Divorce in Connecticut, start to finish
See a different stateConnecticut
Connecticut at a glance
- One statewide filing fee: $360. Connecticut uses judicial districts, not counties, so the fee does not change by court.
- Service by a state marshal costs up to $50 per person plus mileage (statutory maximum, § 52-261(a)).
- The forms are free. The order, the return-date math and the traps that get a case dismissed are what this page covers.
- E-filing is your choice. A self-represented party may e-file through the Connecticut Judicial Branch E-Services or file on paper with the Superior Court clerk.
Every figure is from the sections below and carries its source. Sources last checked 14 September 2026. Spot something out of date? See our corrections or email hello@thecusp.app.
Connecticut gives you the forms for free. What it doesn’t give you is the order, the return date math, the traps that get a case dismissed before it even starts, or anyone to tell you which path you’re actually on. That’s this.
Put in the day you filed and this page works out every deadline in your case, then hands you a calendar file that reminds you a week before each one and again the day before. It opens in the calendar you already use. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Which forms do you actually need?
The regular (adversarial docket) route. Every form is free from the Connecticut Judicial Branch and every number below links straight to the PDF. Download fresh each time — clerks reject superseded revisions.
Open the questions in order. Each one leads to the exact set of forms for your situation, and says what every form is for. Nothing here is a download you have to buy — every form is published free by Connecticut.
Start here: can you use Connecticut’s fast track?
The nonadversarial route (CGS § 46b-44a) skips the marshal, the return date and the service arithmetic entirely, and a decision can come in approximately 35 days after filing. It is available only where every one of these is true:
- At least one of you meets the residency test.
- The marriage has lasted 9 years or less.
- Neither of you has ever had or adopted children, and neither is pregnant.
- Neither of you owns any interest in real property — a house, land, a timeshare, anything.
- Combined property minus debts is under $80,000.
- Neither of you has a defined-benefit pension.
- No bankruptcy and no active protective order between you.
- You both sign on together and waive formal service.
- You both waive alimony entirely.
If either of you wants alimony on the table, this route is closed to you — that is the trade it asks for.
Yes — all nine are true
- JD-FM-242 — the Joint Petition. Both of you sign it, and it is what starts the case. There is no complaint and no summons on this route
- JD-FM-243 — the Agreement. How you are dividing everything. Both of you sign
- JD-FM-260 — Notice of Automatic Court Orders. The orders that bind you both from the moment you file — read them, they restrain what you can do with money and property
- JD-CL-12 — Appearance. One from each of you, not one between you
- JD-FM-6-SHORT — Financial Affidavit, short form, one from each of you. It is a sworn statement, not a draft
- JD-FM-75 — only if you cannot pay the filing fee
- JD-FM-244 — if anything on the eligibility list changes before the decree — a pregnancy, a house, a pension
- JD-FM-245 — if either of you wants to stop the nonadversarial process
What you do: both of you sign the petition and the agreement, each file an Appearance and a Financial Affidavit, and file them together. No marshal, no return date. The Judicial Branch says a divorce may be granted in approximately 35 days.
No — at least one of them is false
Then you are on the regular docket. That does not mean contested. Most regular-docket divorces in Connecticut are entirely agreed and self-represented. It means the return-date and service machinery applies.
Everyone on this route needs- JD-FM-159 — the Divorce Complaint. This starts the case
- JD-FM-3 — the Summons. A commissioner of the Superior Court — any attorney — or the clerk has to sign it to issue it
- JD-FM-158 — Notice of Automatic Court Orders. Goes out with the complaint and binds you from signing
- JD-CL-12 — Appearance. Yours, plus a blank one for your spouse, stapled into the packet
- JD-FM-177 — the Judgment itself, at the end
- JD-FM-75 — only if you cannot pay the $360 filing fee
Now answer the four below and add what they give you.
Do you have minor children together?
- JD-FM-164 — Affidavit Concerning Children
- JD-FM-220 — the Child Support Guidelines worksheet (CCSG-1)
- JD-FM-149 — Parenting Education Program. Within 60 days, $150 per person as published by the Judicial Branch, and JD-FM-75 waives that fee too
- JD-FM-284 — Custody Agreement and Parenting Plan — only where custody is agreed
If you have no minor children, add none of them, and the 60-day parenting class does not apply to you.
