CONNECTICUT DIVORCE LAWYER · WESTPORT, CT

Connecticut Divorce Lawyers Who Protect What Matters Most

You need a Connecticut divorce lawyer who treats your divorce like it matters, not a firm that hands you off to a case manager and calls it representation.

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Divorce changes everything. Your home. Your finances. Your time with your kids.

You didn’t plan for this divorce. Most people who call a Maya Murphy divorce attorney have never spoken to a lawyer before. They’re not sure what to ask first. That’s fine. That’s what the first call is for, and it’s confidential.

What’s at Stake in Your Connecticut Divorce: Property, Custody, and Spousal Support

Property. Custody. Money. All three change at once in a Connecticut divorce, and Connecticut divorce law has a specific answer for each one.

Connecticut courts divide marital property and other marital assets on an equitable basis. That means a fair split based on your case, not necessarily an even 50/50 split. It can include the house, retirement accounts, and any business you or your spouse owns. Custody and parenting time turn on the best interests of your child, not on who files for divorce first. Alimony and child support follow specific statutory factors, not a guess.

None of that sorts itself out. The paperwork, the deadlines, and the settlement negotiations move through your divorce proceedings whether you’re ready or not. That’s why parties to a Connecticut divorce need a divorce lawyer who already knows the process, not one learning it during your divorce.

Why You Can Trust Maya Murphy, P.C., a Connecticut Divorce and Family Law Firm

Maya Murphy, P.C. has practiced family and matrimonial law in Connecticut for 30+ years. Its attorneys are licensed in Connecticut and New York. The firm runs two deep practice areas: family law and education law. That means your divorce attorney also spends real time in Connecticut courtrooms on contested, high-stakes actions, not just divorce paperwork.

Our Connecticut divorce lawyers have handled cases across the spectrum: uncontested divorces, high-net-worth divorces, and business owner divorces. That includes businesses, real estate, and retirement accounts, in divorces with substantial marital estates. The firm’s divorce attorneys and education law attorneys work as a team when a case calls for it. Whatever your divorce looks like, you work directly with your attorney, from your first call to your final judgment.

  • 30+ years practicing family and matrimonial law in Connecticut
  • Attorneys licensed in Connecticut and New York
  • Two deep practice areas: family law and education law
  • You work directly with your attorney, first call to final judgment

What Working With a Maya Murphy Divorce Attorney Looks Like

Three steps, start to finish.

1

You call for a free, confidential consultation.

In person in Westport or by Zoom, you tell your divorce lawyer what’s happening: your marriage, your kids, your finances, your worries. Ask about the fee on this call. There’s no obligation.

2

Your attorney builds your legal strategy.

Your attorney reviews your finances, your assets, and your children’s situation. Then your attorney lays out your real options: negotiate, mediate, or file for divorce and litigate. This is full legal representation, not a document-prep service.

3

Your attorney carries out the plan.

Whether that ends in a signed separation agreement or a trial, your attorney sees your divorce through to a final, signed judgment. If things change later, Connecticut law also allows modification of support or custody orders.

Your Divorce Attorney Handles Every Part of Your Case, From Filing to Final Judgment

One attorney stays on your file the whole way. Here is what that covers, issue by issue.

Your Divorce Lawyer Fights for a Fair Split of the House, Savings, and Business

Property division in Connecticut runs on equitable distribution under CGS § 46b-81. The court looks at what’s fair, not an automatic 50/50 split. It weighs the length of your marriage, each spouse’s income and future earning capacity, and who contributed what. Marital assets can include real estate, retirement accounts, and any business interest. That includes business valuations when a company is part of the marital estate. If you or your spouse owns a business, get your divorce attorney the financials early in your divorce proceedings.

Your Divorce Attorney Builds Your Custody and Parenting Time Case

Your child custody case is decided under CGS § 46b-56. The statute sets out 17 factors Connecticut judges weigh, all pointed at one standard: the best interests of your child. That covers legal custody (who makes decisions about school, health care, and religion) and physical custody (where your child lives day to day). Connecticut courts do not favor either parent by default. Joint legal custody and shared parenting arrangements are common. Courts also look favorably on parents who keep communication civil for their child’s sake.

Your Divorce Lawyer Makes the Case for the Alimony You Need

Alimony, also called spousal support, is decided under CGS § 46b-82. The court considers your age, health, income, earning capacity, and the standard of living during your marriage, among other factors. Alimony is not automatic. The court decides case by case. Either party can seek a modification later if things change enough.

Your Divorce Attorney Runs the Child Support Numbers Before You File

Child support follows Connecticut’s child support guidelines under CGS § 46b-84, based on both parents’ incomes and your child’s needs. Support doesn’t automatically end at 18. If your child is still a full-time high school student, support can continue until graduation or age 19, whichever comes first.

