Minimum period or timing rule
The former general 90-day rule changed in 2023. Follow current requirements concerning the return date, agreement, service and procedures under §46b-67; no automatic completion date is calculated.
Prepare for a divorce case in Connecticut.
This page organizes the recorded statewide starting rules and official sources for Connecticut. Court location, local forms, fees, service, deadlines and individual eligibility still require confirmation before filing.
Source record reviewed: 2026-10-29 · Page updated: 2026-11-03 · Not attorney-certified legal advice
STATE SNAPSHOT
Timing and financial issues need separate review.
Classification and division
Financial statements, real estate, debts, retirement interests and spousal-support requests must be disclosed separately.
Guidance and official links
Divorce Filing Path provides an intake roadmap and source links for this jurisdiction. Selected official PDF drafting is not currently offered for this state; do not purchase expecting state-form generation.
PREPARATION ROADMAP
Use this order before filing.
- 01
Confirm residence and filing eligibility
A case may be filed when either spouse begins residing in the state; the usual route to a final judgment requires one spouse to have at least 12 months of residence before filing or before judgment. §46b-44 also provides other options. Record actual dates and do not combine two people’s residence periods unless the controlling rule expressly allows it.
- 02
Identify the correct court and county
Use the official statewide source to locate the trial court or clerk. Confirm venue, the family-law filing location, accepted filing method, current fee and required local packet.
- 03
Select the procedure that matches the facts
Check whether the state distinguishes regular, joint, simplified, summary, contested or uncontested procedures. Agreement alone does not prove eligibility for a shorter procedure.
- 04
Collect the facts requested by the forms
Prepare legal names, marriage and separation dates, residence history, children’s information, income, expenses, assets, debts, requested relief and existing orders.
- 05
Prepare opening documents without inventing events
Complete only facts you know. Leave clerk, court, signature, notarization, service and later-event fields for the correct person and stage.
- 06
File and complete valid notice
A draft or download is not a filed case. Follow the clerk’s instructions and record service or waiver only after the legally effective event occurs.
- 07
Address disclosure, children and unresolved issues
Use current financial, child-jurisdiction, parenting and support documents. Settlement terms should match the procedure and be reviewed before rights are waived.
- 08
Obtain and review the final judgment
A waiting or separation period does not itself end a marriage. Confirm entry and the effective date from the court’s signed or entered order.
RESIDENCE CHECK
Which spouse currently resides in Connecticut, allowing the case to be started?
Filing may begin after either spouse establishes residence. Final judgment usually requires 12 months of residence before filing or judgment, or a statutory alternative such as former Connecticut domicile at marriage and return, or a cause arising after moving to Connecticut.
This intake question helps organize facts; it does not decide domicile, jurisdiction or venue for an individual case.
IMPORTANT STATE NOTES
Questions to verify before relying on a packet
- Nonadversarial dissolution is available only when the particular conditions concerning children, pregnancy, assets, length of marriage and other matters are met.
- The return date must not be interpreted as a hearing date.
- For cases with children, review parenting education and child-related declarations.
OFFICIAL FORM STARTING POINTS
Forms and packets identified in the current review
Open the official page and read the current instructions. A listed document may be conditional or require local additions.
Divorce Complaint (JD-FM-159); Summons; Financial Affidavit
Select the opening complaint and attachments from the current official form list.
Open official starting point ↗Affidavit Concerning Children (JD-FM-164)
A declaration about the children’s residence and other cases; also check required support and education documents.
Open official starting point ↗PRIMARY SOURCES
Verify with the official source
Rules, forms, fees and local procedures can change. These links are the controlling starting points; the explanations on this site are preparation guidance, not a substitute for the current source.
- Connecticut Judicial Branch — The Forms You Will Need ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Connecticut General Assembly — Chapter 815j, §§46b-44, 46b-44a, 46b-67 ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Connecticut General Assembly —2025 official consolidated §46 b-44 ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries — Dissolution guide,2026 edition ↗Official or recorded public starting source
- Connecticut General Assembly —2025 official consolidated §51-345 ↗Official or recorded public starting source