I get a few phone calls a month from prospective clients about collaborative divorce. What is it? Is it the same as divorce mediation? Do I have to go to court if I do collaborative divorce or mediation? Collaborative divorce is similar to mediation in that both processes are designed to be less adversarial than…
Not every “mistake” or “omission” by a physician constitutes medical malpractice. So what is necessary to establish to a medical malpractice claim in Connecticut? 1. The medical provider failed to meet the appropriate standard of medical care; 2. The patient was injured; and 3. The medical provider’s failure to meet the appropriate standard of care…
I came across an article on interviewing adult clients in a child protection case – DCF case. The article divided the interview into four stages: 1. Introductory stage to establish rapport. 2. Information stage to gather facts and perspectives from the client and to organize the evidence in a logical manner. 3. Theory stage. The…
Should DCF assume custody of children who are severely overweight? Yes according to obesity specialist, Dr. David Ludwig, who recently authored an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The argument seems to be that the parent(s) that by failing to maintain the child’s weight at a healthy level they are not…
Same sex marriages in Connecticut were legalized in October 2008. But that doesn’t mean that spouses in a same sex marriage derive all the benefits of a heterosexual marriage. Some examples of inequality include: 1. Tax returns. Since Connecticut acknowledges same sex marriages a same sex couple may file a joint state income tax…
Yes – it does. It is true that Connecticut is a “no fault” divorce state. However, “no fault” simply means that a Court may grant a divorce without finding either spouse at fault for causing the divorce. For example, if the parties have reached a resolution on how to settle their divorce, a judge will…
On May 25, a Connecticut couple was awarded $58.6 million in a medical malpractice suit, the most ever recorded for such a case in Connecticut. The jury at Waterbury Superior Court sided with Domenic and Cathy D’Attilo from Norwalk in their suit against Dr. Richard Viscarello and his medical practice in Stanford, Maternal-Fetal Care PC….
Facts: An 8th grade student injured her leg during recess on a school playground when she ran into a steel post. The family sued the school and the New Haven Board of Education alleging failure to supervise the student, failure to inspect the school premises and failure to warn of a dangerous condition on the…
What is “joint custody” in Connecticut? ” I field a lot of phone calls on this issue. Here is how custody really works in Connecticut or what “joint custody” does or does not mean. Whether I am representing a parent in a contested custody case or have been appointed by the Court as a child’s…
The Legislature recently passed a bill designed to offer more protection to victims of domestic violence. Governor Malloy is expected to sign the bill. Here are the key provisions: 1. An arrest is mandatory for dating violence. Currently, the police have discretion as to whether those in a “dating” relationship should be arrested. 2. Those…