- Children and their parents
Jeffrey Forte, Esq.
- Address: 1 Enterprise Drive Suite 410 | Shelton, CT 06484
- Rating: 5.00 (40 reviews)
Insurances: | No info provided |
Ages Served: |
Children and their parents
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Care Settings: |
Virtual,
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About Jeffrey Forte, Esq.
Connecticut special education lawyer, Jeffrey Forte, of Forte Law Group is a special education attorney and certified child advocate represen
Reviews
Reviews
Accreditations
COPAA Member
This advocate/attorney is a member of the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA).
Claimed Profile
This provider has submitted proof of credentials and has claimed their profile.
Care Settings
- Virtual
Age Ranges Served
Practice Names
- Forte Law Group LLC
Leadership
- Jeffrey L. Forte, Esq. - Founding Partner & Attorney
Founding Story
Jeffrey Forte of Forte Law Group has devoted his entire legal career to serving the Connecticut community, advocating and negotiating on behalf of his clients. Jeff has experience you may trust and rely on to successfully navigate through PPT meetings, negotiations, hearings, mediations and trials ranging from classroom to courtroom settings.
Board Certifications
- Licensed to practice law before all Connecticut state and federal courts.
- Certified Child Advocate
Education and Training
- American University, Washington College of Law
- American University, School of Public Affairs
- William & Mary Law School, Institute of Special Education Advocacy
Provider's Gender
- Male
Languages
- English
1 Enterprise Drive Suite 410, CT, 06484
Get in Contact
- (203) 257-7999
- jforte@fortelawgroup.com
Reviews
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Attorney Forte and his team from Este to Jennifer Jill and Attorney Forte himself were all extremely informative welcoming caring kind and just hands down the bestThey are all in it for whats best for your child When it comes to meetingsphone calls and the actual meeting itself Attorney Forte is engaged and fighting for what is right for your child in the moment.We found Attorney Forte and his team by referral of another attorney and it was the best decision we made.Thank you to the Forte Law Group for taking the stress out of our hands and helping us get what was right for our child
I cannot express enough how thankful I am for Attorney Jeff Forte and the Forte Law Group. My child has a significant reading disability dyslexia and we were facing a challenging situation with our school district and charter school. Attorney Forte without hesitation agreed to take our case pro bono which was a lifeline for us.Throughout the entire process Attorney Forte and his entire team were incredibly responsive and caring. They made us feel supported and understood every step of the way. It was evident that they were not just passionate about their work but genuinely cared about the children they represented.As a result of our due process case Attorney Forte secured a private outplacement for my son at a special education school that perfectly caters to his unique needs. This is truly a life-changing outcome for my child. I couldnt have achieved this result without Attorney Fortes expertise and dedication.Whats even more amazing is that the private special education school where my son is now placed highly recommended Attorney Jeff Forte as he has successfully secured placements for many other students there. It speaks volumes about his reputation and the quality of his work.I am completely confident that my son will now thrive thanks to Attorney Jeff Forte. He and the Forte Law Group team are not only excellent at what they do but they are also committed to developing long-term relationships with their clients and the children they represent. I cannot recommend them enough. Thank you Attorney Forte for making a real difference in my childs life. Thank you Jeff
Attorney Forte and his team are caring compassionate and very responsive.The nature of his services make it difficult to convey the depth of support. I will just say this As a mother who wanted see their child struggle less mission accomplished.
Jeffrey Forte is by far the best and I mean the best lawyer to have fighting for you. He came on board to help get an outplacement for my son so that he would get into a much needed school with resources that he really needs and he was absolutely amazing. He joined every PPT meeting he was very involved took control didnt let my wife and I get taken advantage of and we got exactly what was needed for my son in the end. I will certainly tell everyone who has a child with autism about him. He is who you want on your team
Oh my God my wife and I were fighting for my sons outplacement from his school because the school was so not a good fit for him and what he needed they couldnt provide. They gave us so much push back and would not give him an outplacement to the school that we have been fighting so hard to get him into but when we got connected with Jeff it was like he was God sent. He was so knowledgeable kind affordable and fought with us for the outplacement. I say all this to say Jeff made it happen and made it happen FAST. We are so grateful and appreciative of him and if anyone EVER needs a lawyer who will fight tooth and nail he is the guy.
