Jackson Free Press

Scott Trout, chief executive officer and managing partner of the Cordell & Cordell law firm, will travel to Jackson on Monday, June 7, to host a free seminar on divorce and family law. The seminar, titled "The 10 Stupidest Mistakes Made When Facing Divorce," will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Westin Jackson (407 S. Congress St.) hotel.

Trout's seminar will cover complications that arise when men go through divorce, including an overview of alimony, child support, custody, property division and tips and strategies for a man’s case.

"I've been practicing family law for roughly 30 years, and roughly 25 of those have been focused on helping men in family law and divorce court," Trout says. "This is a field where I've often seen men face unconscious stereotypes, such as being assumed to be the wage earner of a family, not being suitable as a custodial parent. The rise of the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have made an especially large impact, and many men have been coming to us during these times.

Similar to recessions of past years, the pandemic brought with it countless layoffs and pay cuts, which in turn brought custody and visitation problems with them. It's severely impacted the market and brought unemployment up, and because of the pandemic people haven't been wanting to travel or risk exposure in cases of divorced partners with children who may be living states apart or even farther."

During the seminar, Trout will speak on his experiences in family court, the most common mistakes clients or attorneys make and what they can do to prevent or alleviate them. Two of the most common and lasting mistakes, Trout says, are making hasty decisions about moving out and saying things one shouldn't without consulting with an attorney.

"Moving out is often one of the first things that comes up in working with men in family law," Trout says. "It's a situation with many variables, and making the decision of when to stay or go without consulting a lawyer can have heavy ramifications, especially with children involved. Divorce can be a very heat-of-the-moment thing, but this is a monumental decision that will have a lasting impact on your case and shouldn't be made without thinking. Saying too much or not communicating enough with your spouse about a plan or strategy is also a problem, especially when it comes to money, property and custody. You have to think about what is on the line and what might damage your position."

Trout was born in Omaha, Neb., and attended Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., where he received a bachelor's degree in finance economics in 1990. He received his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law in 1993.

After graduating from SLUSL, Trout worked as a prosecutor in St. Louis until 1995, after which he took a position with an employment defense firm called Newman Goldfarb. He met with the founders of Cordell & Cordell, husband and wife Joseph and Yvonne Cordell, in 1996 and joined their firm that same year.

"I grew up watching television shows like 'L.A. Law' and found litigation and championing someone's rights to defend them or pursue a goal to be magnetic," Trout says. I wanted to be someone who helped develop solutions to real problems, which eventually led me to family law. I feel like this is a field where you can make a huge impact even when you're just starting out as an attorney. I feel like education is especially important, which is why these seminars are so vital. For me, this is more about making connections and imparting knowledge than business."

In addition to his attorney duties with Cordell & Cordell, Trout conducts virtual seminars once per month and hosts a 15-minute podcast twice per week, which are available to view on cordellcordell.com or via Apple iTunes.

Trout lives in St. Louis with his wife, Jill Trout. The two have been married for 28 years and have five children, Graham, Hannah, Cullen, Brogan and Hutton.

Trout's seminar will be an in-person event and will adhere to COVID-19 health and safety guidelines, meaning attendees must remain spread out throughout the venue and wear masks on the premises. To register for the free seminar, visit https://cordellcordell.com/jackson-seminar/ or call 1-866-323-7529.