Child Custody & Visitation Lawyers in Stamford, CT

Family Court Insight from a Former Presiding Judge, Combined with 150+ Years of Experience

Child custody decisions reach into every corner of a child’s life: where they go to school, how they spend holidays, and the relationship they build with each parent long after a court ruling. Those decisions shape a parent’s daily reality in ways that outlast any single proceeding. Whether your custody matter arises during a divorce or between unmarried parents navigating separate households, the legal choices made early carry lasting weight.

At Siegel, Colin, & Kaufman, we represent parents in Stamford, throughout Fairfield County, and across Connecticut in the full range of custody matters, from negotiated parenting plans to contested hearings.

Consult a Stamford child custody attorney at Siegel, Colin, & Kaufman about your situation. Call (203) 599-3413 or reach us online to book an office, phone, or virtual appointment.

Why Stamford Parents Choose Siegel, Colin, & Kaufman

Our firm’s differentiator in custody cases is direct: partner Thomas D. Colin (Ret.) served as the presiding judge for family matters in the Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District from 2013 to 2018, presiding over complex child custody matters and some of the nation’s most financially sophisticated divorce cases. That judicial experience gives our team genuine insight into how Stamford family court evaluates parenting plans, weighs contested testimony, and applies the best-interests standard.

Credentials & Recognition

Frederic J. Siegel and Thomas D. Colin are both Fellows of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and hold the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Together, our attorneys bring more than 150 years of combined trial and negotiation experience in family law, focused exclusively on divorce and family matters. Other attorneys regularly seek us out as co-counsel, mediators, or arbitrators in custody disputes, reflecting the standing we’ve built in the Connecticut legal community.

Full-Forum Representation

We handle custody matters in every forum: direct negotiation, mediation, collaborative divorce, and full courtroom litigation. For clients whose circumstances require discretion, including high-profile individuals, we provide strategic advocacy without sacrificing privacy.

How We Assist Parents in Custody Cases

We provide personalized guidance at every stage of a custody matter. If both parents are willing to negotiate, we can help structure a parenting plan that addresses the details courts care about and can reduce future conflict. If a case calls for mediation, our attorneys can represent you effectively and help bridge impasses. When litigation is the only path, we are experienced courtroom advocates who know how to present a custody case in Stamford family court.

In post-divorce matters, we assist with modifications and enforcement of custody and visitation orders. A parent’s circumstances change, children’s needs evolve, and orders that once worked can stop serving a child’s best interests. We help clients navigate those transitions while protecting their parental rights. Office, phone, and virtual appointments are available.

Types of Custody & How Connecticut Courts Decide

Connecticut law recognizes two distinct custody dimensions, and understanding both matters before any negotiation or hearing begins.

Legal Custody & Physical Custody

These two dimensions govern different aspects of a child’s life, and custody may be sole or joint in either dimension.

• Legal custody refers to decision-making authority over a child’s education, medical care, and religious upbringing. Under CGS section 46b-56a, joint custody, where both parents share legal and physical custody, is presumed to serve the child’s best interests when parents agree. Courts may also award joint legal custody without joint physical custody where parents have agreed to that arrangement.
• Physical custody determines where the child lives and the structure of the parenting time schedule. Arrangements range from primary residence with one parent and scheduled parenting time with the other, to true shared parenting schedules.

Connecticut courts are gender-neutral in all custody determinations; no automatic preference exists for either parent.

The Best-Interests Standard under CGS Section 46b-56

The best-interests standard governs every contested custody decision. The statute lists 17 factors judges must consider, and no single factor is automatically determinative. Judges weigh all relevant evidence and exercise broad discretion. Key factors include:

• The physical and emotional safety of the child (added as the first factor by Public Act 21-78)
• The temperament and developmental needs of the child
• Each parent’s capacity to understand and meet those needs
• The child’s informed preferences
• Each parent’s willingness to support the other parent’s relationship with the child
• The stability and continuity of the child’s existing care arrangements

Negotiated Agreements, Parenting Education, & Guardian ad Litem

Parents may negotiate their own custody and parenting plan agreement outside of court. Once carefully drafted and submitted for judicial approval, that agreement becomes an enforceable court order. Our attorneys help clients negotiate or mediate such agreements to satisfy court requirements while protecting parental rights.

Connecticut also requires divorcing or separating parents with children under 18 to complete a parenting education program within 60 days of the return date. In contested cases, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem to investigate and represent the child’s best interests independently.