Author: divorcelawyer

This is the process that most people are familiar with because of news stories, friends, and/or relatives who have suffered through a divorce. In this type of case, each party hires an attorney, then digs in for a fight with their soon-to-be ex for everything from custody of children to assets including homes, investments, cash, cars and other properties. Litigation may involve...

This process requires both parties to meet with a mediator who does not represent either of them as legal counsel. The mediator works with the parties to facilitate an agreement outlining all terms of their divorce, then crafts a separation contract based upon that agreement. The mediator may also assist the parties in filing and obtaining the divorce. The process is informal a...

This process is very new in Connecticut and combines elements of both litigated and mediated divorce. While mediation clients can consult with an attorney as often as they like, some want, or need, more direct involvement from an attorney than is typical in mediation, but still want to avoid combative behavior. In collaborative divorce, each client maintains individual attor...

It is a conflict of interest for one attorney to represent both sides of a divorce. In some cases the spouses have agreed on the terms of their divorce settlement. An attorney can represent one spouse, draft a separation agreement with the terms his client and his or her spouse have agreed upon, and have those terms reviewed and agreed upon by the other spouse with or without l...

Terminating your marriage does not end the joys and responsibilities of raising your children. Changing family dynamics requires special care and planning regarding the parenting of children. Legal custody of children refers to parental decision making with regard to nurturing, discipline and guidance as the child grows. Physical custody deals with the child's residence. Bot...

Terminating your marriage does not end the joys and responsibilities of raising your children. Changing family dynamics requires special care and planning regarding the parenting of children. Legal custody of children refers to parental decision making with regard to nurturing, discipline and guidance as the child grows. Physical custody deals with the child's residence. Bot...

Divorce usually means physical separation and facing the greater expense of running two households instead of one. One element of a total family support system may be alimony. The payment of alimony is not meant to be a punishment of one spouse or the other. It is a way of equalizing future income or providing for special circumstances such as disabilities or the need for fu...

Connecticut provides for the equitable distribution of marital assets at the time of the divorce. It is not a "community property" state. Marital assets are those which have been acquired during the marriage. Some factors considered in determining the disposition of marital assets are: length of the marriage, causes for the breakdown of the marriage, age, health and amount of i...

It may be that parties can agree on broader issues when negotiating divorce terms but get bogged down on other narrower issues. When this happens, private arbitration can be used to resolve the problem. Both parties agree on a third person arbitrator who can be an attorney or some other person versed in the subject matter of dispute. The arbitrator listens to both sides of the ...

More and more people are living together, having children acquiring assets together and incurring joint debt without entering into a marriage. When unmarried couples part, a different set of rules apply to the disposition of their property and liabilities. Connecticut does not recognize common law marriage. Unmarried couples who acquire assets and incur debts together are pa...