Melissa Needle | Westport Divorce & Family Lawyer

Attorney Melissa Needle is a lifetime Connecticut resident. She was born in New Haven, raised in Fairfield, and now resides in Westport with her family.  Attorney Needle is a third generation attorney with deep family roots in Connecticut.  Her father, Attorney Charles Needle, was a founder of the Connecticut firm Zeldes, Needle & Cooper in 1971.  Since her admission to the Connecticut Bar in 1990,  Melissa has exclusively practiced divorce and family law. Melissa started Needle | Cuda: Divorce and Family Law in 2010.  The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys named Needle | Cuda a Connecticut Top 10 Best Firm in Client Satisfaction in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Attorney Needle is an active litigator with an impressive track record.  Many of the cases in which Melissa appears involve high net worth divorce property division, complex business valuations, highly contested custody, and petitions for child relocation. She is well-known in Connecticut courts as a forceful, but fair fighter; an attorney with great integrity; and as a worthy adversary who does not shy away from litigation if that path is the best opportunity for her client to reach an equitable solution.  Melissa understands that divorce is not just about the dissolution of marriage or stop-gap solutions but helping clients develop and negotiate a comprehensive plan for the rest of their lives.

Position	Organization	Location	Duration
Partner	Needle | Cuda: Divorce & Family Law	Westport, CT	Present

School	Degree	Major	Graduation
Whittier Law School	J.D.	Law School	1990
Tufts University	Bachelors		1987

State / Court	Date
New York	1991
Connecticut	1990

• Connecticut Bar Association | Family Law Section
  American Bar Association
  Fairfield County Bar Association
  Greater Bridgeport Bar Association | Family Law Section
  Connecticut Family Lawyer | Editorial Board | Former Member
  Special Master | Connecticut Superior Court
  

• Family Law and Practice Magazine’s Top 10 Family Law Attorney Connecticut | 2020 - 2021
  American Institute of Family Law Attorneys (AIFLA) – 10 Best | 2-Years 2019 - 2020
  National Academy of Family Law Attorneys – Top 10 Attorney | 2019 - 2020
  Super Lawyer’s Honoree | 2019- 2020
  Peer Review Rated | Martindale-Hubbell | 2018
  AVVO Clients’ Choice Award | 2018
  AVVO Top Attorney | 2018

• Speaker | Connecticut Bar Association 2010 Annual Meeting

Sun.	Mon.	Tue.	Wed.	Thu.	Fri.	Sat.
	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm	8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Melissa Needle has been a Premium Member since February 17, 2021.
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Verified Credentials	Date Verified
(1991) Licensed as Attorney in New York. Verified with New York State Unified Court System.	February 17, 2021
(1990) Licensed as Attorney in Connecticut. Verified with Connecticut Bar Association.	February 17, 2021

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