Family Law

Every family is unique and faces unique issues when marriages are dissolved or circumstances require a new plan for the care of the children.

Family law is a mosaic of complex issues which require multi-disciplinary knowledge and project management skills. Successful resolution requires the assistance of attorneys who possess the training, experience and skills to manage high net worth financial issues, many times in conjunction with the transitioning of the family unit. Multiple extended family members may be affected by a divorce, or change in custody of a child. Creative strategies must be implemented to achieve unique client goals. Colleagues and clients have recognized the stature and commitment of the attorneys at Pullman & Comley.

The Family Law team at Pullman & Comley has designed efficiencies to maximize value of each team member’s participation to meet client goals.

With offices in upper and lower Fairfield County, Hartford, and White Plains and Springfield, Massachusetts, the team can respond effectively statewide and beyond. Team members are trained trial lawyers, skilled negotiators and able mediators, who assist clients in efficient and effective resolution of family law disputes. All members of the team help clients understand the process which will best suit the specific goals of each individual client and matter, respecting the long term interests of transitioning a family.

Our work includes: 

• High profile divorce and custody issues
• High net worth divorces
• Child custody and parenting issues
• Complex family matters
• Drafting and litigating prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
• Litigation, arbitration and mediation
• Appeals to all courts
• Complexities in dissolving same sex marriages and relationships
• Collaborative Divorce

We have a deep bench.

Our Family Law Practice Group is co-chaired by Attorney Campbell Barrett who is the Past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He tries cases across the state and has successfully argued significant family law cases of first impression in Connecticut’s Supreme and Appellate Courts.

Attorney Livia DeFilippis Barndollar is a nationally recognized and accomplished divorce attorney, handling the most complex and high net worth cases. Her representation is the gold standard, achieving advantageous outcomes for clients at trial and through settlement, built on her knowledge of the law and her keen understanding of her clients’ cases and objectives.   

Practice co-chair Kelly Scott joined us after five years at a family law boutique firm and work at Connecticut’s Regional Family Trial Docket. She ably counsels clients through the court process, firmly negotiates to her client’s advantage and succinctly presents and argues those matters that require judicial resolution.

Prior to joining Pullman & Comley as a member in 2025, Attorney Beck S. Fineman was a partner at a prominent Connecticut litigation firm where he represented corporate, governmental, and individual clients in a wide range of cases. He brings a wealth of experience that further strengthens the team's ability to serve clients in complex family law matters, and is an active member of the legal community, previously serving as President of the LGBTQ Section of the Connecticut Bar Association.

Stacie L. Provencher joined the Family Law practice as an associate in  2021, following several years working as a family law paralegal while pursuing her law degree.  She handles all types of family law matters, particularly contested divorce and custody cases and family law appeals.

Pullman & Comley’s Family Law team has consistently been recognized by legal industry rankings, including Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers “Rising Stars,” Connecticut Law Tribune’s “New Leaders in the Law” and ”Best Family Law Group”, and the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys “Connecticut’s Ten Best.”  These honors serve as recognition of the diligent and scholarly work that the group does on behalf of its clients.

The Pullman & Comley Family Law team is selected by clients throughout the state because of our attorneys' mastery of the complexity of property distribution and asset valuation. We frequently represent high net worth individuals in high profile litigated matters as well as those in which clients seek privacy, discretion and anonymity.  The Family Law practice has significant experience in handling these matters as they arise in the continuum of pre-divorce, the divorce and post-divorce.

A leader in the LGBTQ community, Pullman & Comley is proud of the depth of experience of our Family Law practice in representation of clients in marital and non-marital same-sex relationships.

Our attorneys lecture widely, and have authored various chapters and articles in treatises in the field.

Our Appellate Family lawyers established new family law precedents in the Connecticut Supreme Court, and have been involved in some of the most significant cases shaping the Family Law landscape, including: 

• Lump sum alimony award does not constitute impermissible property distribution under terms of prenuptial agreement.  Hornung v. Hornung, 323 Conn. 144 (2016).
• Custodial parents may obtain an upward modification of child support based on an increase in the non-custodial parent’s income.  McKeon v. Lennon, 321 Conn. 323 (2016).
• The parameters for child support in high income cases.  Dowling v. Szymczak, 309 Conn. 390 (2013).
• The recognition of postnuptial agreements in the state.  Bedrick v. Bedrick, 300 Conn. 691 (2011).
• The operative definition of property for the equitable distribution of assets.  Mickey v. Mickey, 292 Conn. 597 (2009).
• The legal test for the modification of alimony based on a claim of cohabitation.  Gervais v. Gervais, 91 Conn. App. 840 (2005).
• The permissible use of capital gains in alimony modification cases.  Gay v. Gay, 266 Conn. 641 (2003).