Attorney Jeffrey Forte did a wonderful job meeting the needs of our situation. He applies a much needed common sense approach. His entire office was also prompt and professional. We would recommend the Forte Law Group to any family in need of legal guidance.
When I contacted The Forte Law Group my son was in a tough situation. Through conversation hard work and perseverance Jeff was able to help me navigate through a system that felt at times to be by design confusing and dismissive of my concerns for my son. Jeff spoke with me multiple times about my concerns and thoughts and was able to come up with a plan and to execute that plan to achieve the best possible outcome. More importantly to me Jeff told me what would be the best possible outcome not sugar coating it for me to get my business with false promises. Not only has Jeff delivered on his most probable scenario he has exceeded it. My son was recently able to return to school thanks to Jeffs hard work and professionalism and will receive the attention he needs to exceed. I would recommend Forte Law Group to any parent who is having problems with getting their child the proper special education accommodations they need to exceed. You will not be disappointed in Jeff and his team. We cannot thank Jeff and his team enough for what they have been able to accomplish
Jeff Forte provided us with exceptional guidance and representation. He combines extensive knowledge of special ed law with a compassionate realistic approach. The Forte team was incredibly thorough always thinking ahead and not missing any detail. I cannot imagine anyone doing a better job advocating for our child. Hiring Jeff Forte was one of the best decisions weve made.
My daughter and I are very grateful for the dedication that Jeff put in to protecting my daughters educational rights. Honestly my heart would break any time I looked at pictures of my daughter hanging on the walls of our house and I was genuinely scared for her future. Thanks to Jeff and his experience as a parent special education attorney I now feel relieved and joy while looking at those same pictures as well as excitement for her future. I appreciated Jeffs professionalism the entire way through our case while also being so easy to talk to at the same time. It was like talking with a friend whenever wed communicate. I believe thats because Jeff truly cares for all of the students and families that he represents and supports. Theres a scripture I think of in Proverbs 1522 which says Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisers they succeed. I consider my daughter and myself blessed to have Attorney Jeff Forte part of her life story which includes every individual at Forte Law Group involved in my daughters education due process case. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you
Our family had a very positive experience with Jeff and his practice. Their response was quick professional and thorough. We needed help outplacing our son and he helped us decide the right path for a very successful outcome. But most of all Jeff and his team immediately show that they are parents and that they care about the work they do. Their passion comes though and their advice presented options and got results. I would highly endorse Jeffrey Forte Law Group for any educational law assistance any parent or caregiver might need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a great podcast on Let's Talk Sped Law: The Attorney/Client Relationship: What to Expect at the Initial Legal Consultation with a Special Education Attorney.
Do you need to hire a special education lawyer in Connecticut for your child, but you don’t know where to start?
Join me as we briefly discuss and learn the importance of hiring the right Connecticut special education attorney for you and your child with a disability.
Whether you live in Fairfield County, Middlesex County, Hartford County or elsewhere in Connecticut, hiring the right special education lawyer is a critical decision. In this video and article below, let us briefly walk you through what you should look for.
Thinking of Hiring a Connecticut Special Education Attorney for your Child?
If you and your family are thinking of hiring a special education lawyer and live in Connecticut, you are in luck. Connecticut has a small, but very strong and experienced group of parent special education attorneys. We are a tight knit, collaborative group of legal professionals with a profound desire to help families of children with special needs. Many of us, in fact, are parents of a child with a disability ourselves. My youngest son is on an IEP for dyslexia.
The most important decision is deciding which Connecticut special education attorney is right for you and your child. Many of us have different styles, approaches, and connections. So, finding (a) the right fit for you (b) that suits your child’s needs, (c) coupled with the experience and credibility level of the right attorney is critical to advance your child’s case. I will more fully answer this question in just a moment, but first let’s briefly understand the special education process here in Connecticut.
What is the Special Education Process Like in CT?
Briefly speaking, the special education process should “typically” “follow these steps:
- Step One – The parent or a teacher notices a deficit, delay or challenge in your child’s learning process and refers your child for initial eligibility for special education.
- Step Two – Your child is “comprehensively” evaluated by a team of clinical professionals and educators within your local school district to address each of your child’s deficits and delays. The evaluations should include, among other things, academic, cognitive, psychological, behavioral, social, and emotional assessments, as well as possible literacy, speech/language, psychiatric, occupational, and/or physical assessments as deemed necessary.
