Melissa Needle

Attorney Melissa J. Needle focuses her practice exclusively on Family Law. Based in Westport, Connecticut, she provides astute advice and counsel to clients throughout Fairfield County--serving Westport, Greenwich, New Canaan, Wilton, Darien, and Fairfield. Ms. Needle has been admitted to practice before all Connecticut state courts since 1990, and she is also admitted to practice in New York.

Attorney Needle's approach strikes a hard-to-find balance between aggressive client representation and the preservation of family. Before starting Needle|Cuda, Attorney Needle found that most firms in the market practiced at the extreme ends of the spectrum -- either being overly aggressive or collaborative to a fault.  Needle|Cuda strives to deliver a service that brings clients the best of both worlds because the long-term dynamic and health of your family is worth protecting.

Attorney Needle specializes is high net worth divorces and deals frequently with closely held family businesses, hedge fund investments/ownership interests, private equity ownership interests, complex family trusts, and other complex assets valuations. A forceful courtroom advocate and expert family law litigator, Attorney Needle has also worked on highly contested custody and relocation disputes, although she strives to help her clients come to an agreement in a less-adversarial manner such as mediation when that is possible.

Ms. Needle's experience has also encompassed the preparation of prenuptial and postnuptial agreements and various types of protective orders for domestic violence victims.  Attorney Needle also helps clients who have already divorced and who are seeking enforcement of or modifications to existing support and parenting orders.

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Connecticut

Since 1991

New York

Since 1991

Attorney

Needle | Cuda Divorce and Family Law

2010 - Current

Attorney

Rutkin & Oldham

2004 - 2010

Attorney

Schoomaker & George

1996 - 1999

Attorney

Law Offices of Gary Cohen

1994 - 1996

General Counsel

American Infrastructure LLC

1991 - 1994

Whittier Law School

J.D. (1990) | Law

Tufts University

B.A. (1987) | English Language & Literature/Letters

Best Lawyer Award - Family Law

The Best Lawyers in America

2024

10.0 Superb Rating

Avvo

2023

Peer Review Rated

Martindale-Hubbell

2023

2018-2023

Super Lawyer

Super Lawyers

2023

2019-2023

10 Best Attorney in Client Satisfaction

American Institute of Family Law Attorneys

2021

2019-2021

American Bar Association  # 01302717

Member

Current

Activities: Family Law Section

Connecticut Bar Association

Member

Current

Activities: Family Law Section

Fairfield County Bar Association

Member

Current

American Association of Certified Financial Litigators

Founding Member

Current

American Institute of Family Law Attorneys

Member

Current

Today's Business: Divorce, expert testimony and delivering a “winning narrative”

New Haven Register

2023

Earning Capacity in Family Law: Understanding the Law, Litigating the Issue, and Using an Expert, Annual Conference, Connecticut Bar Association, Hartford, CT

2019

Divorce Law, Annual Meeting, Connecticut Bar Association

2010

Q. Can I hire a GAL for my grandchildren so that I know their best interests are being presented?

June 2, 2021

A: GAL's are either appointed by the Court in a Divorce or Family Law Action or determined by mutual agreement of the Parties and "approved" by the Court.

WHAT IS A GUARDIAN AD LITEM (GAL)?

A Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) is a court appointed individual, by either the successful motion of a party or when the family court determines a GAL is necessary to advocate for the best interests of the child. The court considers appointment of a GAL when parties (parents) are unable to resolve a parenting or child related dispute, and they are frequently appointed when the matter is a highly contested custody dispute.

The GAL’s role is different from that of an Attorney for a Minor Child (AMC). GALs ONLY represents the best interests of the child, and may testify as a witness, providing the court with what they believe to the best interests of the child based, while an AMC represents both a child legal interests AND best interests, but does not testify before the court.

DOES A GUARDIAN AD LITEM (GAL) NEED TO BE A LICENSED ATTORNEY?

Only individuals who have completed the comprehensive training program outlined in the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Practice Book are eligible to be a GAL. Unlike AMCs, GALs do not have to be attorneys.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A GUARDIAN AD LITEM (GAL)?

A GAL only represents the best interests of the child. The court may require the GAL to perform certain functions.

Some of the functions could be:

Investigate facts;

Interview the parties, the child, and close relatives;

Review files and records;

Talk to teachers, coaches, and people involved in the lives of the children;

Speak with medical professionals, including mental health providers;

Participate in court hearings;

Make recommendations to the court with respect to visitation and the mechanics of a proposed parenting plan;

Encourage settlement of disputes between the parties;

The court may also need the GAL to perform other functions to promote the best interests of the child. The court will delineate the role of the GAL in each case, which role will be made an order of the court.

Who pays the GAL?

The parties to the case (parents) pay the fees for the GAL. Each party is required to submit a financial affidavit to the court prior to and/or simultaneously with the appointment of a GAL. The court will consider each party’s financial situation and order how the payment is to be divided between them. In some cases, the parties may qualify for the appointment of a GAL that is paid for by the state, or the GAL fees may be on a sliding scale based on financial resources of the parties. ... Read More

Q. What’s my rights as a grandparent

June 2, 2021

A: Do Grandparents Have Visitation Rights? (Connecticut)

Yes, grandparents can petition the courts for visitation rights just as any third party. The courts will use the same standard of the child’s best interest to determine if the grandparents should have visitation rights. In order to be awarded visitation, the grandparents must also convey to the court that they have a parent like relationship with the child and that depriving them of visitation rights would significantly affect the child.