Your Divorce Lawyer Settles Your Case Out of Court When That Is the Right Call

Not every Connecticut divorce goes to trial. If you and your spouse consent to the terms, an uncontested divorce moves faster and costs less. Your draft divorce agreements can often be finalized without a courtroom fight. If you don’t agree yet, divorce mediation and collaborative divorce let you negotiate a settlement outside a courtroom. Your attorney advises you the whole way. Litigation and formal legal actions are still there when you need them. They just aren’t the only path to a resolution.

Grounds for Divorce in Connecticut: No-Fault Divorce Laws and Residency Rules

No-fault divorce. Connecticut is a no-fault divorce state. You can file for divorce on the grounds that your marriage has broken down irretrievably. You are not legally required to prove your spouse did anything wrong. A judge can still weigh fault when a Connecticut court sets alimony.

Residency and timing. You also do not have to wait a year to file. Connecticut’s residency rule requires one spouse to have lived in Connecticut for 12 months. That requirement only has to be met by the date of your final decree, not the date you file. In practice, you can start your Connecticut divorce as soon as you become a Connecticut resident.

Choosing a Connecticut Divorce Lawyer: Questions We Hear First

It depends on whether your case settles or goes to trial, and on how complicated your finances are. Ask about the fee on your first call. Your attorney will walk you through how billing works, what a retainer covers, and what tends to drive a case’s cost up, before you commit to anything. The consultation itself is free.

You work directly with your attorney, from your first call to your final judgment. The attorney who takes your case is the one who knows your file, your finances, and your children’s schedule. You should not have to re-explain your marriage to someone new every time you call.

Ask how many Connecticut divorce cases like yours the lawyer has handled. Ask who will actually work on your file. Ask what the first 90 days look like, and what the fee covers. A straight answer to all four tells you most of what you need to know before you sign anything.

You talk, your attorney listens, and you leave knowing your options. It is free and confidential, in person in Westport or by Zoom. Bring what you have on your finances, but do not put off the call because your paperwork is not organized yet. There is no obligation to retain anyone that day.

You are, and it matters. The spouse with counsel is the one shaping the temporary orders, and a Connecticut judge who sees a temporary schedule working often carries it into the final judgment. Talk to an attorney before you respond to anything your spouse’s lawyer sends you.

Usually yes, and often for less than you expect. An uncontested divorce still needs a separation agreement a judge will sign, and the terms you settle on for support, custody, and retirement accounts are difficult to undo later. Your attorney can review what the two of you worked out and paper it properly.

Yes. You can change counsel at any point in your case. If your calls are not being returned, or you cannot get a straight answer about your own file, that is worth a conversation early rather than after months go by. A new attorney can take over the case and get up to speed on the record.

Fast, and this is the first thing to tell your attorney on your first call. Connecticut allows an application for a civil restraining order under CGS § 46b-15, and a judge can enter temporary orders quickly where there is immediate danger. That protection runs separately from your divorce, and your attorney can pursue both at the same time.
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    Talk to a Connecticut Divorce Lawyer Today

    Divorce is a legal process. It’s an emotional one too, and you don’t have to face either side of your divorce alone. You don’t have to decide anything on the first call. Talk to a Connecticut divorce lawyer at Maya Murphy, P.C. in a free, confidential, no-pressure consultation, in person in Westport or by Zoom. Bring your questions about your divorce. Leave with a straight answer about what happens next.

    or call (203) 221-3100

    Your divorce lawyer works from a specific set of Connecticut statutes and a vocabulary the courthouse takes for granted. Here it is in plain English, so you walk into your consultation knowing what your attorney is talking about. It is background, not advice about your case.

    The Statutes Your Divorce Lawyer Works From

    Filing, Grounds, and Custody

    • CGS § 46b-40, grounds for dissolution of marriage and legal separation. Your lawyer files on irretrievable breakdown in most cases, Connecticut’s no-fault ground.
    • CGS § 46b-44, the residency requirement to file for divorce in Connecticut. Your attorney checks it before anything else.
    • CGS § 46b-56, custody, visitation, and the best interests of the child standard. Your attorney argues your parenting plan against the 17 factors it lists.
    • CGS § 46b-69b, Connecticut’s Parenting Education Program for divorcing parents. Your lawyer gets you enrolled early.

    Property, Support, and Protection

    • CGS § 46b-81, property division. Your divorce lawyer uses this statute to argue for the split of the house, the retirement accounts, and any business.
    • CGS § 46b-82, alimony and spousal support. Your attorney builds the record a judge weighs here.
    • CGS § 46b-84, child support and a parent’s obligation to maintain a minor child. Your lawyer runs the guideline numbers with you first.
    • CGS § 46b-15, civil restraining orders for relief from physical abuse, stalking, or threatening. Your attorney can file under it right away if you are afraid of your spouse.

