Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in Connecticut
How courts in Connecticut decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Connecticut: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Connecticut law caps contingency fees in claims for personal injury, wrongful death or property damage at 33 1/3% of the first $300,000, 25% of the next $300,000, 20% of the next $300,000, 15% of the next $300,000, and 10% of any amount over $1,200,000. A client may waive these limits only in a case that is substantially complex, unique or different, after the lawyer explains the limits and the right to seek another lawyer, and only through a written, signed and notarized agreement with a bold-type acknowledgment; even then the total fee cannot exceed 33 1/3% of the amount awarded or received. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 52-251c |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Connecticut Bar Association offers low-cost fee mediation or arbitration, but only if both the client and the lawyer agree to use it. The Statewide Grievance Committee can also order a lawyer to take part in fee arbitration. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | Connecticut's Client Security Fund may reimburse losses from an attorney's theft, embezzlement or wrongful taking of money or property in the course of an attorney-client relationship or related fiduciary role; in limited circumstances it may cover an attorney's refusal to refund unearned fees paid in advance. Negligence, malpractice and investment losses are not covered. Apply on form JD-GC-15, signed under oath before a notary, with copies of proof of the loss, mailed to the Client Security Fund Committee, 999 Asylum Avenue, Fifth Floor, Hartford, CT 06105. Pamphlet referenced on the form: http://www.jud.ct.gov/Publications/GC016.pdf |
Connecticut rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Custody is decided by the child's best interests. Factors the court may consider include the child's physical and emotional safety, temperament and developmental needs, the parents' ability to meet those needs, information from the child including the child's informed preferences, the parents' wishes, the child's relationships with family members, each parent's willingness to support the child's relationship with the other parent, manipulation or coercion of the child, stability, health of all involved, cultural background, domestic violence, abuse or neglect, and completion of a parenting education program. Joint custody is presumed to be in the child's best interests when both parents agree to it. No fixed age is set for the child's preference. |
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| Emergency custody | A person seeking custody in a custody or divorce case may apply to the Superior Court for an emergency ex parte order of custody when they believe there is an immediate and present risk of physical danger or psychological harm to the child. The application must include a sworn affidavit describing the emergency, stating that the order is in the child's best interests, and explaining what was done to notify the other party (or why the court should act without notice). If the court finds such a risk, it may grant temporary custody or visitation and bar the other party from taking the child out of state, interfering with custody or the child's schooling, or other specific acts. If the order is issued ex parte, a hearing must be scheduled within 14 days, and the other party must be served at least five days before the hearing. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-56f |
| Parenting classes | Yes. In divorce and other family cases involving a minor child, the court orders the parties to attend the Judicial Branch's parenting education program, unless the parties agree not to with court approval, the court finds it unnecessary, or they complete a comparable program. The program costs no more than $200 per person (indexed for inflation), no one may be excluded for inability to pay, and it lasts no more than 10 hours. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-69b |
| Grandparents' rights | Any person, including a grandparent, may petition for visitation with a minor child by alleging that a parent-like relationship exists and that denying visits would cause real and significant harm (meaning the child would be neglected or uncared for). The court grants visitation only if both are proven by clear and convincing evidence. For grandparents, the court may also consider a history of regular contact and a close and substantial relationship. The court considers the child's wishes if the child is old enough to form an intelligent opinion. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-59 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Connecticut Bar Association offers Find a Lawyer CT, an online search of lawyers by location and area of practice; the CBA's public page lists no consultation fee or referral phone line. CBA Member Service Center: (860) 223-4400. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Connecticut Judicial Branch's Attorney/Firm Look-up, compiled from records of the Superior Court clerk for the Hartford Judicial District and the Statewide Grievance Committee, lets you search by juris number, attorney last name or firm name, and town. Results show whether the license is active, whether it was ever inactive and why, and whether the attorney has been disciplined. The Judicial Branch does not guarantee it is a complete history; for an official licensing and disciplinary history, contact the Statewide Grievance Committee at (860) 296-3848. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievance complaints against Connecticut lawyers are reviewed, investigated and decided through the Statewide Grievance Committee (21 members, including 7 non-lawyers) with Statewide Bar Counsel. Use form JD-GC-6, filling out a separate form for each complainant and each attorney (do not name a law firm), and mail the original plus 6 identical copies, with copies of supporting documents, to Statewide Bar Counsel, Statewide Grievance Committee, 999 Asylum Avenue, Fifth Floor, Hartford, CT 06105. It is free to file. Filing does not itself get you reimbursed, though the committee can order restitution in some cases. A lawyer's disciplinary record appears in the Judicial Branch attorney look-up. Complaint form and instructions: https://www.jud.ct.gov/webforms/forms/gc006.pdf |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut is the LSC-funded legal aid organization for the state and provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income people. CT Free Legal Answers, run by the Connecticut Bar Association and the ABA, lets low-income residents submit a civil legal question online and get brief advice from a volunteer lawyer. CBA public page: https://www.ctbar.org/public |
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Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.