Cordell & Cordell
A family-law firm founded in the United States that focuses particularly on representing men in divorce, custody, support, and related domestic-relations matters.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Cordell & Cordell is a privately held family-law firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1990 by Joseph Cordell and his wife, Yvonne Cordell, the firm began as a general-practice law office before concentrating on domestic-relations work. Its stated area of differentiation developed from the founders' observation that men involved in divorce and custody disputes often sought specialized assistance with issues such as child custody, spousal support, property division, and allegations of domestic violence. The firm's practice covers a broad range of family-law matters. These include divorce and legal separation, division of marital property and other assets, alimony or spousal support, prenuptial agreements, child custody and parenting arrangements, child support, paternity disputes, and post-decree modifications. The firm has also added estate-planning services to its legal offering. Its work is delivered through a geographically distributed office network rather than from a single local practice, allowing it to serve clients in multiple major metropolitan areas in the United States and, following its international expansion, the United Kingdom. Cordell & Cordell expanded significantly during the 2000s. The firm had three offices in two states in 2002. It subsequently entered Kansas City in 2001, Atlanta in 2004, Indianapolis in 2005, and Dallas and Chicago in 2006, before extending its presence into many other major U.S. cities. In May 2015, it opened its first United Kingdom office in Central London. Reference material describes the firm as having more than 100 offices and over 300 attorneys across more than 30 U.S. states, although the exact current totals are not established here. A notable element of the firm's operating model is its emphasis on structured client service. Reporting about the firm has described the use of a client-care function to monitor client satisfaction during the divorce process. The firm's lawyers may gather background information from sources such as social-media profiles and communications between spouses, where relevant to a client's matter. The firm has also been described as using satisfaction metrics in evaluating and rewarding lawyers. These practices position Cordell & Cordell as a scaled, client-service-oriented legal organization rather than a small general-practice partnership. The firm's brand identity is closely associated with men's family law, although its underlying legal work spans the conventional range of domestic-relations services. It is therefore best understood as a specialized family-law professional-services brand with a focused market position, a national U.S. footprint, and a smaller international presence in the United Kingdom.
History
Cordell & Cordell was established in 1990 by Joseph Cordell and Yvonne Cordell. The business initially operated as a general-practice law firm, but its direction changed as the founders encountered recurring problems faced by men in divorce and custody disputes. Those concerns included disagreements over child custody, claims for spousal support, division of marital assets, and allegations of domestic violence. The firm consequently developed a focused family-law identity centered on representing men while continuing to handle a broad range of domestic-relations matters. The firm's early expansion included entry into Kansas City in 2001. By 2002, it had three offices in two states, providing a baseline for the rapid geographic growth that followed. The firm added an Atlanta location in 2004 and expanded into Indianapolis in 2005. In 2006, it entered both Dallas and Chicago. It later extended its network into many other major U.S. cities. Reference material characterizes the resulting organization as one of the largest family-law firms in the United States, with more than 100 offices and over 300 attorneys operating across more than 30 states. Exact present-day office and attorney counts are not specified in the available material. Cordell & Cordell's practice has remained centered on family law. Its attorneys handle divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, paternity, property and asset division, spousal support, prenuptial agreements, and requests to modify orders after a divorce or other family-law judgment. The firm has also launched estate planning, broadening its services beyond the immediate breakdown of a relationship and its associated court proceedings. The firm has distinguished its operating model through attention to client service and standardized feedback processes. Coverage of the organization has described a dedicated client-care function that checks client satisfaction during the divorce process. It has also described the review of social-media material, communications between spouses, and other background information when those sources are relevant to a case. In addition, the firm has been reported to use client-satisfaction metrics in assessing and rewarding attorneys. These practices reflect an effort to manage a large legal network with consistent service standards across offices. In May 2015, Cordell & Cordell expanded internationally by opening its first United Kingdom office in Central London. This move extended a primarily U.S. family-law brand into another common-law market while preserving its concentration on domestic-relations services. The available reference material identifies the United States and United Kingdom as the firm's operating markets. Its headquarters remains in St. Louis, Missouri. Overall, the firm's history is defined by the transition from general practice to specialized men's family law, rapid U.S. office expansion, the addition of estate planning, and a measured international entry into the United Kingdom.
- 2015
United Kingdom launch
[1]In May 2015, the firm opened its first United Kingdom office in Central London.
- 2006
Dallas and Chicago expansion
[1]The firm opened or added practices in Dallas and Chicago as part of its broader U.S. growth.
- 2005
Indianapolis expansion
[1]The firm expanded into Indianapolis.
- 2004
Atlanta expansion
[1]Cordell & Cordell added an office in Atlanta.
- 2002
Three offices in two states
[1]By 2002, the firm had grown to three offices across two states.
- 2001
Expansion into Kansas City
[1]The firm expanded its office network into Kansas City.
- 1990
Firm founded
[1]Joseph Cordell and Yvonne Cordell founded the firm in the United States.
Products and positioning
A specialized, client-service-oriented family-law firm particularly associated with representing men in divorce, custody, support, and related domestic-relations disputes.
Legal services · 1990
Family law
The firm's core practice covers domestic-relations disputes and advisory work, including divorce, legal separation, custody, child support, paternity, property division, spousal support, prenuptial agreements, and post-decree modifications. Its market identity is particularly associated with representing men in family-law matters.
Legal services
Estate planning
Estate planning is a newer service area added to the firm's family-law practice portfolio. The available material identifies the offering but does not provide a detailed breakdown of its documents, planning structures, or geographic availability.
Brand decisions
2015
Entry into the United KingdomStrategyBackground
The firm's prior growth had been concentrated in the United States.
Action taken
In May 2015, Cordell & Cordell opened its first United Kingdom office in Central London.
Aftermath
The move gave the firm an operating presence outside the United States, although the available material does not quantify the subsequent scale of its UK business.
2001
Accelerated geographic expansionStrategyBackground
After developing a focused family-law model, the firm began expanding its office network beyond its initial locations.
Action taken
It entered Kansas City in 2001 and continued adding offices in major U.S. cities during the following years.
Aftermath
The expansion transformed the firm from a small practice into a large multi-state family-law organization.
- Addition of estate-planning servicesProduct launch
Background
The firm sought to broaden its legal-services portfolio beyond family-law disputes.
Action taken
It launched estate planning as an additional practice area.
Aftermath
Estate planning became part of the firm's stated service offering; the available material does not provide a launch date or financial results.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/cordell-and-cordell · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled