Patricia Knight-Bellisle

Attorney Patricia Knight-Bellisle Professional Background

Attorney Knight-Bellisle began her her practice of law in 1979 as a corporate attorney specializing in private placements and various investment structures. She drew from this practice experience in partnership, trust and tax law. In 1987 Attorney Knight-Bellisle left corporate practice and Connecticut Legal Services to serve poverty level families and children in litigation in housing matters both before the Connecticut Superior Court and the Federal District Court in New Haven, Connecticut. Since 1987 the focus of Attorney Knight-Bellisle's practice has been children and families. In 1993 Attorney Knight-Bellisle joined the Child Protection Unit of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General and continued fo serve children and families. She spent twenty three years representing the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Juvenile Matters involving child protection and child custody, including order of temporary custody, neglect petitions, termination of parental rights and permanency planning. She has handled numerous appeals from juvenile court. She has extensive trial experience and experience in resolving custody, guardianship and termination of parental rights cases duering negotiations during case status conferences. She participated in several mediation sessions in juvenile court when the court services officer mediation program was active. She also represented DCF in Federal District Court and before the Connecticut Claims Commission.

After twenty three year of practice dealing with children and families in the Child Protection Unit Attorney Knight-Bellisle retired from the Office of the Attorney General in June, 2016. Her litigation experience has led to a conviction that litigation is an often destructive and painful process for families and that alternative dispute resolution should be used whenever possible. She is on the list of qualified attorneys utlized by the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families in negotiating open adoption agreements as an alternative to termination of parental rights trials whenever has a rich background of working with families and understanding family dynamics. She is committed to serving couples or parties that wish to explore mediation as an alternative to family court litigation or civil litigation. She has a deep understanding of custody issues and the financial and tax background to assist in crafting support orders and divisions of assets in Family Court. She also is a firm believer in marital mediation for those couples that wish assistance in gettin their marriage back on track.

Attorney Knight-Bellisle graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut in 1976. She was named a University Scholar and inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. She received her Juris Doctor from the Duke University School of Law in 1979. She was appointed staff member and then editorial board member of the Duke Law Journal. She recieved a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in taxation from the New York Univeristy School of Law in 1988. She is married to Richard Bellisle. She hikes with her two Shih Zu dogs when time allows. She also is an intern in the two year spiritual directors' training program at Spiritual Life Center in West Hartford.