In divorce, a Connecticut court has wide discretion to assign value to assets the judge will allocate to one or the other divorcing spouse. Obviously, a piece of art does not have a precise, universally accepted value like an account or a share of stock. When...
Westport Family Law Blog
Impact of nonmonetary spousal contributions in a Connecticut divorce
In a Connecticut divorce, there is no simple formula for dividing assets. The courts are not tasked with merely adding up total assets and dividing by two in a clear-cut mathematical operation. Connecticut law gives judges broad discretion when dividing assets between...
Connecticut courts’ approach to unvested stock options in divorce
The Connecticut statute that governs equitable property division in divorce does not define “property,” which has left it to our courts to do so on a case-by-case basis. CT Gen. Stat § 46b-81. Basically, before the judge can craft a fair property division, they must...
Modification Of Alimony In Connecticut
When the family court judge determines during a dissolution that alimony is appropriate, the court generally intends the order to remain enduring. However, circumstances in the years following a divorce may change. Some awards related to spousal support may no longer...
The Best Interests Of The Child Are Important In Parental Relocations
After a marriage breaks down between parents of minor children, spouses may choose to relocate for a variety of reasons. Connecticut law recognizes that when a custodial parent seeks to relocate at the time of divorce, paternity action or in a post-judgment setting,...
When should forensic accounting be part of my divorce?
While the decision to end the marriage might be straightforward, negotiating the division of the assets can be more complex. Asset division becomes even more complicated when one or both spouses have money or assets the other spouse does not know about. During these...
How Connecticut Courts Evaluate Alimony Disputes
Connecticut law does not provide an absolute right to alimony to any particular party in divorce. In fact, a litigant must specifically request that an alimony determination be made, unless the parties enter a stipulated agreement regarding spousal support. There is...
What happens to stored pre-embryos during a divorce?
For many couples, fertility and the journey to conceive a child can be complicated and stressful. Often, couples need to seek outside help from fertility doctors to help them reach their goal of having a child. Unfortunately, some marriages do not make it through the...
Can I maintain my privacy through a divorce?
Connecticut law requires litigants to exchange financial records in family court proceedings. In any dissolution of marriage, Automatic Orders are attached to the pleadings take effect upon the filing and service of the divorce papers. Under the Automatic Orders, the...
Are any of my assets ‘safe’ in a Connecticut divorce?
While divorce can be a tense and difficult time, the added challenge of asset division may seem daunting. Often the idea of arguing through lawyers over alimony and assets is enough for some couples to delay a much-needed divorce. Although some of your assets may...