Kathryn Bissonnette

Attorney Kathryn Bissonnette is a skilled practitioner who has dedicated most of her career to family law.  She is the head of the firm’s family law department and has a vast amount of experience with divorces, contested custody cases, and many other divorce-related issues, such as the division of assets and debts, alimony, child support, child custody and visitation, and post-judgment matters.  In representing individuals who are facing the end of their marriage, Katie brings her exceptional organization skills, diligence and patience.  She understands what a significant impact each case has on a client’s life, and the lives of their children.  She began her career representing the best interests of children in Connecticut’s family courts, and because of this, she understands the dynamics and intricacies of the family court process. Katie’s goal in every case is to counsel her clients as to what they can realistically expect for potential outcomes, while helping to minimize the conflict that can have a negative impact on their children. She has litigated custody disputes for non-married parents and has handled cases that involve the rights of grandparents and other third parties in custody cases as well.

Katie has a vast amount of experience in dealing with complex divorces, including those involving high net worth individuals, business owners, and complex property holdings and asset divisions.  She brings her attention to detail to these matters, always taking the time to understand the intricate issues that could have a significant impact on case outcomes.  There are also many resources within the firm to assist with these sophisticated cases. Katie has the ability to involve one of the firm’s business attorneys to advise on complex issues, or can seek assistance from one of our estate planning attorneys on questions related to a trust. She also has good relationships with outside professionals who may be needed, such as business valuation experts, appraisers, and forensic accountants. Katie has extensive experience in drafting and reviewing prenuptial agreements, and can litigate various issues that may arise from these agreements.

Another area of Katie’s practice consists of handling child protection matters, where the Department of Children and Families has become involved. She has appeared in various juvenile courts throughout the state for the purpose of protecting a parent’s right to raise their children. She has worked on many cases where addiction or mental health issues have been the deciding factor in a custody determination, and in these situations, she has helped the parents to regain control and get themselves back into the lives of their children. 

While Katie is an experienced litigator, she is also specially trained in both mediation and collaborative divorce. Along with her litigation clients, she welcomes clients who want to take a non-adversarial approach to their case. Katie recognizes that every case has different needs. She can explain each divorce process that is available, with a goal of getting the client to choose the process that is right for their family.  

Katie has served as special master in the Tolland Superior Court and New Britain Superior Court.  She is a Board Member for the Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce and a member of the Connecticut Collaborative Divorce Group. She has been selected as a SuperLawyers’ Rising Star every year from 2018 to 2022 and was selected as a Super Lawyer in 2023.