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Author: Joseph E. Cordell

How Involvement in School Can Help Win Child Custody

Written by Joseph E. Cordell on . Posted in Child Custody.

Joseph CordellTeachers are often called into court to testify regarding parental involvement in the children’s lives, particularly the educational aspect. The best thing you can do for yourself and your child is to ensure that you are not cut out of your child’s education, according to Cordell & Cordell CEO Joseph Cordell’s latest Huffington Post column.

“More often than not, it is the mother who has the time to volunteer at school to help out,” Cordell writes. “It’s Mom who usually is the one the school calls, who handles carpool, who drops off the snacks. Teachers see moms do this every day. Fair or unfair, when a dad does these things, it sticks out because few dads do so.”

As Cordell recommends in his book “The 10 Stupidest Mistakes Men Make When Facing Divorce,” make sure your kids’ teachers get used to seeing you.

It may just make the difference in your custody case.

Read the full article “Want Custody Of Your Kids? Get Involved With Their School!“

Joe Cordell On Asset Protection In Cohabiting Relationships

Written by Joseph E. Cordell on . Posted in Marital Property.

st-louis-post-dispatchWith the decline in marriage rates, and subsequently divorce rates, related to economic factors, more couples are cohabiting as they delay marriage.

But since many states do not recognize “common law marriage,” cohabiting partners are left with little protection in the event of a breakup, Cordell & Cordell co-founder Joseph Cordell told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

As Cordell explains, the law treats ex-lovers like business partners dissolving their company: the only thing that matters is what’s on paper.

So if the girlfriend solely owns the house, it does not matter if the boyfriend helped pay the mortgage if there wasn’t a contract listing him as joint owner. He would have no claim to any equity since oral agreements aren’t enforceable in real estate.

Cordell said cohabiting partners could protect themselves through separate contracts, sometimes called “cohabitation agreements.” But this type of asset protection is complicated and requires a family law attorney’s assistance.

Read the full St. Louis Post-Dispatch article on asset protection.