divorce.
“Unlike other areas of law I feel personal satisfaction in knowing that I actually help people by obtaining definitive positive results that impact their entire lives,” she said.
One case that had a huge impact on a client’s life was Ms. Karges’ ability to obtain primary custody for a father who had been systematically shut out of his children’s lives for years because of the mother’s actions.
“There is no simple or easy divorce,” Ms. Karges said. “In order to obtain successful results, the attorney and client must constantly work together throughout the process to develop a strategy, communicate, and prepare for all circumstances.”
Ms. Karges has extensive litigation experience in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee and Sarasota counties. Ms. Karges has developed many professional relationships within these local areas including guardian ad litems, parenting evaluators, psychologists, forensic accountants and mediators which allow her to better serve our clients at Cordell & Cordell.
Ms. Karges has helped to develop the firm’s internal educational programs including implementation of a trial school course where attorneys learn to enhance their litigation practice through hands on development of trial skills. Ms. Karges has worked throughout her career to be a mentor to young lawyers and work directly with attorneys within the firm to enhance their day to day practice and courtroom skills so that they can better serve the clients at Cordell & Cordell.
Licenses
Ms. Karges is licensed in Florida.
She is also board certified in marital and family law in Florida. Only about 7% of attorneys in Florida are board certified. There are fewer than 300 attorneys certified for Marital and Family Law in the State of Florida and fewer than 30 in Hillsborough County.
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law, graduated cum laude with a certification in Family Law and Advanced Legal Writing.
Florida Coastal School Law Review, Member, 2006 – 2007, Editorial Board, 2007-2008; Dean’s List, 2005 – 2007; Dean’s Scholar’s List, 2007.
Professional Experience
Prior to joining Cordell & Cordell, Ms. Karges’ practice focused on domestic relations and bankruptcy law.
Associations
Florida Bar Association Marital and Family Law Section; Hillsborough County Bar Association Marital and Family Law Section; and Family Law Inns of Court (Hillsborough County).
Awards
In 2017, Ms. Karges received board certification in the area of Marital & Family Law from the Florida Bar, a designation earned by just seven percent of eligible Florida Bar members – approximately 4,800 lawyers.
In 2022, Ms. Karges was re-certified as a board certified lawyer in the area of Marital and Family Law from the Florida Bar. Attorneys must re-certify every five years completing additional requirements and maintaining rigorous standards.
Ms. Karges was recognized from 2014 to 2021 as a Florida Rising Star in the family law practice area by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters rating service of outstanding lawyers.
Publication
Watch Ms. Karges’ lecture from Cordell & Cordell’s 2014 Continuing Legal Education seminar on “Evidence for the Family Law Attorney: A Winning Strategy.”
