Connecticut Family Law Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Connecticut family law attorneys who can navigate Connecticut’s unique all-property equitable distribution rules.

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30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Connecticut family law case review

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How we match your Connecticut family law case

When you submit a Connecticut family law matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A family law matter needs someone who handles family law work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Connecticut law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Connecticut who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a family law claim in Connecticut

Day 0
You decide to act.
Separation, custody, support or a modification. Gather financials, the children’s schedules and any agreements or orders that already exist.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Connecticut family law attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Filing and disclosures.
The petition is filed and both sides exchange financial disclosures. Temporary orders for custody or support can be requested early in Connecticut.
Months 1–6
Negotiation or mediation.
Most cases settle here — parenting plans, division of property, support. Your attorney negotiates from the disclosures, not from guesses.
If it doesn’t settle
Hearing or trial.
Contested issues go before a judge. Preparation matters more than argument; your attorney builds the file for it from day one.
Resolution
Final order.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.

Residency Requirement: 12 months
12 months residency or cause arose after moving to CT; 90-day waiting period after filing (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-44, 46b-67)
Property Division System: All-property equitable
All-property equitable distribution — court can assign separate property (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81)
Custody Standard: Best interests
Best interests with 17 statutory factors (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-56(c))
Child Support Guidelines: Income Shares
Income Shares — Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines (Regs. § 46b-215a-1 et seq.)
Spousal Support Framework: Alimony
Alimony under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82 — court-discretion based on 11 statutory factors
Typical attorney fee: Hourly
Hourly / Flat Fee

Connecticut is an all-property equitable distribution state under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81 — uniquely, the court can assign even separate, premarital, inherited, or gifted property to the other spouse. Connecticut allows no-fault divorce on irretrievable breakdown or 18 months of separation (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40), retains fault grounds, and requires 12 months of residency or that the cause of dissolution arose after a party moved to Connecticut. There is a 90-day waiting period from filing before the court can grant a decree. Custody is decided under best-interests factors at Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-56(c). Connecticut uses Income Shares for child support under the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines.

Exhibit B

When to call a family law attorney in Connecticut

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Family Law cases we take in Connecticut

Which one is closest to yours?

Uncontested divorce

When both spouses agree on all terms, Connecticut allows finalization at or shortly after the 90-day waiting period. Limited-scope representation is common.

Sound like yours? A Connecticut attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.

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Exhibit D

How much do Connecticut family law attorneys cost?

Typical fee schedule

Connecticut · Family Law

Fee modelHourly / Flat Fee

Feequoted per petition or matter

Filing costsitemized upfront

Case reviewFree

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Family Law matters in Connecticut are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.

Family law cases in Connecticut are not handled on contingency. Connecticut Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(d)(1) — patterned on ABA Model Rule 1.5(d) — prohibits contingent fees in domestic relations matters where the fee is contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support, or property settlement. Connecticut family law attorneys charge hourly (billed against a retainer) or a flat fee for uncontested matters. Courts may award attorney’s fees between parties under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-62 and 46b-87.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Connecticut family law compensation can include

A Connecticut family law recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Property Division

All-property equitable distribution under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81 — court may reassign separate property based on 11 statutory factors.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Connecticut family law questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Connecticut attorney will review it for free.

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At minimum, 90 days from the return date — Connecticut’s waiting period under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-67. Uncontested divorces often finalize at the 90-day mark or shortly after. Contested cases typically take 9–18 months, longer for high-asset cases in regional dockets.

Yes. Connecticut recognizes irretrievable breakdown as the most common no-fault ground under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40. It also recognizes 18-month separation and fault grounds (adultery, fraudulent contract, willful desertion for one year, seven-year absence, habitual intemperance, intolerable cruelty, imprisonment, and confinement for mental illness).

Not for irretrievable breakdown — but the 90-day post-filing waiting period must elapse. For the 18-month-separation no-fault ground, the parties must have lived separate and apart for 18+ months.

