Family law in New London, Connecticut.
Military divorce, USFSPA pension division, custody during deployment, and the full range of family-law work — handled where the Thames meets the Sound.
Family law in a city built around the water.
New London is unlike the rest of the shoreline. It's a working harbor city — home to the Coast Guard Academy, a meaningful share of submarine base personnel and Electric Boat workers commuting from across the Thames in Groton, and a population that runs more diverse and more working-class than the towns to its west.
The case mix follows the demographics. Military divorce — Coast Guard, Navy, and the federal civilian families surrounding the base — comes up routinely here in a way it doesn't in Branford or Old Saybrook. So do divorces shaped by deployment schedules, healthcare benefits tied to military service, and questions about which state's law applies when a service member's legal residence differs from where they're stationed.
New London Superior Court.
New London is the seat of the New London Judicial District. Family-law cases are filed at:
New London Superior Court
70 Huntington Street
New London, CT 06320
For New London residents, this is the local courthouse — a 5- to 10-minute drive from most of the city. The same court hears cases from Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford, Groton, and the rest of the New London Judicial District, so the docket is full but familiar.
Limited on-street parking is available around the courthouse; the Water Street parking garage and several smaller lots are within a short walk. Security screening at entry is standard.
What comes up most often in New London divorces.
Military divorce — USFSPA
The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act governs how military retired pay can be divided in a divorce. In a New London case, this is often the central financial question — particularly for marriages that span a substantial portion of a 20-year career. The 10/10 rule controls whether DFAS pays the former spouse directly or whether the service member has to.
Deployment and custody
Custody plans for deployed parents need provisions the typical parenting plan doesn't include — delegated visitation during deployment, communication frequency and modality, post-deployment reintegration, and how to handle short-notice schedule changes. Connecticut law and the SCRA provide a framework; the practical work is making it function inside a family.
TRICARE and healthcare
TRICARE eligibility for a former spouse turns on the 20/20/20 and 20/20/15 rules — overlap of marriage and creditable service. For shorter marriages, the former spouse generally loses TRICARE on the divorce date. Healthcare continuity becomes part of the support and property analysis, especially where one spouse has chronic conditions or limited civilian employment options.
Jurisdiction questions
Service members often have a state of legal residence different from Connecticut. There can be real choices about where to file — the state of legal residence, Connecticut, or the spouse's state. Each option carries different implications for property division, alimony, and custody. Working through that choice carefully before filing is usually worth the time.
What New London clients ask.
Where do I file for divorce if I live in New London?
New London is the seat of the New London Judicial District. Cases are filed and heard at New London Superior Court, 70 Huntington Street, New London. Same courthouse for residents of Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford, Groton, and the rest of the district.
How does military divorce work for a Coast Guard or sub base family?
It's a Connecticut divorce with federal-law overlays. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act affects timing and service of process when a member is on active duty. The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) governs pension division. TRICARE, base privileges, and Survivor Benefit Plan elections are separate analyses. Connecticut state courts have jurisdiction over the divorce itself; federal law shapes how certain military-specific benefits get divided.
What is the USFSPA 10/10 rule?
If the marriage lasted at least 10 years and overlapped with at least 10 years of creditable military service, DFAS could pay the former spouse's share of retired pay directly, depending on eligibility. Below the 10/10 threshold, a former spouse can still be awarded a share of retired pay, but DFAS won't process direct payment — the service member is responsible for paying under the divorce decree, which introduces ongoing collection risk.
Can my spouse continue TRICARE after our divorce?
TRICARE eligibility turns on the 20/20/20 rule: 20 years of marriage, 20 years of creditable service, and a 20-year overlap. A former spouse meeting that test could keep full TRICARE benefits as long as they don't remarry. The 20/20/15 rule provides one year of transitional TRICARE for marriages with at least 15 years of overlap. Outside those rules, the former spouse generally loses TRICARE on the divorce date.
What if my spouse is currently deployed?
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) protects active-duty members from default judgments and allows for stays of civil proceedings — including divorce — while they cannot meaningfully participate. SCRA doesn't block a divorce; it ensures the deployed party has a real opportunity to be heard. Parenting plans during deployment typically require specific provisions for the deployment period itself: delegated visitation, communication, and post-deployment reintegration.
I'm stationed here but my legal residence is another state. Where do I file?
Service members often have a state of legal residence (domicile) different from where they are physically stationed. You may have a choice between filing in your state of legal residence, in Connecticut if you meet residency requirements, or in your spouse's state. Each option carries different implications for marital property, alimony, and custody — sometimes substantially different. It's worth working through the choice carefully before filing.