8:30 am - 5:30 pm
4200 Little Blue Parkway
Suite 550
Independence, MO 64057
We offer phone and online scheduling. Initial consultations last one hour and provide an opportunity to address your specific questions and goals with an attorney.
Please be advised consultations are limited to yourself and the attorney (no other person may be present in the consultation).
This appointment will be contingent upon a conflict check. We will email an appointment confirmation after the review is complete.
If you have already met with a Cordell & Cordell attorney,
please call 1-866-DADS-LAW to schedule your appointment.
A consultation fee is due at the time of your appointment.
Cordell & Cordell family attorneys fight to maintain and maximize your role in your children’s lives.
Our attorneys work to preserve your financial interests and the interests of your children.
Collaborative divorce and mediation enable couples to dissolve their relationship in a flexible manner that avoids going to court altogether.
Held when there has been a violation of a court order.
Ensure you receive all your paternity rights by filing for a declaration of paternity.
Our family law attorneys work with you to outline your divorce goals and prepare you for your case.
A court process designed to define the rights and obligations between spouses who are living apart while still legally married.
When a couple decides to end their marriage while one spouse is serving in the military, divorce tends to get more complicated.
If you find yourself earning less income, or your ex has a larger earning potential, we can help you file a modification to adjust past decrees.
Done right, these agreements allow couples to plan their future with more security.
The process of dividing assets during divorce and determining who gets what.
An order used by the court to protect against a situation involving alleged domestic violence, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault.
Money paid to your ex to maintain a standard of living they were used to during your marriage.
By Appointment Only 
“My attorney was extremely professional and always very up to speed with what was going on in my case. She did very well in court and made sure I was prepared for the questions I would encounter.”
“Bill is taking a personal approach … Bill sorts through it and applies logic and rationale when there is none to be found. Bill is able to make sense of things. … ”
“Bill has been very proficient. He doesn’t drag his feet. Bill lays everything out. I am pleased with his representation. … I’m very happy so far. Everyone has been quite helpful from the beginning. It pleases me when I hear the ads on the radio to know that I am using this firm for my own personal litigation.”
“Every time I’ve emailed Bill he has gotten back right away with a full explanation. He has laid out all my options and the pros/cons for each. I am really happy with this.”
“Bill did a great job preparing me for what was next, what the Judge might do, [and] what the process would be. He did a wonderful job keeping me informed on what to expect. There really wasn’t any mystery, which was great.”
“Kim is great; she responds and reacts quickly. I have been working with Cordell & Cordell for about a year and a half now and given what I have to go through with my ex, Cordell & Cordell is the best decision I have made in a long time. Cordell & Cordell has lived up to EVERYTHING it advertises and everything I have read. I did a lot of research before choosing Cordell & Cordell, and even though I didn’t have a choice in which attorney was assigned to my case, I am so very lucky to have Kim as my attorney. I am 72 years old, I have a Ph.D. and I have seen hell and high water, and Kim and Cordell & Cordell have guided me through the hardest part of my life. I am in a very, very good place right now, and I have Kim and Cordell to thank for that.”
“Jacqueline is excellent! She’s very personable and good at explaining things calmly and clearly. I can’t say enough good things about her. I feel she’s a valuable commodity to your company. “
“Attorney Gray is a lawyer’s lawyer. She is very professional, super bright, and she gives her clients her complete attention. I always felt that my interests were promptly and completely attended to by Attorney Gray.”
“Jacqueline Ratkey is awesome. She is a great attorney. I highly value her.”
“I have nothing but good things to say about Bill Backer and the firm. From the first meeting until now, I am kept up to date. I have been so pleased. I can’t think of a thing that Bill could do better. He has been fantastic working with me. I am so confident in him that we will get the best possible outcome … [His] assistant has been fantastic too; she always responds to me immediately. The office is great. I am very pleased with our direction we are going.”
“Bill Backer was always prompt. For divorce and custody cases, correspondence and explanations are so important. … Bill was very thorough in his explanations and quick to respond to any issues and/or questions.”
“Bill is exceptionally kind-hearted and empathetic. Even though he is my attorney, he is making this process easier. I highly respect him and his professionalism with [the] opposing side.”
“Bill Backer is extremely responsive and informative. He is honest and clear on expectations and alerts me to the possibilities. Bill is exceptional …”
“Jacqueline is good at keeping me up to date on everything. … She is also giving me suggestions on what I need to do and what will look better in going to court. Her advice is helping me out in the long run.”
