At Needle | Cuda, we know when you come to see us that you may be going through the most difficult time of your life. That is why we style ourselves a “high touch” law firm with a premium on client service. In the comfort of our welcoming Westport office — or remotely as may be necessary or appropriate — we discuss your situation thoroughly and provide information and guidance to help you make a well-informed decision about how you would like to proceed. We focus on family law and limit the number of cases we take, so we can provide the personal attention you deserve while building a positive working relationship that inspires confidence. Over decades of practice, our cases throughout Fairfield County have involved couples with high-conflict custody matters, significant net worth and complex legal issues. You can trust our ability to manage your case.
At Needle | Cuda, our exclusive focus on divorce and family law ensures in-depth knowledge of substantive law and procedure, as well as a current and clear understanding of ever-evolving case law. You can trust our accomplished legal team to manage:
Divorce — A divorce matter (the dissolution of a marriage) requires resolution of three main components between the parties before an agreement can be presented before a family court on behalf of the parties:
Child custody — There are two aspects: legal custody and physical custody.
Asset/property division — All property held by either party can be considered by courts in Connecticut, regardless of title and regardless of whether it was acquired before or after the marriage.
Disposition of Income — This includes alimony and child support.
These three main components of a divorce action generally involve the following issues: legal and physical child custody, visitation, parenting plans, alimony, child support, earning capacity, real property, financial and retirements assets, 401(k) plans, ownership in family and closely held businesses and a variety of complicated and valuation issues specific to high net worth divorces.
Any or all of these issues and areas can become extremely complex and nuanced. Parents may have strong disagreements about how to raise their children and so may propose vastly different parenting plans. Same-sex couples may need to take special efforts to protect their parental rights. The financial status of high-net-worth couples also complicates divorce, which must fairly address such properties as retirement assets, business interests and assets that are inherited or held in trust or that were owned before marriage.