Nicole M. Riel

Nicole Riel is an associate attorney at MeehanLaw LLC in Fairfield, Connecticut, where she focuses her practice on family law matters. She works with individuals and families throughout Connecticut on issues involving divorce, child custody, parenting plans, child support, and related family law concerns.

Nicole earned her Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law, where she completed a concentration in Family Law with honors. During law school, she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Quinnipiac University.

Following graduation, Nicole served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judge Nina F. Elgo of the Connecticut Appellate Court. In that role, she assisted with legal research, drafting and editing written opinions, reviewing trial court records, and observing oral arguments. After completing her clerkship, Nicole transitioned into private practice and has continued to concentrate her work in family law.

Nicole is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She has completed the Quinnipiac University Center on Dispute Resolution’s 40-hour mediation training program and is trained and qualified to serve as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) and Attorney for the Minor Child (AMC) in Connecticut family law matters.

In 2024, Nicole received the Connecticut Bar Association’s Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award, which acknowledges her commitment to providing legal services without expectation of payment to individuals in need. Since 2020, she has volunteered her time with the Center for Family Justice in Bridgeport, supporting clients who are victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and child abuse.

Nicole has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star each year since 2022. The Rising Stars designation is awarded following a multi-step selection process that includes peer recognition and independent research, with a limited percentage of attorneys in each state receiving the designation annually.

Since 2023, Nicole has also been recognized by Best Lawyers as an Ones to Watch honoree. This recognition is based on peer review and highlights attorneys who are in the early stages of their legal careers and have demonstrated professional achievement in private practice.