Education and Experience
Attorney Cartier has been practicing law for over 25 years. She received her BA from Upsala College, JD from Widener Law School and LLM from UCONN Law School where she was the recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Insurance Finance.
Cindy began her career clerking in the 7th Judicial Circuit in Maryland and then went into private practice concentrating on family law and civil litigation. She returned to Connecticut in 1997 working for Sentry, St. Paul and then Fireman’s Fund Insurance Companies as Trial/Senior Trial Counsel concentrating on insurance defense litigation and worker’s compensation. In 2005, she joined Nationwide as Assistant General Counsel where, as a member of the Senior Leadership Team/ She founded Cartier & Bower, LLC in 2013 to provide quality legal services and holistic solutions for people facing challenges in their daily lives.
Practice Philosophy
Attorney Cartier dedicates her practice to family and elder law with a focus on mediation and collaborative divorce. She believe that the best resolutions are ones where the parties chose the less adversarial route and engage fully in the process. This process not only saves time and money, but is a healthier way for folks to resolve their differences. With Cindy’s extensive legal background over the last quarter of a century in many areas of the law, she has a unique ability to see the conflict from both sides of the situation helping clients to do the same. She believes passionately in the process and it shows in how she cares about the parties both during and beyond the process. She does not give up helping the parties resolve the issues and her dedication to this work leads to positive resolutions for years to come.
Professional Distinctions and Community Involvement
Attorney Cartier is admitted to the bars of Connecticut and US District Court for the District of Connecticut. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and has been involved in various community activities throughout her career including currently serving on the Board of Selectmen in Guilford, Connecticut Commission for Women, Children & Seniors and Board of MJ Petretto Foundation. She has previously served on the Guilford Boards of Education and Planning and Zoning and Hamden Legislative Council. Since 2001, she has been appointed as a fact-finder/arbitrator for the Judicial Districts of New Haven and Meriden. She is the honored member of Worldwide Who’s Who of Executives in 2013 and 2017 recipient of the 10 Best Family Law Attorneys in the State of Connecticut by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys.
Professional Affiliations
Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce
Divorce Solutions of Connecticut
International Association of Collaborative Professionals
Connecticut Bar Association
New Haven County Bar Association
Personal
Attorney Cartier resides in Guilford with her husband – Rich, son – Joseph and two daughters – Samantha and Charlotte.
Serving the New Haven, Middlesex and parts of Fairfield County including the towns of: Branford, Cheshire, Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Haven, East Lyme, Essex, Guilford, Haddam, Hamden, Killingworth, Lyme, Madison, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Northford, Old Saybrook, Orange, Old Lyme, Wallingford, West Haven and Woodbridge.
