Fry & Elder

Profile

Robert G “Hap” Fry Jr. began his private law practice in 1969 with Joyce Caldwell as his legal secretary. In 1983 Judy Willits joined his firm, and during her tenure became the custody paralegal, a move that prompted Caldwell to become the financial paralegal. In 1991 James R. Elder joined the firm and Fry & Elder was established. The attorneys bring a total of more than 70 years of domestic trial experience to the practice. Add to that their paralegals’ additional 50 years of experience, and Fry & Elder boasts more than 120 years of skill. The attorneys work as a team and know in advance how to prepare and present their clients’ best interests. The greatest legal arguments often occur within the confines of their offices.

ENSURING THE BEST INTERESTS OF CHILDREN ARE PARAMOUNT

Almost everyone has a story about a member of their family who has gone through the anguish and trauma of divorce. Members of the Tulsa County Bar Association, domestic judges andmental-health experts have collaborated to fine-tune various proposals to make the breaking up of a family less stressful, less costly and certainly less damaging to the children. The resulting seminar, “Helping Children Cope With Divorce”, along with mediation, are mandatory for all parents involved in any litigation that involves children. In most cases, these requirements enable the parents to resolve their issues rather than the judge.

WHEN REASON JUST WON’T WORK

Fry knows that there are some unfortunate cases that must be tried simply because there is a parent who has a mental oremotional condition that is damaging to his or her children. When this is the case, our experience has shown that only a judge’s verdict will bring resolution. “When it becomes impossible to reason with the other side, my philosophy is simple,” Fry says. “Shoot all the bullets you have and then throw the empty gun at them.”

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Fry and Elder have both served as past chairmen of the Tulsa County Bar Association’s Domestic Relations Section. Fry is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers who previously served as president of the Oklahoma Chapter. He also frequently lectures on a variety of divorce and custody-related topics, while Elder’s lectures focus on the asset-protectionissues prevalent in divorce litigation.

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