- Step Three – Your child is then identified and diagnosed with a disability that impacts your child’s access to his or her education.
- Step Four – A 504 plan or IEP is then developed for your child with specific and measurable goals and objectives to address your child’s challenges that are ambitiously appropriate.
The entire special education process is designed to be “collaborative” and “non-adversarial” in nature, meaning that you and your local school district team work together, as one team, to mutually develop an ambitiously appropriate educational plan and related services that are uniquely designed to help your child make meaningful progress year over year. The process is designed so that you and your local school district team do not need lawyers. Sounds simple and straightforward, right? Well, that’s not always the case. Perhaps that is even why you have stumbled across this law article.
Unfortunately, the reality is that the special education process does not always go smoothly, despite even the best intentions of some members of your child’s school team. There are flaws in its design. Oftentimes the special education process can be adversarial in nature. It may become adversarial when you ask for items such as an independent educational evaluation, increase in service hours, related services, a change in placement, paraprofessional support, OG or Wilson trained instruction, ABA services, ESY and the like and your local school district team denies your request. In other words, the school district team says “NO” to something that you, as a parent, feel is critically and clinically important to have on your child’s 504 plan or IEP. Even worse, you may not even get that far because your child may have been denied special education eligibility in the very first place. Sometimes, but not always, school districts take advantage of you, because the fact is that most parents do not know special education laws or the rights of their child with a disability.
This is the time to have a legal consultation with the right Connecticut special education attorney. You should hire a special attorney as soon as your local school district decides to become adversarial with you and challenges you by denying services or placement that you feel is appropriate for your child.
Should You Hire an Advocate Instead?
You may be asking yourself, why not just hire a special education advocate instead, or, just handle your child’s education yourself without an attorney or advocate. There’s an old saying about lawyers – “the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Because you are the parent of your child, it is nearly impossible for you not to be emotional and objective when it comes to the determination as to what constitutes a legally appropriate education for your child with a disability. You need the right attorney on your side that is going to zealously represent you and all of your child’s special educational interests – no matter what – to the fullest extent as mandated by the law. This is where the right Connecticut special education lawyer is important to have on your side.
Limitations & Scope of Advocates
Special education advocates serve a very important and helpful role for the services that they provide. As a special education attorney, I work with several well-respected, highly established professional special education advocates throughout Connecticut and often provide parents with referrals to those advocates and vice versa. If you decide to retain a special education parent advocate, you will want to research their experience, certifications and credentials. For example, did they complete COPAA SEAT, William & Mary Law School Institute of Special Education Advocacy Clinic, or have they taken a Wrightslaw advocacy training program? Have they shadowed a special education lawyer? Are they certified as a special education parent advocate? Certainly, the right special education advocate can help you prepare for an IEP meeting and attend the meeting with you in order to assist you with communicating your child’s needs. However, that is typically where an advocate’s services end. Anything more than helping you to prepare for or attending an IEP meeting can legally and ethically be considered Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL). If a non-attorney advocate that is not licensed and admitted to practice law within Connecticut provides you with legal advice or assists you with preparing for mediation, filing for due process or reviews a settlement agreement, or anything that otherwise maybe considered “legal action,” the advocate is committing UPL. Experienced advocates know this and will refer you to a special education attorney at the appropriate time. Moreover, unlike lawyers, advocates are not legally or ethically required to take mandatory continuing legal education to keep informed and up to date on the latest laws and cases in special education.
A special education lawyer does not have the limitations that an advocate does. Thus, even if your advocate has done great work, which most that are certified and experienced do, it can often be discarded by districts and all the hard-earned dollars that you have invested may end up being for nothing in the long term. That is why I always recommend parents to have an initial legal consultation with a special education lawyer first in order to develop a strategic legal plan of action, which may or may not include collaboratively working with an experienced advocate as well.
While many advocates are excellent, in that they are certified, trained and experienced, or have substantial knowledge from being in the field of special education for years, special education attorneys are legally trained to understand special education legal procedure, rules of evidence, have knowledge of school district lawyers, state mediators, hearing officers and judges. Special education lawyers know how to conduct direct and cross-examination of witnesses, write legal briefs based on case law, know who, where and how to obtain critical expert evaluations and how to quickly and legally analyze FERPA documents, IEPs, evaluations, and legal discovery. Perhaps most importantly, the right special education attorney knows how to “preserve the record” at an IEP meeting for due process and/or federal court appeal. Attorney’s fees in special education due process cases are also often recoverable, while advocate fees are not. Thus, if you succeeded at due process, you may be entitled to receive all or some of your investment back. A comprehensive legal consultation with the right special education attorney will fully inform you about the strength of your case. Lastly and most importantly, you shouldn’t skimp on legal services when seeking to legally protect the civil rights of your child with a disability. You wouldn’t skimp on other services your child needs, (i.e, medical appointments, therapy, equipment) right?
