Philip S. Coe, Attorney-at-Law

Some further background on Mr. Coe . . . 

Mr. Coe was admitted to practice in Georgia in 1975. He began his career with the litigation department of the firm of Hansell, Post, Brandon & Dorsey, one of the largest law firms in Atlanta at the time, with over 110 lawyers. Mr. Coe learned his craft at the feet of some of the best trial lawyers in the area: Hugh M. Dorsey, Jr., Charles E. Watkins, Hugh Wright, Jule Felton, and others.

Mr. Coe left the Hansell, Post firm in 1981 to head up the litigation group for the firm of Lamon, Elrod & Harkleroad, and then, several years later, joined Paul Webb, Jr. and Harold T. Daniel, Jr., in what became Webb & Daniel, a highly-respected Atlanta firm known for its expertise in the handling of complex business litigation, including antitrust and securities fraud. In order to assist in his handling of this type of complex business litigation, Mr. Coe attended evening classes at the Georgia State University for more than five years, while practicing law full time during the day, and was ultimately awarded the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree in 1986. During the latter portion of his ten-year tenure at Webb & Daniel, Mr. Coe was the Managing Partner, in charge of supervising all accounting, financial and personnel matters for the firm. Webb & Daniel was later merged into the Atlanta office of Holland & Knight, a large, multi-state firm with offices located throughout the United States and abroad.

Mr. Coe went "solo" and moved his law practice to Fayetteville in early 1994, shifting his focus to include more emphasis on representing "real people" in crisis situations -- divorce, personal injury, death and other family tragedies, issues involving children -- as opposed to large corporations arguing over business deals and money. In 1997, while still engaged in the full time practice of law, Mr. Coe began a course of study in the Master's program at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University, one of thirteen approved Methodist seminaries in the United States, ultimately graduating with a Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.) degree in 2001. This seminary experience has profoundly affected Mr. Coe's perceptions regarding the role of lawyers in litigation and, particularly, in the conduct of domestic relations cases such as divorce. Although Mr. Coe represents clients of all faiths and backgrounds, he approaches his divorce practice with an unabashedly Christian view of the world.

- Do not be surprised if the first thing he asks you, upon an initial office visit seeking a divorce, is what he can do to help you save the marriage, as opposed to filing your petition for divorce.

- Do not be surprised if he challenges your assumptions about who is at fault for the breakup of the marriage, and explores with you the Christian notions of "turning the other cheek," of redemption, of forgiving others not just seven times, but "seventy times seven" times.

- Do not be surprised if Mr. Coe asks you, rather pointedly, whether it will really make a bit of difference ten years from now whether you got that piece of furniture you are so intent on getting; or that car; or that bank account.

- Do not be surprised if Mr. Coe forces you to focus on how your children will view you ten years from now, or your grandchildren 30 years from now, and then challenges you to conduct yourself in the handling of the divorce proceedings accordingly.

If you do not want a trial lawyer who will challenge you with these types of hard questions -- then hire someone else.