The Law Offices of Heidi Opinsky was formed in 1993, specializing in family law. The firm is committed to obtaining successful results through focused and personalized service tailored to achieve the maximum results through strong advocacy, both in and out of court.

The firm is experienced in handling cases of a complex financial nature which require business and asset valuation, income reconstruction, and financial and tax analysis to achieve optimum results for clients. The firm provides clients with a combination of strong advocacy and extensive experience to achieve their legal objectives and goals with efficiency and sensitivity to the emotional and financial needs of the client.

As experienced Connecticut Family Law Attorneys, we are committed to obtaining successful results through focused and personalized service tailored to achieve the maximum results through strong advocacy, both in and out of court. Our firm handles a full range of family law matters, including:

• Divorce
• Legal Separation
• Child Custody
• Child Support
• Visitation Rights
• Alimony
• Modifications
• Prenuptial Agreements
• Property Division and Valuation
  
• Financial Planning
• Domestic Violence
• Mediation
• Collaborative Law
• Litigation

Ms. Opinsky, the firm's principal, has 20 years of experience in family law cases and is licensed to practice law in the States of Connecticut and New York. Our firm serves clients throughout Fairfield County, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Westport and Wilton.

If you or someone you know is involved in a divorce or child custody case and needs the assistance of an experienced Connecticut Family Law Attorney, call Heidi Opinsky today at 866-615-3248, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.

Practice Areas and Legal Definitions

Connecticut Divorce:
A court of law is the only way one can obtain a divorce decree, dissolution, legal separation, nullity or other form of terminating a marriage. Other than the termination of the marital estate, the court also has jurisdiction to resolve other issues that are intertwined in the existing marriage which include, but are not limited to: custody and visitation rights, division of property of the marital estate, spousal support, child support, restraining orders, etc. 

Connecticut Distribution of Marital Assets:
When it comes to distribution of marital assets, Connecticut is not a community property state. In practice that means that a husband or wife will usually be allowed to keep property each owned prior to the marriage. Property acquired during a marriage will need to be divided during the divorce process. Reaching equitable decisions regarding division of property requires arriving at a fair value for the marital assets. When dividing property, it is also important to keep in mind the tax implications of the division.

Connecticut Child Support:
Child support is a periodic payment made to a custodial parent from a non-custodial parent to help compensate a child's living expenses, i.e. food, clothes, etc., and any other related debts. When one parent is awarded sole custody, as in the event of a divorce, the non-custodial parent is required to fulfill his or her child support obligation by making set payments, whereas the custodial parent meets his or her support obligation through the custody itself. The obligation to support minor children cannot be waived by either parent and is a right enjoyed by the child, not the parent.

Child support in Connecticut is determined using a formula. This formula, or guideline, can be modified based on the child's individual needs, such as medical costs and child care costs, health insurance and college. In fact, courts in Connecticut may order a parent  to pay college costs equal to the amount of tuition at an in-state college and to continue child support until the age of 23.

The amount of child support a parent will receive is affected by alimony awarded to a custodial parent. That is why it is important to consider these two expenses together during the process, as well as examine the tax consequences.

Child Support Modification and Enforcement:
If either parent experiences a significant change in circumstance, either may request that the court modify the child support order. Changes in circumstance include medical expenses and changes in household income.

Connecticut Prenuptial Agreements:
A prenuptial, or premarital agreement (often referred to as a "pre-nup") is a written contract created by two individuals who plan to be married. This agreement lists all individually owned property, such as homes and businesses, family assets, stocks and bonds, savings accounts as well as debts, and specifies what will and will not remain individually owned property after the legalization of marriage. Prenuptial agreements also specify whether spousal support will be paid in the event of a divorce, and the intentions regarding distribution of individually owned property upon death. 

A factor that cannot be stipulated in a prenuptial agreement is child support. A couple cannot lawfully agree in a prenuptial agreement that either part will in no way be responsible for child support.  

Connecticut Child Custody:
Custody is the charge and control of a child, including the right to make all major decisions such as education, religious upbringing, training, health and welfare. Custody usually refers to a combination of physical custody and legal custody. Many factors influence an award of custody and the way a case is presented in court can have a large impact on the result for you and your children. If you are awarded the children as a primary custodial parent, it has far reaching consequences both to you and to their well-being and development. 

Connecticut Jurisdictional Issues:
When faced with a relocating custodial parent, the court will general require that parent to give the other parent a minimum amount of notice prior to the anticipated move. This notice gives the non-custodial parent an opportunity to go to court and seek orders restraining the relocation of the child. 

These so-called move away cases have gone back and forth on allowing and disallowing a move by the custodial parent with the minor children for over 20 years. While the best interests of the child have always been central to the decision, the uncertainty has made this area murky.  Prior to the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, when parents sought an advantage in a custody tug-of-war, they would move to a "friendly" jurisdiction (that is, a region with a history of rulings favorable to their position). However, after the UCCJA was adopted by all 50 states, family law courts were forced to defer jurisdiction to the home state, and this custody battle tactic lost favor.