Price vs. Value
A great colleague of mine, Christine Lai, Executive Director of Connecticut’s Special Education Legal Fund (“S.E.L.F”), recently wrote an excellent article about special education lawyers in the nutmeg state, entitled “A Parent’s Guide to Connecticut Special Attorneys.” Christine’s research found that special education attorneys in Connecticut charge anywhere from $250 to $450+ an hour. Alternatively, some Connecticut special education attorneys charge a flat fee for a certain period of time within the range of $5,000-$7,500 for a specific type of legal service. Some attorneys charge for an initial consultation, some do not. Mediation costs typically exceed $10,000 and due process hearings can cost north of $50,000 all in with attorney and expert fees. Regardless of a special education attorney’s hourly rate or flat fee charge, and various rates for mediation and/or due process, Warren Buffett said it best when he said: “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” There is another interesting article I recently read on Forbes by contributing writer Amy Rees Anderson, entitled “Nothing is More Expensive Than A Cheap Lawyer.” …The title speaks for itself.
Finding the Right Connecticut Special Education Attorney for You & Your Child – Ask Questions!
So how do you find the right special education lawyer for you and your child? First and foremost, personally go and meet with special education attorneys. Note, when meeting with a special education attorney, it is important to realize that it is a two-way street. Just like you are interviewing the attorney, the attorney should also be interviewing you. What I mean by this is the right special education attorney should be evaluating the strength and weaknesses of your child’s case from the moment you first call. What are the strengths (and weaknesses) of your child’s potential case? What is the end result that you are seeking for your child? What is your style like, compared to the style of the attorney you are seeking? What does the lawyer’s website say, does the lawyer even have a website? Has the attorney recently presented or published on recent developments in special education law? Does the lawyer currently serve on any non-profit boards? What community involvement does the lawyer have in the disability community? Has the attorney handled special education cases within your local school district? Does the attorney have previous experience in handling the type of disability that your child has? What software and systems does the attorney have in place to ensure your child’s confidential medical, psychological and education records remain confidential, encrypted and HIPPA compliant? Will the attorney you are interviewing with be handling your child’s case all the way through, or will parts of your child’s case be freelanced to another attorney or law firm associate and if so, who, where and why? What is does client availability look like for the attorney? Who answers the office phone? Does the attorney or law office staff immediately return your call and provide a straightforward answer? Does the attorney have law office staff? Does the attorney have an office? If not that’s okay, but where does the attorney typically meet with a new client? What technology does the attorney use for the benefit of client communication and exchange of information? Will the attorney provide you with a recent or past client reference? Does the attorney keep you fully informed on billing? Does the attorney have any online reviews? (For example, you can read and view my client reviews here: https://www.fortelawgroup.com/endorsements/). What type of professional relationship and reputation does the attorney have within your local school district and, more importantly, with the lawyer or law firm that represents your local school district? Will the attorney’s approach damage or mend you and your child’s relationship with your local school district? Are you seeking a lawyer with a litigious and aggressive approach right out of the gate that will draw blood first, or an attorney that is legally strategic, but not immediately combatant with your child’s school team? What experts does the attorney use and what results have those experts achieved for other children? Lastly, special education attorneys are after all people too, often with a family member of their own that may have a disability. Does the attorney have anything personally or professionally going on that may prevent or mitigate his or her fullest legal attention to your child’s special education case?
In summary, I strongly advise any and all parents of a child with a disability to have a comprehensive initial legal consultation with the right Connecticut special education lawyer first. The consultation should be scheduled the minute you believe your child’s school district is becoming adversarial with you or you believe your child is being denied the right to receive a free appropriate public education that your child is legally entitled to receive.
