Cozen O’Connor’s family law attorneys counsel clients in their most personal legal matters, from marriage and divorce to child custody and support arrangements. The practice is challenging, not only because it concerns issues of profound emotional import, but because the legal strictures are constantly changing in response to broad social and economic trends. At the moment, greater involvement of fathers in child rearing, fluctuations in the residential real estate market, and growth of the dual-career family are all having a profound impact on family law and dispute adjudication. Clients must have counsel with the interpersonal skills to provide meaningful support during major life transitions and the legal skills to use cutting-edge deal structures and guidelines.
The family law attorneys at Cozen O’Connor have been resolving complex family disputes for more than three decades. We counsel clients on matters of divorce, division of property, and alimony; child and spousal support; child custody; domestic violence; pre- and post-nuptial agreements; name changes; and adoption or termination of parental rights. We are equally adept at representing financially independent and financially dependent parties.
Our goal in each case is to achieve a comprehensive and lasting solution as quickly as possible so that clients can move their lives forward. In many instances, family law matters can be effectively resolved using alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques such as mediation and arbitration. Our attorneys are experienced at participating in and leading ADR proceedings, which may save time, defuse confrontation, and encourage mutuality. Unfortunately, not every situation lends itself to this approach. In those cases, Cozen O’Connor’s renowned litigators are prepared to advocate aggressively on clients’ behalf. We have extensive trial and appellate court experience and regularly appear before state courts, often in complex parallel proceedings to separately determine support, equitable distribution, and custody.
Members of Cozen O’Connor hold leadership positions in local, county, state, and national bar associations, participate in task forces dealing with the current family law issues, and serve on the rules committee advising the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on domestic issues. They publish regularly in family law periodicals and have written scholarly treatises on property valuation and distribution. This level of professional and academic activity means that our attorneys are particularly well informed about current legal trends and are able to provide clients with prescient strategic advice.
Clients also benefit from the fact that the family law team is backed by the resources of a full service law firm. We routinely reach out to colleagues in other practice groups, including trusts and estates, tax, corporate, and real estate, in order to develop a unified strategy to resolve family law questions and disputes. This team approach gives our clients an edge that few other firms can replicate.
SERVICE AREAS
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Prosecute and defend divorce actions on fault or no-fault bases
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Value marital estates, including business interests, real estate, retirement plans, and investments
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Negotiate equitable division of marital assets
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Analyze income, earning capacity, and expenses to determine duration and amount of alimony
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Seek interim relief for clients during the course of a divorce proceeding, including preservation of assets, occupancy of the marital home, and interim distributions of marital assets
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Analyze issues of child support, spousal support, and/or alimony pendente lite
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Review tax returns to accurately calculate income for determination of support
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Counsel clients on all aspects of physical and legal custody of minor children
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Assist in developing custodial arrangements that are truly in the best interest of the children
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Obtain or defend against Protection from Abuse orders in quasi-criminal proceedings
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Negotiate and draft both pre- and post-marital agreements
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Handle name changes as part of a divorce action or for minors and adults who wish to change their names for other valid and appropriate reasons
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Advance voluntary or involuntary relinquishment of parental rights and process both uncontested and contested adoptions