Will your spouse sign a waiver of service?
Yes — they will sign. Add JD-FM-249, the Certification of Waiver of Service of Process. It has to be notarized, and they file it with their own Appearance. This saves the marshal’s fee entirely.
No, or you are not sure. Add nothing — a state marshal serves the packet instead, and it must be done at least 12 days before the return date.
Is everything agreed?
- JD-FM-172 — the Dissolution Agreement — everything you have settled, in writing
- JD-FM-282 — Request for Approval Without Court Appearance. This is the one that can save you a hearing
- JD-FM-281 — the Affidavit in Support, which goes with JD-FM-282
- JD-FM-272 — Motion for Entry of Judgment Upon Default of Appearance. Available from 30 days after the return date with personal or abode service, 60 days otherwise
No — you disagree about something. Add none of these yet. The case proceeds on the docket and this is the point at which a consultation with a Connecticut family lawyer costs far less than fixing it later.
Which Financial Affidavit — short or long?
It is a dollar test, not a complexity test. Use the short form only if your gross annual income is under $75,000 and your total net assets are under $75,000. If either figure is over, Connecticut requires the long one.
- JD-FM-6-SHORT — both figures under $75,000
- JD-FM-6-LONG — either figure $75,000 or over
A self-employed person on $40,000 uses the short form; a W-2 employee on $90,000 must use the long one. If you are on the line, use the long form — it is always accepted, and a short form filed over the threshold is the common way to get sent back. It is due on or before your Resolution Plan Date, and missing it can mean a nonsuit or a default.
Printing this, and filing it, are two different things
The checklist is not something you file. It is your worktable — what to do, in what order, by when, and what it costs. Print it, or keep it open. Nobody at the court ever sees it.
The forms are a different matter. Most Connecticut forms are fillable on screen, so you complete them in a PDF reader and save them. From there you either upload them through E-Services or print the completed forms and bring or mail them to the clerk. Filling a form in is not the same act as filing it, and printing the checklist does not commit you to paper either way.
What we could not confirm, and will not guess at. We have not been able to read the Practice Book rule that says whether a self-represented divorce filer in Connecticut may e-file, must e-file, or can still hand the clerk paper. The Judicial Branch invites self-represented parties to open an E-Services account voluntarily, which points one way, but we are not printing that as a fact. Call the clerk of the Superior Court in your judicial district and ask two questions: may I e-file, and will you take paper. It is the one answer this page cannot give you.
One thing that is not electronic either way. The summons has to be signed by a commissioner of the Superior Court — any attorney — or by the clerk, and the Financial Affidavit and the waiver of service are sworn documents. Those need a signature in front of somebody, whatever happens afterwards.
The regular docket route, start to decree. Print this part.