Because the practice of family law encompasses a wide-range of interdisciplinary fields of law, our family law clients benefit from Pullman & Comley’s extensive knowledge and experience in the related areas of real estate, tax planning, trust and estates planning, corporate law and bankruptcy.

News

Events

Publications

Press Releases

Podcast & Videos

Pullman & Comley is pleased to share a selection of family law resources including brief, informative videos and podcast that address some of the most common questions and concerns individuals face when navigating divorce, child custody, and related matters.

Pullman & Comley Family Law Attorney Kelly Scott Discusses Social Media on the Talking About Kids Podcast

Kelly highlights how online activity can influence divorce proceedings and offers tips for using social media wisely during this time. Listen to the full podcast here.

Pullman & Comley Family Law Attorney Kelly Scott Discusses Bird Nesting on the Talking About Kids Podcast

Kelly discusses “birdnesting” -- a custody arrangement where children stay in the family home while parents rotate living there -- and when it may be a good option. Access the full podcast here.

What are Automatic Orders and How Will They Affect Me Once I File for Divorce?

An explanation of automatic orders, which are intended to maintain status quo while the divorce is pending and restrict each party’s ability to transfer assets, incur unreasonable debts, or change the terms on insurance policies, during this time.

What to Know About Property Division in a Connecticut Divorce?

Understanding the process of dividing property belonging to a couple, and how being an "all property state" affects those going through a divorce in Connecticut, as well as 15 factors that judges consider in property division.

Legal Recognitions

Pullman & Comley’s Family Law Practice is widely recognized for its excellence in handling complex, high-stakes family and matrimonial matters. The practice has been ranked since 2024 in Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth Law for Connecticut in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide, and is currently listed as Band 1, the highest level of recognition.  The team also was honored as “Specialty Litigation Department of the Year” at the 2024 ALM New England Legal Awards. 

The Chambers High Net Worth Guide identifies and ranks leading legal advisers to high-net-worth individuals through rigorous research and in-depth analysis and is relied upon by family offices and professional advisers seeking an objective view of top practitioners. In its review, Chambers highlights Pullman & Comley’s strong Family Law practice in Connecticut, noting that its matrimonial law attorneys regularly represent clients in high-asset divorce matters and custody applications and frequently advise on inter-state and cross-border family law issues. Clients praised the firm for its sophistication and clarity, with one noting, “They are so sophisticated but make it look simple,” and another emphasizing the team’s ability to provide sound guidance focused on the long-term health and wellbeing of both clients and their families.

In addition to the firm’s practice recognition, Campbell D. Barrett and Kelly A. Scott are each ranked Band 1 in Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth by Chambers, the guide’s highest distinction for individual practitioners. Campbell, who chairs the firm’s Family Law and Appellate Practice Groups, represents clients in all aspects of family law, including asset division, alimony, child custody and support, appeals, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Kelly has extensive experience representing clients with high net worth and complex assets, both in the preparation of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and in dissolution matters involving sophisticated financial issues, and regularly works with valuation, accounting, and other financial experts.

The Family Law Practice was also named “Specialty Litigation Department of the Year” by American Lawyer Media (ALM) at the 2024 New England Legal Awards, an honor recognizing practices that have demonstrated excellence in their specialty and made a significant impact in the legal field. Pullman & Comley’s family law attorneys, who include seasoned trial and appellate lawyers as well as collaboratively trained practitioners, are skilled negotiators and mediators known for resolving disputes efficiently and effectively. Their work frequently involves the enforcement of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, the calculation of child support for high-income families, and the modification of alimony awards.

In addition to these honors, Pullman & Comley’s Family Law attorneys are consistently recognized by Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers “Rising Stars,” Connecticut Law Tribune’s “Best Family Law Group” and “New Leaders in the Law,” and the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys’ “Connecticut’s Ten Best.” Collectively, these recognitions underscore the practice’s reputation for excellence, professionalism and trusted advocacy in matters that are both legally complex and deeply personal.