Renee Bauer

Renée C. Bauer is a trailblazing family law attorney, award-winning author, motivational speaker, and legal thought leader who has devoted her career to helping individuals and families navigate divorce and complex family law matters. As the Founder of Happy Even After Family Law, Renée represents clients across a broad range of family law matters, from divorce, custody, and support disputes to complex litigation involving significant financial and personal interests.

She maintains a deliberately limited caseload so that each client receives individualized, high-level advocacy. Her approach combines strong courtroom advocacy with negotiation, mediation, and practical problem-solving, recognizing that every family and every legal dispute requires a strategy tailored to its circumstances.

Renée’s work has earned recognition both inside and outside the courtroom. In 2015, the Connecticut Law Tribune named her Litigator of the Year, recognizing her courtroom skills. She also gained national attention for her work in Soderberg v. Soderberg, a landmark case that sparked discussion over whether a child can successfully sue a parent for a parent’s failure to pay college tuition.

Credentials at a Glance

Experience: More than two decades practicing family law, divorce litigation, mediation, and complex family law matters

Role: Founder, Happy Even After Family Law

Practice: Family law, divorce, custody, support, marital property division, mediation, and complex family law litigation

Bar Admissions: Connecticut (2003); U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut (2004)

Education: J.D., Suffolk University Law School; B.A., Governmental Communications, University of Connecticut

Recognition: Connecticut Law Tribune Litigator of the Year (2015); Super Lawyers; Martindale-Hubbell Client Reviewed 100%; Avvo 9.9; Justia 10.0

Author: She Who Wins; Divorce in Connecticut; Percy’s Imperfectly Perfect Family; The Ultimate Guide to Solo and Small Firm Success

Additional Credentials: Certified Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) and Attorney for the Minor Child (AMC)

Practice Areas & Expertise

Renée’s practice encompasses a broad range of family law matters. She represents clients in divorce, custody, support, property, and other family disputes, including cases that require sophisticated litigation strategy, financial analysis, negotiation, or mediation.

Her representative areas of practice include:

• Family law
• Divorce and dissolution
• High-asset and high-net-worth divorce
• Complex divorce litigation and trial advocacy
• Custody and visitation
• Child support
• Spousal support and alimony
• Marital property division
• Modification of support and custody
• Fathers’ rights
• Domestic violence matters
• Relocation issues
• Mediation and conflict resolution
• Legal separation

Her experience also includes family law matters involving business owners and executives, professional practices, complex asset division, trusts and estates, hidden assets, forensic accounting issues, and high-value support disputes. These issues may arise in sophisticated divorce cases, but they are part of a broader family law practice serving clients with a wide range of legal needs.

Renée is a fierce advocate in the courtroom, but she is also a firm believer that litigation is not always the best solution for a family. She trained extensively with renowned mediation expert Woody Mosten in Los Angeles, refining the skills she uses to help families pursue meaningful and lasting agreements when appropriate.

Her approach recognizes that a successful family law representation is not necessarily measured by how aggressively a dispute is litigated. In many cases, the best result comes from carefully balancing advocacy, negotiation, conflict resolution, and the client’s long-term goals.

Renée is also a certified Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) and Attorney for the Minor Child (AMC), giving her additional experience in matters where protecting and representing children’s interests is central to the case.

Bar Admissions

Renée C. Bauer is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and in the federal court serving the state:

• State of Connecticut – 2003
• U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut – 2004

These admissions support her ability to represent clients throughout Connecticut in state family law proceedings and in matters that extend into federal court.

Education

Renée earned her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School.

She received her Bachelor of Arts in Governmental Communications from the University of Connecticut.

Her legal education and more than two decades of experience have provided the foundation for a practice that combines litigation strategy, negotiation, mediation, and an understanding of the personal and financial realities families face during divorce.

Publications & Educational Resources

Renée is an award-winning author whose work extends beyond traditional legal writing. Her books address divorce, personal reinvention, family relationships, and the practical challenges of building a successful professional life.

Her published works include:

• She Who Wins – Winner of the 2023 American Book Fest Award in Women’s Issues and the 2024 Reader Views Literary Award, inspiring women to step into their power and create lives they love after divorce.
• Divorce in Connecticut – A comprehensive resource addressing Connecticut divorce law and the divorce process.
• Percy’s Imperfectly Perfect Family – A children’s book co-authored with her son to help children understand divorce and changing family structures.
• The Ultimate Guide to Solo and Small Firm Success – A strategic resource for legal professionals building and managing successful solo and small law practices.

Renée has also written extensively for legal and professional publications, including the Connecticut Law Tribune, The Connecticut Lawyer, Connecticut Lawyers, and Natural Awakenings.

