About Jill
Bar & Court Admissions
Connecticut, New York, Washington, D.C.
Clerkship
Law Clerk, Hon. Robert J. Kelleher, United States District Court, California
Education
- New York University School of Law, J.D., 1988
- Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, B.S., 1985
Jill Bicks has practiced law for over 30 years. Having observed the enormous toll on families and children during an adversarial court process, Jill’s mission is to change the way partners separate, divorce and address the issues that arise after the divorce is over. Jill’s practice has evolved from traditional litigation to embrace mediation and collaborative process, which treat separation and divorce as a family transition, rather than a war to be won.
Jill began her career at Dewey Ballantine, a New York firm where she handled complex litigation in a variety of areas including antitrust, securities fraud, ERISA and RICO. Jill’s practice at Dewey included pro bono representation of victims of domestic violence, which led her to join a matrimonial firm in New York City and focus exclusively on family law.
After moving with her husband and young children to Connecticut, Jill became an advocate for children in foster care, directing a program in Stamford Superior Court. When that program ended due to state budget cuts, Jill started a nonprofit to continue the work, serving as Founder and Executive Director of Child Advocates of SW Connecticut. Known for her experience in family law, Jill was a consultant to the hit HBO series “Divorce” starring Sarah Jessica Parker. Prior to forming her private practice, Jill was a Member in the family law group at Pullman and Comley.
Jill is an active member in numerous local community groups. To achieve her mission of changing the way families address separation and divorce, Jill currently serves on the board for the statewide Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce and is on a special task force to incorporate collaborative process into Connecticut’s law and rules of practice. She also is a founding member of the Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Fairfield County. Jill served on a task force for the Children’s Law Center to design a streamlined collaborative divorce process for families of limited means, and is currently working with the Center for Family Justice in Bridgeport, CT to develop a similar program for that organization.
Professional Affiliations
- Connecticut Bar Association – Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections
- Fairfield County Bar Association – Family Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections
- Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Fairfield County
- Connecticut Council for Nonadversarial Divorce (CCND)
- International Association of Collaborative Professionals (IACP)
Community Involvement
- Children’s Law Center, Task Force member
- Center for Family Justice, Mentor and Volunteer
- Social Venture Partners, Partner
- Child Advocates of Connecticut, Founder and former Executive Director
- Westport PTA Executive Board, past member
- Westport Young Women’s League, past member
Awards
- 2020-2021 Moffly Media: Best Family Lawyer
- Selected by American Institute of Family Law Attorneys as one of Connecticut’s “Ten Best” in Client Satisfaction every year since 2015
- As a partner in Pullman & Comley’s Family Law Group, recognized by the Connecticut Law Tribune and named the 2017 Family Law Department of the Year, Midsized Firm
What Clients Say
“I truly can’t express adequately the depth of gratitude I feel regarding all your efforts on my behalf during my divorce. I truly felt I was in the best of hands and now that my agreement is reached, I fully appreciate your skill and wisdom in not only the parameters of the law, but also how to find perspective regarding the greater and more important task of looking forward to a new life. Thank you.“
“I’m still decompressing. As the fog lifts, I am in awe and very grateful for how you deftly handled the process. You were unbelievable that final day. Watching you was akin to watching LeBron James take the basketball and will the game won. You absolutely dominated. You worked hard to make a very stressful process as bearable as possible. If you ever need a reference, please call on me. I will not be able to say enough good about you. I will also be brutally honest. In your case, this is the same thing.”
“I am writing to express my gratitude for your partnership and friendship throughout my divorce. From the start you made me feel comfortable. You took the time to understand the things that were important to me and then you made sure those goals were met. The fact that we resolved everything in just 9 months (even in a pandemic!) was icing on the cake. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner or a better outcome.”