| # | Step | When | Forms | Where it goes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm residency and pick your return date | Before anything | None | Nothing is filed yet | No cost |
| 2 | Assemble and sign the complaint packet | Before service | JD-FM-159 Divorce ComplaintJD-FM-3 Summons, Family ActionsJD-FM-158 Notice of Automatic Court OrdersJD-CL-12 Appearance — blank, for your spouse | Stapled together, then signed by a commissioner of the Superior Court (any attorney) or the clerk | No court fee at this step |
| 3 | Get your spouse served | At least 12 days before the return date | JD-FM-249 Certification of Waiver of Service — only if your spouse accepts service | A state marshal serves your spouse, or your spouse signs the waiver and files their own Appearance (JD-CL-12) | Up to $50 to the marshal per process served, plus mileage. $0 if your spouse signs the waiver |
| 4 | File the originals with the court | At least 6 days before the return date | JD-FM-75 Application for Waiver of Fees — only if you cannot pay | The clerk of the Superior Court in your judicial district, with the signed summons, the complaint and the marshal’s return of service | $360 filing fee, or $0 with an approved JD-FM-75 |
| 5 | Your spouse’s Appearance is due | 2nd day after the return date | JD-CL-12 Appearance — your spouse files their ownJD-FM-272 Motion for Entry of Judgment Upon Default — only if nobody appears | Your spouse files with the same clerk | No cost to you |
| 6 | Resolution Plan Date notice arrives | About 5 days after the return date | None | The court writes to you. Nothing to file | No cost, but missing the meeting can get orders entered against you |
| 7 | File your Financial Affidavit | On or before the Resolution Plan Date | JD-FM-6-SHORT Financial Affidavit — short form, only if gross income AND net assets are both under $75,000JD-FM-6-LONG Financial Affidavit — long form, if either figure is over $75,000 | Filed with the court, not merely exchanged | No cost. Missing it can mean a nonsuit or default |
| 8 | Finish the parenting class | Within 60 days — only if you have minor children | JD-FM-149 Parenting Education Program — Order and CertificateJD-FM-164 Affidavit Concerning ChildrenJD-FM-220 Child Support Guidelines WorksheetJD-FM-75 Fee waiver for the class, if needed | The class provider registers you; the certificate goes to the court | About $150 per person, waivable with JD-FM-75 |
| 9 | Ask for judgment | Once you have a full agreement | JD-FM-172 Dissolution/Legal Separation Agreement — where everything is agreed | Filed with the court once you have a signed agreement | No cost |
| 10 | Get the decree | The decree | JD-FM-282 Request for Approval of Final Agreement Without Court AppearanceJD-FM-281 Affidavit in Support of Request for Entry of JudgmentJD-FM-177 Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) Judgment | The court. With a signed agreement you can often avoid appearing at all | No cost |
Every figure here is this page’s own, from the costs section below. A fee waiver application is free to file and is listed with the forms above.
| Filing fee (flat statewide — Connecticut uses judicial districts, not counties) | $360 |
| State marshal service of process, per person — statutory maximum, plus mileage | $50 + mileage |
| Parenting education program, per parent (if minor children) | $150 |
| Notary / remote online notarization for sworn affidavits | $0–$25 |
| Service by publication or out-of-state alternate service, if needed | $100+ |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | $410–$585 |
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Connecticut has a fast track most people have never heard of — nonadversarial dissolution — and a regular track everyone else uses.
- Every form Connecticut publishes for a divorce — Every one is free from the Connecticut Judicial Branch.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Every Connecticut form is free, most are fillable on screen, and self-represented filing ("pro se," which Connecticut also calls being a self-represented party) is normal here — the court is built to expect it.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Almost everything in a Connecticut divorce counts from the return date — not from the day you file.
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — It has to fall on a Tuesday.
- The Financial Affidavit — what JD-FM-6 requires — Due on or before your Resolution Plan Date.
- What this costs — File Form JD-FM-75, Application for Waiver of Fees/Payment of Costs.
In this subject 8
1 · The two routes, and what the rule requires
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Connecticut has a fast track most people have never heard of — nonadversarial dissolution — and a regular track everyone else uses.
- Every form Connecticut publishes for a divorce — Every one is free from the Connecticut Judicial Branch.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Every Connecticut form is free, most are fillable on screen, and self-represented filing ("pro se," which Connecticut also calls being a self-represented party) is normal here — the court is built to expect it.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Almost everything in a Connecticut divorce counts from the return date — not from the day you file.
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — It has to fall on a Tuesday.
- The Financial Affidavit — what JD-FM-6 requires — Due on or before your Resolution Plan Date.
- What this costs — File Form JD-FM-75, Application for Waiver of Fees/Payment of Costs.
In this subject 8
Connecticut has a fast track most people have never heard of — nonadversarial dissolution — and a regular track everyone else uses. The eligibility list for the fast track is set by statute and is long; filing on it without meeting every item wastes a filing fee and a return date.
CGS § 46b-44 requires one spouse to have lived in Connecticut for 12 months before filing or before the decree — or to have been domiciled here at the time of the marriage and returned intending to stay, or for the breakdown of the marriage to have happened after moving here. Where none of those fits yet, it is often still possible to file and let the 12 months run before the decree; the clerk, or an attorney, is where to confirm timing around a return date.