Connecticut is one of a handful of all-property equitable distribution states. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81, the court may assign to either party ALL or part of the estate of the other — including premarital, inherited, and gifted property. The court considers length of marriage, causes of dissolution, age/health/skills/employability, station, income, vocational skills, contributions to acquisition, and needs.

Connecticut applies a best-interests standard under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-56(c) with 17 statutory factors including each parent’s capacity, mental and physical health, child’s wishes, willingness to facilitate the other parent’s relationship, history of abuse, and stability. There is no preference for joint custody, but it is often awarded.

Connecticut uses the Income Shares model under the Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines (Conn. Agencies Regs. § 46b-215a-1 et seq.). Both parents’ combined net incomes are applied to the state schedule and prorated, with adjustments for healthcare, childcare, and other dependents. Deviation requires written findings.

Yes. Custody and child support can be modified on a substantial change in circumstances or a deviation of 15%+ for support. Alimony modification depends on whether the decree specifies modifiability — non-modifiable alimony is enforceable in Connecticut. Property division is final.

Family Law attorneys by city in Connecticut

Same Connecticut rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Connecticut

All Connecticut practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysConnecticut holds dog owners strictly responsible for bites — the owner pays without proof the dog was known to be dangerous.

Business Dispute attorneysConnecticut enforces reasonable non-competes — and lawmakers have repeatedly tried to restrict them further.

Car Accident attorneysConnecticut is a fault state where you can’t recover if you’re more than half at fault — and uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory.

Consumer Protection attorneysConnecticut’s Unfair Trade Practices Act allows actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees — one of the stronger consumer laws in the Northeast.

Criminal Defense attorneysConnecticut’s 2015 Second Chance Society reforms reduced many drug penalties — counsel knows what changed and when.

Defective Product attorneysConnecticut’s Product Liability Act is the only route for a defective-product claim — it replaced the older common-law theories with a single statutory claim.

Employment attorneysThe state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities handles employment claims — and Connecticut paid sick leave plus state family-leave law give workers protections beyond federal law.

Immigration attorneysConnecticut has immigration court in Hartford — and the state’s Trust Act limits state and local cooperation with ICE detainers.

Lemon Law attorneysThe Connecticut Lemon Law was the country’s first — it covers new vehicles within two years or 24,000 miles, with arbitration before suit.

Medical Malpractice attorneysConnecticut medical malpractice claims require a certificate of good faith backed by a similar provider’s opinion — and caps on pain-and-suffering damages have been repeatedly proposed but not enacted.

Personal Injury attorneysA two-year filing deadline and no recovery if you’re more than half at fault frame every Connecticut injury case.

Slip and Fall attorneysConnecticut premises liability turns on notice and reasonableness — and a special highway-defect law governs claims against towns for bad roads and sidewalks.

Social Security Disability attorneysConnecticut Social Security hearing offices in Hartford and New Haven process moderate volumes — federal appeals precedent for the region shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysConnecticut workers’ comp runs through the state Workers’ Compensation Commission — and 8 districts decide claims with appeals to the Compensation Review Board.

Connecticut Family Law Attorneys

How we match your Connecticut family law case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a family law claim in Connecticut

You decide to act.

Tell us what happened.

Filing and disclosures.

Negotiation or mediation.

Hearing or trial.

Final order.

When to call a family law attorney in Connecticut

Family Law cases we take in Connecticut

Uncontested divorce

Contested divorce

Child custody (legal and physical)

Child support and modification

Alimony

Premarital and postnuptial agreements

Paternity actions

Adoption

Grandparent visitation rights

Family violence restraining orders

Civil union / domestic partnership conversion

Military divorce

How much do Connecticut family law attorneys cost?

What your Connecticut family law compensation can include

Property Division

Alimony

Child Support

Custody and Parenting Time

Attorney’s Fees

Protective Orders

Connecticut family law questions, answered

Family Law attorneys by city in Connecticut

Other case types in Connecticut

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