Sarah Stark Oldham: Westport's High-Asset Divorce Counsel

Sarah S Oldham — Senior Partner at Rutkin Oldham Contratto in Westport, Connecticut.

Before entering the legal profession, Sally Oldham spent more than a decade as a practicing psychologist. That experience continues to shape her work today as a partner at Rutkin Oldham Contratto LLC in Westport, Connecticut, where she focuses on sophisticated family law matters involving both financial complexity and deeply personal dynamics.

She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America since 2006. Her practice spans divorce, custody, support, and property division, with a particular emphasis on cases involving significant financial and family considerations.

What Kind of Family Law Cases Does Sarah Stark Oldham Handle?

Oldham's practice includes the full range of matrimonial disputes, from negotiated settlements to contested litigation. She regularly works on matters involving business ownership, executive compensation, and complex asset structures that require detailed financial analysis in addition to legal strategy.

She is also frequently involved in custody and relocation disputes, where legal questions intersect with parenting arrangements and long-term family stability. Her background in psychology often informs how she approaches these cases, particularly in evaluating how decisions may affect children and family dynamics.

The Psychologist Who Became a Westport Family Law Attorney

Before becoming a lawyer, Oldham worked for over a decade in psychology, both in private practice and within Connecticut schools. That foundation gives her a distinct perspective on conflict resolution and the emotional dimensions of family breakdowns.

She earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she served on the Connecticut Law Review. She also holds a master's degree in school psychology from Southern Connecticut State College and a bachelor's degree, cum laude, from Wesleyan University.

After being admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1988, she began her legal career at Day, Berry & Howard (now Day Pitney) before joining Arnold Rutkin in 1994, where she helped build a focused family law practice.

Landmark Cases That Shaped Connecticut Family Law

Oldham has been involved in several cases that are frequently cited in Connecticut family law.

In Wendt v. Wendt, she worked alongside Arnold Rutkin in a matter that became a reference point for how Connecticut courts evaluate substantial marital estates and financial complexity in divorce proceedings.

She was also trial and appellate counsel for the father in Ireland v. Ireland, a seminal case that clarified and defined applicable standards for relocation cases in Connecticut. Her work extends beyond litigation, including contributions to policy discussions and testimony that informed legislative changes such as Public Act 06-168, which addresses relocation standards in custody matters; Public Act 94-61, concerning post-majority child support; and Public Act 02-128, which established educational support orders governing parental responsibility for college expenses.

Credentials and Recognition Behind Sarah Stark Oldham

Oldham is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, honors reserved for attorneys recognized by their peers for professional distinction in family law.

She has appeared in Best Lawyers in America since 2006 and has been named among Connecticut's Top 25 Female Lawyers for many years. In addition to her courtroom practice, she has served as a special master in family matters in Connecticut courts.

She is a co-author of Connecticut Practice Series treatise on family law and has written and lectured for organizations including the American Bar Association and the Connecticut Bar Association, where she has served on the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section for more than 25 years.

Why Westport Families Trust Rutkin Oldham Contratto LLC

Rutkin Oldham Contratto LLC is a boutique firm dedicated exclusively to family and matrimonial law. The practice is intentionally selective, focusing on cases that require careful financial analysis, strategic thinking, and discretion.

The firm's matters often involve privately held businesses, investment structures, and other sophisticated financial arrangements. Its approach emphasizes long-term outcomes and stability rather than volume-based representation.

Within that environment, Oldham is recognized for her depth of experience and her ability to integrate financial precision with an understanding of the human dynamics driving family disputes.

Speaking With Sarah Stark Oldham in Westport, Connecticut

For more than three decades, Sally Oldham has handled complex family law matters involving both financial and personal dimensions. Her career spans litigation, negotiation, and advisory work in cases that require both technical expertise and practical judgment.

From its office in Westport, Rutkin Oldham Contratto LLC represents clients throughout Connecticut in high-level matrimonial matters, with Oldham serving its most experienced practitioners in both trial and negotiated resolutions.