Cockrell & Cockrell

Bankruptcy/Debt:

Bankruptcy Law provides a legal method for an individual or commercial enterprise (business) to either wipe out (discharge) the debts by liquidating assets and distributing them among creditors or resolve them by developing a court-approved reorganization plan, or other plan involving the repayment of creditors over time. 

Personal Injury:

Personal Injury falls under Tort Law. Personal Injury involves civil law cases where you are trying to obtain compensation for an injury you sustained to your person. Physical injuries to your person could arise from being involved in an automobile accident, a railroad accident, airline or other common carrier accident, a construction or other workplace accident, being injured as a result of a dangerous or otherwise unsafe product and other injury-causing situations. However, personal injuries don't even necessarily have to be physical-they could be psychological. Psychological personal injuries are typically caused by psychological trauma associated with life-threatening and/or disfiguring physical injuries, or as a result of witnessing trauma in others, or following personal escape from serious injury following a traumatic event. Before you can collect an award, your personal injury lawyer will have to prove that the defendant is liable. To prove liability, the attorney must also establish negligence. 

Divorce:

A Divorce is the termination of a marriage by legal action, requiring a petition or complaint for divorce (or dissolution in some states) by one party. There are two types of divorce-- fault and no-fault. An fault divorce, (also called a "divorce a vinculo matrimonii" is a judicial termination of a marriage based on marital misconduct or other statutory cause requiring proof in a court of law by the divorcing party that the divorcee had done one of several enumerated things as sufficient grounds for the divorce. Some states still require at least a minimal showing of fault, but no-fault divorce is now common. Usually, a no-fault divorce is referred to as a separation decree; the right to cohabitation is terminated but the marriage is undissolved and the status of the parties is not altered. 

Estate Planning:

Estate Planning is more than just a simple Will. It also typically protects your wealth and assets by minimizing potential taxes and fees, sets up contingency planning to make sure your wishes regarding health care treatment are followed, manages and administers your estate and appropriately distributes your assets to your intended heirs.

On the financial side, a good estate plan coordinates what would happen with your home, your investments, your business, your life insurance, your employee benefits-such as a 401(k) plan or Investment Retirement Account (IRA)-and other property in the event you became disabled, incompetent or if you die.

On the personal side, a good estate plan includes directions to carry out your wishes regarding health care matters, so that if you ever are unable to give the directions yourself, someone you select would do that for you, and know when you would want them to authorize heroic measures and when you would prefer that life sustaining machines be shut down (pull the plug).

Family Law:

Family Law is a multi-faceted area of law that deals with family relations. Family law encompasses such areas as: adoption, child custody and visitation, children's rights, child support, spousal support (alimony), separation agreements, civilian and military divorce (dissolution of marriage), marital property division (equitable division), elder law matters, estate planning, estates and trusts, wills and will contests, probate, insurance, cohabitation agreements, pre-marital (pre-nuptial) agreements, marriage and other legal issues pertinent to the family.

Family law courts generally hear cases pertaining to dissolution of marriage, legal separation of the parties, nullity of marriage, child custody, child and spousal support, elder law legal issues, domestic violence petitions, and estate planning cases like wills, will contests, guardianship, insurance, probate, trusts and other estate related legal issues

Products Liability:

Defective products cases involve an area of law known as Products Liability. Defective products harm millions of people every year, and manufacturers of products can be sued for design defects, improper safety devices and manufacturing defects. Products liability cases usually involve: dangerous toys, automobile design, sport-utility vehicle rollovers, gas tank explosions, seat belt failures, improperly designed consumer and household products, industrial machinery and equipment, farm machinery, tractors and equipment, products causing explosions and burns, and aviation products. 

* Definitions courtesy of StateLawyers.com