For more information or to read other scholarly law articles, visit www.fortelawgroup.com
In Connecticut, attending a planning and placement team meeting (PPT) to discuss your child’s individualized education plan (IEP) can often be overwhelming, even intimidating, for a parent. It is important for all parents to remember the development of your child’s IEP through the PPT process is meant to be collaborative in nature pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). One of the best ways to advocate for your child is to simply ask questions at PPT. If you have many questions, you may want to consider submitting your questions in writing in advance of your scheduled PPT meeting in advance. The Connecticut special education attorneys at Forte Law Group can help you prepare for your child’s PPT meeting or even attend the meeting with you to advocate on behalf of your child. The questions provided below are intended to help “more fully inform your child’s IEP” at a PPT meeting and are broken down by section of the IEP.
Present Levels of Performance
- Please explain what this data means?
- Is this data reflective of my child’s behavior and academic abilities in all classes?
- Can each team member provide an example what my child’s skill deficit or behavior challenge looks like?
- Are there any new challenges or changes to my child’s levels of performance that I am not aware of?
Takeaways: Note you are not expected to be an expert in special education. You have the right to have your child’s team be able to explain to you what your child’s present levels of performance are in practical understandable terms.
Goals & Objectives
- What specific skill is being addressed in this goal and objective?
- How is this objective specific and measurable?
- How is this goal being measured?
- What evaluation procedure is being used to determine whether my child has progressed and acquired the skills to master this objective?
- How will be child’s progress toward this goal and objective be communicated to my child and to me?
- This objective seems a bit lengthy, would it be more helpful to break this large objective in to smaller, achievable objectives?
Takeaways: If you do not understand your child’s IEP goals and objectives and how they will be measure and tracked, how are you going to know if your child is making progress? Ask for your child’s “draft goals and objectives” 3 to 5 days in advance of your child’s scheduled PPT pursuant to your right to receive your child’s school records under the Family Education Rights Privacy Act (FERPA).
Accommodations
- How will this accommodation help my child?
- My child has several different teachers in different classrooms, does my child automatically get this accommodation or will he/she be expected to ask for this accommodation?
- What does this accommodation look like within each of my child’s classrooms?
- Are there any other supports that teachers are using to support my child’s IEP?
- What consultation hours are being provided for team communication, training, and team/parental communication?
Takeaways: Know the accommodations that your child has access to and make sure that your child also understands to the best extent possible what are his/her IEP accommodations.
Services
- What do my child’s IEP service hours look like on a day-to-day basis?
- Can you break down my child’s IEP services by minutes, hours – what does my child’s IEP services grid actually look like throughout the day?
- How many service minutes/hours are provided individually verses in a small group setting?
- How many other children are in my child’s small group setting?
- Describe the cohort of the other children in my child’s small group setting.
- Are proposed minutes/hours being offered on my child’s IEP sufficient enough to accomplish my child’s IEP goals and objectives?
- What provider will be delivering these services – paraprofessional, special ed teacher, social worker, school psychologist, etc.?
Takeaways: Be sure to understand your child’s service hours/minutes and know what services are being delivered outside of the general ed classroom (“pull-out services”) and what services are being delivered within the general ed classroom (“push-in services”).
Post-PPT Meeting Next Steps
- How will my child’s IEP progress be communicated to me?
- When can we come back to discuss my child’s progress?
- Given the complexity of my child’s needs we need to meet more than annually, when can we meet next for a PPT?
- I have behavioral concerns about my child, I would like to request that a Functional Behavior Assessment be conducted to determine what my child is exhibiting this behavior.
Takeaways: Consistent, ongoing communication between parent and school team is critical. Know that you should reach out to your child’s IEP team more than just once per year.
The Connecticut special education attorneys at Forte Law Group can help you prepare for your child’s PPT meeting or even attend the meeting with you to advocate on behalf of your child.
For more information visit us at www.fortelawgroup.com or schedule a free 15-minute consultation with us.
Carefully consider your options when choosing a special education attorney. These services can be expensive, so it’s good to evaluate the services you will receive and whether its worth the investment for your family.
There isn’t one set way that an IEP meeting is run, but generally it involves everyone on the IEP team reviewing your child’s goals, progress, and sharing ideas and suggestions on what supports or accommodations may be helpful to accomplish those goals.
It’s required that the school staff go over every section of the IEP with you and explain every part. This is only a draft, because the IEP may change based on what’s discussed in the meeting. You do not have to sign or agree to the IEP at the IEP meeting. If you don’t like the IEP, you may not have to agree to it at all.
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