    The Words Your Divorce Lawyer Will Use With You

    Your attorney will use these terms from the first meeting on. Here is what each one means.

    Types of Divorce and Agreements

    • Uncontested divorce: both spouses agree on all terms before filing or shortly after. Your lawyer still drafts and reviews the agreement.
    • Contested divorce: spouses disagree on one or more issues, which requires negotiation or a trial to resolve.
    • Legal separation: a case that runs much like a divorce, except you stay married while a judge resolves custody, support, and property. Your attorney can tell you if it fits.
    • Annulment: a finding that a marriage was never valid.
    • Prenuptial agreement: a contract signed before marriage that sets terms for property and support if the marriage ends. Your lawyer reads it early, because it can settle the property question before it starts.
    • Postnuptial agreements: the same type of agreement, signed after the wedding.

    Process Terms

    • Case management date: an early court date where the judge sets a schedule for your case. Your attorney will tell you whether you need to be there.
    • Divorce mediation: a neutral third party helps you and your spouse negotiate a settlement. Your lawyer advises you between sessions. The mediator cannot take your side.
    • Collaborative divorce: both spouses and their attorneys agree in writing to resolve the case without going to court.
    • Arbitration: a private arbitrator, rather than a judge, decides disputed issues.
    • Pendente lite: temporary orders for support, custody, or use of the house that apply while your case is pending. Your attorney asks for these early.
    • Judgment: the final, signed decision that ends your marriage. Your lawyer reads it line by line before you sign.
    • Modification: a later change to a custody, support, or alimony order after a substantial change in circumstances. Your attorney files the motion.

    More Questions Our Divorce Lawyers Hear

    • Does infidelity affect my Connecticut divorce? Not for the divorce itself. Connecticut is a no-fault state, so you never have to prove adultery. Fault can still factor into alimony under CGS § 46b-82, so your attorney will ask.
    • What role does Family Relations play in my case? It is the Connecticut Superior Court’s own service for family cases. Family Relations handles mediation, custody evaluations, and case management before a judge gets involved. Your attorney prepares you for it.
    • Can my separate property stay separate? Sometimes. Property you owned before the marriage, or received as a gift or inheritance, can stay separate, but a judge has broad discretion under CGS § 46b-81 to include it. Your divorce lawyer traces where the money came from.
    • Do divorcing parents have to take a parenting class? If you have children, yes. Connecticut’s Parenting Education Program under CGS § 46b-69b is built to help you and your co-parent limit the impact of the divorce on your kids. Your attorney will point you to one.
    • Can I change attorneys in the middle of my divorce? Yes, and you do not need your current lawyer’s permission. If you are not getting the direct attention your case needs, have that conversation with a new divorce attorney early, not after months go by.
    • What does it mean to be served divorce papers? It means your spouse has formally started the case, and the court now has jurisdiction over you. Deadlines start running. Call a divorce attorney before you respond.
    • Can I modify my custody, support, or alimony order later? Yes. Connecticut allows post-judgment modification after a substantial change in circumstances, such as a job loss, a relocation, or a change in your child’s needs. Your lawyer files the motion. Ask your attorney about the tax impact before you agree to new terms.
    • How is property divided in a Connecticut divorce? On an equitable basis under CGS § 46b-81, which means fair, not necessarily equal. A judge weighs the length of your marriage, both spouses’ incomes and earning potential, and contributions to the marriage, including as a homemaker. Your divorce lawyer does the work behind that: appraisals, account histories, and the argument for why your contribution counts.
    • Can I get alimony in a Connecticut divorce? You can, if the facts support it. Alimony under CGS § 46b-82 is not automatic. Your divorce attorney walks you through the factors a judge weighs, your income, health, age, and the standard of living during your marriage.
    • How is child custody decided in Connecticut? Under CGS § 46b-56, on the best interests of your child, using the 17 factors set out in that section. Neither parent starts with an advantage, whether you are seeking sole or joint custody. Your attorney ties your parenting history to those factors.
    • How is child support calculated? Connecticut uses statewide child support guidelines under CGS § 46b-84, based on both parents’ income and your child’s needs. Your attorney can run that calculation with you before you file.
    • Do I have to wait a year to get divorced in Connecticut? No. You can file as soon as you or your spouse becomes a Connecticut resident. The 12-month residency requirement under CGS § 46b-44 only has to be satisfied by the date of your final decree. Your lawyer times the case around that.
    • Do we have to go to court, or can we work this out privately? You have options. If you and your spouse agree, divorce mediation or a collaborative divorce can resolve your case without a trial. Your attorney negotiates and advises either way. Not every divorce lawyer pushes cases toward trial, and yours will not unless it is the right call. If you cannot agree, your case goes in front of a judge.

    Disclaimer: This page is attorney advertising and provides general information about Connecticut divorce law. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case depends on its own facts. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.