Her published articles have addressed divorce, mediation, family law, entrepreneurship, professional branding, technology, and law practice management.

Speaking Engagements & Media

Renée is a sought-after motivational speaker and legal commentator who brings her experience beyond the courtroom. She has been called upon by newspapers, radio, and television to provide legal insight on current family law issues.

Her speaking engagements have covered divorce, relationships, reinvention, mediation, entrepreneurship, technology, and the business of practicing law.

Selected presentations include:

• MaxLaw Con (2026)
• Business Women’s Forum, (2026)
• Mompreneurs (2026)
• Havyn (2026) – Entrepreneurship
• EmpowHERed Summit (2025)
• The Big Connect Summit (2025)
• CT Counseling Association – Bridging Law and Healing
• Women in Publishing (2024)
• Hamden Chamber Women in Business (2024)
• Nesso Group (2024)
• She Who Wins Summit (2023, 2024)
• Self-Made Summit (2023)
• Yale Women’s Empowerment Conference (2023)
• From We to She (2021)
• Summit of Slay (2020)
• Empowered Girls Rise (2019) – Relationship Rules
• Public Speaking Engagement (2016) – The Civil Divorce
• Connecticut Bar Association (2014) – The Legal Entrepreneur
• Fairfield County Bar Association (2013) – Peacemaking with Purpose
• Fairfield County Bar Association (2012) – From Solo to Success
• Quinnipiac University School of Law (2011) – Opening a Law Practice After Graduation
• Connecticut Bar Association (2010) – Technology in the Solo and Small Firm
• Ultimate Guide to Solo and Small Firm Success (2009) – Business Management
• Going it Alone (2009) – Practice Management

Renée has also served in an advisory role to an award-winning writing team for a major television network, reflecting her ability to translate complex legal and relationship issues into accessible, compelling discussions.

Awards & Recognition

Renée’s career has earned recognition for her courtroom advocacy, client service, writing, and broader contributions to the legal community.

Her professional recognition includes:

• Litigator of the Year, Connecticut Law Tribune (2015)
• Super Lawyers
• Martindale-Hubbell Client Reviewed: 100%
• Avvo: 9.9 Rating
• Justia: 10.0 Rating
• American Book Fest Award in Women’s Issues (2023) for She Who Wins
• Reader Views Literary Award (2024) for She Who Wins

In 2026, Renée was also recognized with the Women-Owned Business of the Year Award from the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Her recognition reflects a career that combines litigation, client advocacy, legal education, writing, and public engagement.

Professional Associations

Renée is actively involved in the Connecticut legal community and professional organizations serving family law, trial advocacy, and alternative dispute resolution.

Her professional memberships and affiliations include:

• Greater Bridgeport Bar Association – Member
• New Haven County Bar Association – Member
• Connecticut Bar Association, Family Law Section – Member
• American Trial Lawyers Association – Member
• Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – Member
• Connecticut Women in the Law – Member
• Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce – Committee Member

A Different Perspective on Divorce

Renée believes that divorce does not have to define the rest of a person’s life. Her practice is built around helping clients navigate the legal process while keeping sight of what comes next.

That philosophy is reflected in the name of her firm, Happy Even After Family Law, and in the broader work she has undertaken as an author, speaker, and educator. She seeks to change the conversation around divorce by demonstrating that families can be reconfigured without being diminished and that clients can emerge from difficult transitions with a clear path forward.

Whether a matter involves custody and parenting issues, financial and property disputes, support, domestic violence, relocation, or a complex combination of family law concerns, Renée brings a combination of legal experience, litigation skill, negotiation ability, and practical perspective to each representation.

When a case involves sophisticated financial issues, her experience with business interests, professional practices, trusts and estates, complex asset division, hidden assets, forensic accounting, and high-value support disputes provides an additional level of depth without limiting her practice to high-asset matters.

Community & Life Beyond the Courtroom

Renée’s commitment to family law extends beyond representing individual clients. Through her writing, speaking, media appearances, and educational work, she has helped make complex family law issues more accessible to the public and has become a recognized voice on divorce and family relationships.

Outside the practice of law, Renée enjoys strength training, writing suspense novels, and embracing the quieter chapter of life that comes with an empty nest after raising a large, blended family.

Happy Even After

Renée Bauer has built her career around helping people understand that the end of a marriage does not have to mean the end of a fulfilling future. Since establishing her family law practice in 2007, she has represented clients through some of the most consequential legal and personal challenges of their lives while advocating for thoughtful solutions that protect their interests and their families.

Her work in the courtroom, commitment to mediation, and continued contributions as an author, speaker, and legal thought leader reflect a practice focused not simply on getting clients through divorce, but on helping them move confidently into what comes next.