Laurie Gabrielle DeNigris - Southington, CT

Overview

Hello. I am the family law partner at Sheffy DeNigris Grey & Bedard, LLP. I have almost 40 years of experience as a family law attorney and have been an active mediator and collaborative attorney for over 30 years. I devote my practice to all areas of family law, including, divorce, legal separation, child custody, prenuptial agreements, and litigation support. During the first half of my time in practice, I saw first-hand the costly (both financial and emotional), disadvantages to traditional divorce litigation. It was important to me to work toward bringing civility back to the legal profession. This led me to focus my practice on mediation and collaborative law and to be deeply committed to respectful and goal oriented/interest based negotiations. I repeatedly see the positive results of a mediated or collaborative divorce versus the negative ones in the litigated divorce, reminding me of the benefits to the spouses and children that mediation and collaboration provides. Recognizing that some cases do require a litigated approach, I offer litigation support services for those who either need assistance in finding a litigation attorney, or for those who are self-represented and need assistance as they navigate the legal system, prepare their cases, and negotiate. My goal is to assist people in resolving their differences in a manner that will be courteous, dignified, private, goal oriented and focused on their and their children’s future well-being. I help promote peaceful transitions, resolving differences: Divorce done right!

I volunteer as a court appointed Special Master for Matrimonial Matters in Hartford, New Britain, and Middletown courts as well as the Regional Custody Trial Docket in Middletown. I am a founding member and chair of the Central Connecticut Collaborative Family Law Group and founding member of the Collaborative Divorce Lawyers Association; member of The Collaborative Divorce Team of CT; member of the Connecticut Collaborative Connection, member of the International Academy of Collaborative Practitioners, and member of the CT Council for Non-adversarial Divorce. I served as an instructor for The People’s Law School, presented at numerous seminars for the National Business Institute and CT Bar, and am a life-time James Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation. I served on the Best Practices Committee for the CT Council of Non-adversarial Divorce.

In 1984, I graduated from the Ohio Northern University School of Law; I received my undergraduate college degree in English from Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, New York.

On a personal note, I live with my husband of 37 years in CT. I have two daughters and a dog named Brady. I enjoy the outdoors (particularly the evening sky), reading, NFL Football, College basketball, and a good cup of coffee.