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Divorce and Family Law Attorneys at Needle | Cuda, we focus exclusively on divorce and family law. That sharp focus allows us to keep abreast of all developments in Connecticut family law so we can better represent your interests. We provide comprehensive legal services for a wide range of matters, including:
Marriage Dissolution — The experience of a divorce action can be distressing, emotional, and tedious for both clients and their families. Needle | Cuda will patiently and expertly guide you through the all ups and downs inherent to process with confidence and balance. Needle | Cuda’s goal is to deliver a workable, enforceable, long-term solution that empowers you to move forward with the rest of your life.
Alimony — Whether you pay or receive alimony, this issue is one of the most important impacting your financial future. Needle | Cuda will work aggressively to design an economic solution for your future.
Parenting Plans — A parenting plan typically includes: legal custody, physical custody, and parenting schedules. While collaboration and active cooperation between parents is ideal for defining the related schedules that compose a parenting plan and the component decisions related to legal custody (e.g. education, healthcare, religion, etc.), it is not always possible to agree. Needle | Cuda is always prepared to forcefully pursue a parenting plan and custody arrangement that is both practical and enforceable.
Child Custody and Visitation — In our experience, it is entirely possible (with active cooperation between parents and well-designed court orders) for children to emerge from a divorce action with positive and engaging relationships with both parents and for many of the (potential) negative emotional impacts to either be muted or avoided.
Property Distribution — Division of property (and assets) in a Connecticut divorce is subject to legal principal called equitable distribution. Numerous statutory factors are considered and applied by the courts in determining the equitable division of property. Connecticut is also an “all property state” which means that 100% of all assets brought into the marriage by the parties are considered regardless as to the name under which a particular asset is held. This means that all property is considered. Needle | Cuda has extensive experience with High Net Worth Clients, closely held family businesses, hedge fund investments/ownership interest, private equity ownership interests, complex family trusts, and other highly technical/sophisticated property and asset valuations.
Business Valuations (family and closely held businesses) — The protection and sophisticated handling of family and/or closely held businesses can be extremely sensitive issues in a marriage dissolution. These cases involve complex business valuations and negotiated buy-outs/settlements (lump sums, payments over time, asset set-offs, etc.) that ensure the continuity of business operations, governance, etc. These situations can be especially tricky when there are extended family members or third-party partners involved. Needle | Cuda has a successful track record of representing clients on either side of the equation (both business operator and spouse) and deep roster of business valuation, forensic accountants, and other technical experts to ensure that businesses are properly valued.
Prenuptial agreements — In these uncertain times, anyone contemplating marriage should protect their property rights with a carefully executed prenuptial agreement. In particular, Prenuptial agreements frequently come into play with respect to in second marriages, with those people marrying later in life, when family businesses are involved, and with high net worth families and potential inheritances are involved. In Connecticut, prenuptial agreements are governed by statue so it is essential that they are drafted by experienced family law attorneys. Needle | Cuda specializes in complex prenuptial agreements for high net worth clients.
Postnuptial agreements — An alternative to the finality of divorce is the postnuptial agreement (sometimes also called a post marital agreement), which allows you and your spouse to continue to work on your marriage. A postnuptial agreement is an agreement entered into by married couples that provides for what will happen financially (alimony and the division of property) should the couple eventually divorce. The postnuptial agreement does not require or mandate an eventual divorce, or even mean that the marriage will not work, but can provide a resolution of the financial issues should a divorce action eventually be commenced. The purpose of a postnuptial agreement is in fact to facilitate resumption of the marriage on agreeable terms.
Restraining orders — No one should be a target of threats or abuse, nor should anyone be wrongly accused of domestic violence. If you need a restraining order, or you want to protect your good name from allegations, Needle | Cuda provides capable and determined representation.
Relocation — One of the most difficult family law issues arises when a custodial parent wants to move so far away that the other parent’s contact with the children is threatened. Typically, there is little opportunity to compromise in these situations which often leads to litigation. We represent parents on either side of relocation issues to achieve resolutions that protect your parental rights and your children’s welfare. Needle | Cuda has a successful track record of litigating highly contests relocation matters for its clients.
Post-Judgement Modifications — Things change. And in the years following your divorce or parenting plan, you and your family may experience a substantial change in circumstances. When you need to address alimony, child support, parenting schedules, or relocation, Needle | Cuda can help you determine if is possible to formally modify your divorce agreement or parenting plan.
Appeals: If you have received a Connecticut Family Court order and you have a concern about an error made by the judge who tried the case (the trial court), that the ruling is unfair or impossible to comply with, or for any reason are considering an appeal: Consult with a family appellate attorney immediately. You cannot afford to wait, because if you do, your rights may expire and you may lose all opportunity to challenge the order. A family law appeal should be handled by counsel intimately familiar not just with family law, and not just with appeals, but with both. At Needle | Cuda we bring our experience to bear on both fronts in guiding you and advocating for you throughout both the trial court and appellate court process.
Enforcement and Contempt Actions — Non-Compliance by a spouse is perhaps one of the most frustrating scenarios with which you may contend. Common situations include: non-payment or late-payment, non-compliance to parenting schedules, failure to disclose documents (e.g. tax returns, bonuses), failure to pay tuition payments, un-reimbursed medical expenses, failure to maintain insurance policies, etc. Needle | Cuda will help you resolve and settle disputes with sophisticated approaches and litigation if necessary.
Legal Separation — There are many commonly held misconceptions about what legal separation means in Connecticut. When the actual implications of legal separation are carefully considered as an alternative to divorce, legal separation is often rejected in favor of pursuing the dissolution of marriage (divorce) process. However, there are particular reasons why legal separation may be a better fit in certain circumstances (e.g. religious beliefs). Needle | Cuda can help you determine if Legal Separation is the right approach for your situation.
Same Sex Divorce, Gay Marriage — Same sex marriages have been legal in the State of Connecticut since 2008. All Civil Unions were converted to marriages in 2010 by the State of Connecticut. The laws for same-sex divorce in Connecticut are the same as the laws for heterosexual divorce and the same process is the same. Note however, there are specific residency requirement that must be meet if you came to Connecticut to get married. Needle | Cuda can guide you through the process.
Process Types – Family law professionals utilize a wide range of processes, methods, and techniques to design and draft marriage dissolution agreements; settle property, alimony and earning capacity disputes; and resolve custody and parenting disputes including: mediation, collaboration, arbitration, litigation, and uncontested filings. Needle | Cuda has experience with each of these approaches and will work with you to design a process that best fits your unique situation.
Our law firm believes that a moment of crisis is also a moment of opportunity, so we prefer not to settle for stop-gap fixes. We want to help you seize the moment to implement comprehensive solutions that give you and your loved ones greater hope for a secure future.