Fort Worth Divorce Attorney
Experience in Highly Contested and Collaborative Divorces
Tarrant County Divorce Attorney in Fort Worth
Your divorce attorney should have a thorough command of the facts, the law, trial fundamentals, and the rules of evidence. During a divorce your attorney is your spokesperson and guide. Cody understands divorce litigation can be both frightening and overwhelming. Cody is willing and equipped to thoroughly explain court procedures to reduce uncertainty as much as possible. Cody will promote your position forcefully and artfully. Cody strives to provide you with a sense of perspective, because the emotion of a divorce may cause you to lose perspective concerning your personal conduct or your financial matters. You do not have to worry about your attorney backing down if you retain Cody L. Cofer to represent you. You can share his confidence as you walk into the courthouse or into mediations, because you know Cody is well prepared and committed.
General Information:
A divorce proceeding is an action to dissolve the legal bonds of marriage and distribute the marital estate. Divorce determines the property rights of the parties and provides for the child custody, child visitation, and child support. Texas law provides a right to divorce and the legislature has the authority to determine grounds for divorce and the qualifications that a spouse must have prior to seeking a divorce. Tex. Family Code §§ 6.001 et. seq. A divorce trial is a civil trial, so the rules that apply to trials of civil actions generally apply to the divorce trial. These rules for divorce include: trial procedures, burdens of proof, and evidentiary rules. The person filing for divorce, Petitioner, must prove his or her facts in the same way as other civil cases. There are varying burdens that must be met such as “by preponderance of the evidence” or “clear and convincing evidence.” These burdens are applied to different areas of the divorce.
A divorce trial typically resolves a wide variety of primary issues and secondary issues. The law requires that if the parties to a divorce proceeding are the parents of a child, the lawsuit must include a determination of child custody and child support. Tex. Family Code § 6.406(b). Further, divorces must address issues of property division (debts and assets). Tex. Family Code § 7.001. Child custody issues usually depend on facts and law that are largely separate from facts and law concerning the property disputes. Divorce is often complex and must often be resolved in a highly emotional atmosphere. Each jurisdiction for family law cases has its own nuances. Cody is familiar with Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Wise, Dallas, Parker, Johnson, and Hood counties.
Understanding the complexity of relationships:
Cody understands that you are likely emotionally upset when you are reading this page about divorce or when you come in to see him. A divorce or custody matter may be taxing on your self-esteem, your sense of security, and almost every other facet of your life. Cody is prepared to deal with your complex, and often novel, emotions as well as the particular facts and applicable law. Cody is committed to taking a holistic approach to provide the emotional support to clients along with top grade legal services. Understanding the client’s emotional state is appropriate for a divorce attorney to be empathetic and effective; however, Cody will remain focused and driven. Although Cody takes an aggressive and zealous approach to advocating for his clients, he treats each of his clients with respect, compassion, and frankness that makes this difficult time more bearable. Cody is responsive to the the special nature of your relationship with the opposing party. In other areas of the law, we are battling a complete stranger or even an enemy. In divorce, the opposing side is a former or even current loved one. The nature of your relationship with the opposing party will dictate the way in which Cody handles discussions or communicates, but Cody will always keep your interests and the best outcome as the utmost priority. Cody will explore and strive to understand your specific objectives in the divorce and provide passionate, strategic representation. Some divorce attorneys focus on litigation, and settle cases only reluctantly. Others divorce attorneys are settlement oriented, and view litigation as a last resort. Still some divorce attorneys prefer to mediate disputes, and will not represent a client in an adversarial proceeding. Whatever your specific case requires, Cody is well equipped and committed to advocating for you. Cody is a tried and trained court room advocate, and skilled and focused negotiator. Unlike many family law attorneys, Cody has extensive experience trying cases to juries. Cody has experience in mediations as a party and as a qualified mediator. Cody tailors his style of practice to your objectives.