Connecticut Spousal Support (Alimony):
Alimony is temporary or permanent financial support paid from one separated spouse to the other, either in one lump sum or in installments. Alimony is designed to provide the lower-income spouse with money for living expenses over and above the money provided by child support.  

There are several factors a judge considers when deciding whether to grant alimony, such as the parties' relative ability to earn money, both now and in the future; their respective age and health; the length of the marriage; the kind of property involved, and the conduct of the parties. 

Connecticut Adoption:
Adoption is the legal process by which a person becomes a lawful member of a family different from their birth family. Once a final order of adoption has been ruled by a court of law, the adoptive parents gain the same rights and responsibilities as parents whose children are born to them; subsequently, an adopted child gains the same rights as birth children in regard to inheritance, child support and other legal matters.  In most U.S. jurisdictions, at the time the adoption is finalized, the adopted child's name is legally changed and the court orders the issuance of a new, amended birth certificate. 

Connecticut Divorce Mediation:
The basic attitude marking divorce mediation is a focus on solving problems, not fighting the fight. Family mediation is a voluntary process which gives a divorcing or separating couple the opportunity to make their own arrangements for their financial and personal future, while protecting themselves and their children from distress and the needless expense of litigation. The strength of a mediated agreement is that it is built by both parties together in an open process that requires all participants to recognize and make accommodation for the needs of the other participants, often without having to compromise one’s own. 

While no two situations are alike, the emphasis in a mediated approach is to achieve a satisfactory settlement in an efficient, cooperative manner. This might include "four-way" settlement conferences where the parties meet along with their divorce mediation lawyers to work on a settlement. The philosophy of Divorce Mediation is that as much effort should be exerted toward settlement as is traditionally spent in preparation for and conducting a trial.

Connecticut Paternity:
Paternity covers all the matters related to proving the parentage of a child or children. For married couples, paternity of a child is assumed to be the spouse, unless there is a court order or judgment stating otherwise. For unwed parents, paternity can be established by signing an Affidavit of Parentage or by filing a paternity action with the court.

Legally establishing paternity or determining that someone is not the parent of child can have a significant impact on divorce settlements, property division, child custody, child support and the ability to move out of state. Determinations of paternity can also have a significant impact on interstate conflict between unwed parents.

If you or someone you know is involved in a divorce or child custody case and needs the assistance of an experienced Connecticut Family Law Attorney, call Heidi Opinsky today at 866-615-3248, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.

If you or someone you know is involved in a divorce or child custody case and needs the assistance of an experienced Connecticut Family Law Attorney, call Heidi Opinsky today at 866-615-3248, or complete the contact form provided on this site to schedule your initial consultation.

ADDRESS OF THE FIRM:
Law Offices Of Heidi E. Opinsky
315 Post Road West
Westport, CT 06880
Telephone: 866-615-3248
Fax: 203-227-0786

MEMBERS OF THE FIRM:

Heidi Opinsky

EDUCATION:

• Hofstra University School of Law, J.D., 1985
• St. Lawrence University, B.A., cum laude, 1981

ADMITTED:

• Connecticut 1985
  
• New York 1986
  
• District of Columbia 1986
  
• U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York 1988
  

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:

• Connecticut Bar Association
• Stamford Connecticut Regional Bar Association
• Committee Co-Chair, “Women in the Law”, Fairfield County Bar 2006-2007
• Collaborative Divorce Attorneys of Fairfield County
• New York State Bar Association
• Association of the Bar of the City of New York
• District of Columbia Bar Association
• American Bar Association

BIOGRAPHY:
Hofstra University Representative, Executive Committee, New York State Bar Association, Law Student Division, 1983-1985. Participant, Preparation of Legal Treatise related to the Aged and Mental Hygiene Law Reforms of New York, Hofstra University School of Law, 1984. Teaching Assistant, Department of Philosophy, St. Lawrence University, 1980. Legal Intern, Honorable Chief Justice J. Chesoni, and Magistrate Effy O’Wor, Supreme Court, Nairobi, Kenya, 1980. Legislative Intern, Congressman William R. Cotter, House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 1981. Legislative Liaison to Governor William O’Neill, State of Connecticut, and Office of Policy and Management, 1981-1982. Lecturer: “Getting the Best Financial Settlement For Your Divorce Client in Connecticut”, National Business Institute, 2005; Hosted, “Woman in the Judiciary: An Insider Look”, Fairfield County Bar Association, 2006, Honorable Anne C. Dranginis, Guest Speaker; Host, “Come Network with Your Peers as We Get Tips From a Pro”, Fairfield County Bar Association, 2007; Collaborative Divorce Attorneys of Fairfield, Connecticut; Nassau County Bar Association, State of New York; Westchester County Bar Association, Domestic Relations Law Review; New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Litigation Committee. Trial Skills Participant, New York Trial Lawyers, 2000. Appointed Guardian Ad Litem and Special Attorney by the Honorable Samuel G. Fredman, Supreme Court, Westchester County, 1999.