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Connecticut Family Law Attorney | James M. Ruel

Partner   |   Family Law

James M. Ruel

Attorney James Ruel is a member of the Family Law Practice Section of Ruel Ruel Burns Feldman & Britt, LLC. He is a founding partner of the Firm. He represents clients throughout the State of Connecticut in their efforts to resolve family disputes concerning child custody and dissolution of marriage. The associated issues in such matters include parental decision making as to healthcare, religion and education, parenting schedules, and sometimes the establishment of paternity. They also include the financial disputes associated with child support, alimony, and the distribution of property upon the dissolution of marriage.

Attorney Ruel has significant experience in resolving financial disputes involving closely-held businesses owned by one or the other spouse. In such matters, Attorney Ruel works with business valuation experts to describe and demonstrate to the other spouse, and potentially to a judge, the proper valuation method and calculation of value for any such business in a divorce.

Attorney Ruel has brought to resolution many cases involving clients who are employed in the medical, legal, and accounting fields. He has also represented many executives of Fortune 500 companies who receive stock options, restricted stock units, and the like. Attorney Ruel has been involved in the resolution of some cases with marital estates valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Attorney Ruel has extensive experience in litigating cases where a spouse’s interest in the income or principal of a substantial trust corpus is at issue. He has also been retained in certain matters to provide advice and counsel to the trustees of trusts, following the initiation of divorce proceedings by or against a trust beneficiary.

Attorney Ruel has assisted many clients involved in dangerous and abusive family situations. In such instances, his foremost priority is the psychological and physical well-being of the client and her or his children. High conflict custody litigation requires counsel with the insight, advocacy skills, legal knowledge, and experience that Attorney Ruel has acquired over the course of two decades.

Areas of Practice

Divorce

Child Custody & Child Support

Modification of Child Custody, Alimony or Child Support Orders, Post-Divorce

Paternity matters

Counsel to Trustees of Trusts whose beneficiary is involved in divorce proceedings

Litigation to open divorce judgments obtained by fraud on the part of client’s ex-spouse

Bar Admissions

Connecticut, 1999

U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1999

U.S. District Court Eastern District of New York, 2000

U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 2000

Education

University of Connecticut School of Law, Hartford, CT

  • J.D. – 1999

Boston College, Carroll School of Management, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

  • B.S. – 1996
  • Major: Finance

Honors and Awards

New England Super Lawyers® – Connecticut: 2017 – Present

New England Super Lawyers Rising Star®: 2013

Professional Associations

UCONN School of Law Alumni Association – Past President (2021-22)

Chair of Alumni Annual Awards Dinner committee, 2017- Present

The Connecticut Bar Foundation, Fellow, 2018 – Present

University of Connecticut School of Law Alumni Association, Board Member, 2016 – Present

Connecticut Bar Association, Member

Hartford County Bar Association, Member

Fairfield County Bar Association, Member

Greater Hartford Legal Aid Foundation, Board Member

Community Involvement

Aurora Foundation for Women & Girls, Past Co-Chair of 100 Men’s Giving Campaign

West Hartford Little League and Youth Baseball, Coach and Assistant Coach