Cordell & Cordell Co-Founder and CEO Joe Cordell was recently quoted in a story in The Guardian about the rise of law firms focusing on representing men and fathers through divorce.
The article detailed many of the challenges men face because of outdated gender stereotypes in the family court system. According to census data, 82% of mothers have primary custody of their kids and 53% collect child support, compared with 29% of men.
“As a society we’ve made progress regarding gender in a number of areas,” Mr. Cordell said. “But the dark corner of the room when it comes to civil rights, I can tell you, is dads’ rights in family courts.”
Mr. Cordell noted that the most common issues men face is that they rarely receive equal access to their kids and are often victims of false abuse allegations. He estimates 85% of temporary restarting order requests during divorces are just “tactics.”
The article pointed out that there is backlash against the fathers’ rights movement as some argue it perpetuates unfair stereotypes about women, but that is a notion Mr. Cordell rejects.
“To suggest to me that guys asking for fairness in family court are guilty of some sort of anti-feminist position or sexism is beyond response,” he said. “It’s an insult to guys.”
Written by Joseph E. Cordell
Joseph E. Cordell is the Principal Partner at Cordell and Cordell, P.C., which he founded in 1990 with his wife, Yvonne. Over the past 25 years, the firm has grown to include more than 100 offices in 30 states, as well as internationally in the United Kingdom. Mr. Cordell is licensed to practice in the states of Illinois and Missouri and received his LL.M. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Joseph E. Cordell was named one of the Top 10 Best Family Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Missouri.