Bill is a good man. He has a heart, he cares, and [he is] highly competent. He is making a horrible situation a tolerable situation. Bill has an analytical focus and personal touch.”
“Honestly, Jackie went above and beyond the call of duty to help and take care of us. She worked really hard, and there were many times she was [working] after hours. I very much appreciate it; because of of her hard work, I get to see my daughter everyday. I get to build our relationship because Jackie fought well for us. There is nothing that she could have done to make things any better than they were. She made it possible [for] a happy outcome. …”
“The client portal was awesome! Jackie was very keen on finding out what we actually wanted. … I never got paperwork that I wasn’t told about ahead of time. Things were very convenient, and it makes you feel not as bad as it could be in this experience. The way you take care of your clients is above and beyond what I anticipated from an attorney.”
“Jacqueline did everything perfectly. I have referred her to three other people. I am very happy.”
“I am very impressed with Bill. He has taken a personal interest in this case. It has been [a] personal investment.”
“Both Bill Backer and [his paralegal] have been ideal to work with. Bill has been a strong advocate and a worthy counsel. [His paralegal] has quickly and efficiently responded to every question. Their professionalism and skill have made this difficult time much less stressful.”
“Jacqueline was a tough lawyer. … She would always let me vent and understood my side of it.”
“Everything is going great. I couldn’t be happier with the services I’m being provided. Excellent attorney and very personable.”
“I cannot say enough about how Bill and [his paralegal] worked to protect my interests and offer support during a difficult time…”
“Jackie made the best of a bad situation. Jackie was always professional and gave me much valued legal advice. … I was very pleased with everything.”
“Jackie made the best of a bad situation. Jackie was always professional and gave me much valued legal advice. I plan to use Jackie again in the event that I need future services. I was very pleased with everything.”
“Bill’s communication and follow-up were great, he called me when he knew stuff was on my mind because I was going through a lot!”
“[My attorney] has been outstanding in representing me. I was a little hesitant because I am in the military and I was relocated, so I was nervous about how things might go while I’m away. But [my attorney] has done a great job and has made sure that everything is getting done.”
“[My attorney] was great to work with. She is very straight-forward and direct, but polite.”
“I am so grateful for everything that [my attorney] has done for me. [My attorney] is caring, confident, and has a great approach. She helped so much with getting my son out of a very bad situation. She truly cares about her clients and has fought hard for my rights as a father.”
“Igers was able to walk me through what I needed to do and keep me calm through the holiday weekend and made himself available to speak over the phone the entire weekend. I have been very impressed with how thorough he has been. He sends me status updates on a regular basis and also calls to ensure I got the status update and make sure I understand everything that is in the email. I feel like he has done a great job at listening to my goals as well as my fears what the outcome of the case will become. I feel that he is on the same page as me and has the same goals and it’s made me very comfortable proceeding in this case. The part that I think separates him from the rest of the attorney’s I’ve had throughout the years is the fact that he sits down with me and makes sure that I understand exactly what the legal literature means. The explanations in the details and the patience he has for me while I try to understand the literature is truly impressive.”
“Kim was very professional and did a great job.”
“Kimberly Gray has been both professional and compassionate. I couldn’t ask for a better lawyer to represent me. I am more than totally satisfied with Cordell and Cordell.”
“I would absolutely refer [my attorney]! Everything was handled efficiently and timely. You all moved everything along as fast as the courts would allow.”
”Laura did a wonderful job! Laura is very sharp and attentive. I have already referred her to a few people.”
“Laura is knowledgeable, and I liked her approach to the case.”
“Bill knows the case and the opposing party well. He knows what I want before we even talk about it. Bill is the perfect attorney who doesn’t get riled up, keeps a level head, and makes sure that I keep a level head also. I have been working with Bill since 2012 and won all 3 cases. I walked away with more than I went in with.”
“Igers jumped right in. He is aggressive and proactive. He is engaged and communicative on all scales.”
“Extremely professional. Responded to everything in a very timely manner. Excellent communication. Everyone very professional and organized.”
”[My attorney] was very good at her job from start to finish. Her personal attention to the client is very reassuring. She knew the law and applied it prudently in my case.”
* Rating based on internal client satisfaction surveys. Review Policy.
The experienced divorce lawyers at Cordell & Cordell provide intelligent, aggressive divorce representation to fathers. We are a community of talented legal professionals that prioritize growth and success in all our life roles. Together we assure our clients the quality of representation we would expect for ourselves.