Nonadversarial Dissolution
CGS § 46b-44a
Connecticut’s fast track. No marshal, no return-date service math, and both spouses file together as petitioners.
A decision can come as early as 30 days after filing, on its own clock rather than the regular docket’s return-date schedule.
Available only where all of these are true:
- At least one spouse meets the residency test in CGS § 46b-44.
- The marriage has lasted 9 years or less.
- There are no children born to or adopted by either spouse — ever, before or during the marriage — and neither spouse is pregnant.
- Neither spouse owns any interest in real property — a house, land, a timeshare, anything.
- Combined property minus debts is under $80,000.
- Neither spouse has a defined-benefit pension.
- There is no bankruptcy and no active protective order between the spouses.
- Both spouses sign on together as petitioners and waive formal service.
- Both spouses waive alimony entirely.
Alimony is waived entirely on this route. Where either spouse wants alimony on the table, the regular docket is the route that allows it.
Where something on the eligibility list changes before the decree, form JD-FM-244 is filed; where either petitioner wants to stop the process, JD-FM-245 is.
Regular (“adversarial docket”) dissolution
CGS § 46b-40 and following · timing under CGS § 46b-67
The route for every case the nonadversarial conditions do not cover.
It does not mean contested. Most regular-docket divorces in Connecticut are entirely uncontested, agreed and self-represented. It means the return-date and service machinery in Section 5 applies.
This is the route wherever any of these is true:
- There are children born to or adopted by either spouse, or a pregnancy.
- There is real property, $80,000 or more in combined assets, or a defined-benefit pension.
- The marriage has lasted more than 9 years.
- The property and debts are not yet divided, or the spouses do not agree on how.
- Either spouse is asking for alimony.
- The other spouse is not waiving service.
The general 90-day wait is gone for agreed divorces, but not for contested ones. Public Act 23-46 (effective 1 October 2023) revised CGS § 46b-67. With a full agreement you may ask for judgment before the return date. If you do not agree on everything, the court cannot begin your trial until at least 90 days after the return date. Source: Connecticut Judicial Branch, Divorce Options in Connecticut (JD-FM-274, rev. 10/23).
A cooperating spouse can waive service entirely with Form JD-FM-249, which saves the marshal fee. It must be notarized and filed alongside their own Appearance.
2 · Every form Connecticut publishes for a divorce
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms a case needs depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Each row says which route it belongs to and carries the revision date clerks check. Every one is free from the Connecticut Judicial Branch.
The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case. Everything here is general information about how Connecticut handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Connecticut itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with a Connecticut family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JD-FM-242 | Joint Petition — Nonadversarial Divorce | Nonadversarial | 04/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-243 | Agreement — Nonadversarial Divorce | Nonadversarial | 04/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-260 | Notice of Automatic Court Orders — Nonadversarial Divorce | Nonadversarial | 04/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-244 | Notice of Changed Condition — filed only where something on the eligibility list changes before the decree | Nonadversarial | 01/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-245 | Notice of Revocation — filed only where either petitioner wants to stop the nonadversarial process | Nonadversarial | 01/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-159 | Divorce Complaint (Dissolution of Marriage) | Regular | 01/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-3 | Summons, Family Actions | Regular | 02/25 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-158 | Notice of Automatic Court Orders | Regular | 01/25 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-164 | Affidavit Concerning Children — where there are children | Regular | 11/24 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-149 | Parenting Education Program — Order, Certificate and Results, where there are children | Regular | 11/12 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-220 | Worksheet for the CT Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines (CCSG-1) — where there are children | Regular | 05/25 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-284 | Custody Agreement and Parenting Plan — where there are children and custody is agreed | Regular | 09/21 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-6-LONG | Financial Affidavit — long form, required where gross annual income or net assets exceeds $75,000 | Regular | 02/16 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-172 | Dissolution/Legal Separation Agreement — where everything is agreed | Regular | 05/21 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-249 | Certification of Waiver of Service of Process (the responding spouse files it) | Regular | 04/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-282 | Request for Approval of Final Agreement Without Court Appearance — where everything is agreed | Regular | 06/22 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-281 | Affidavit in Support of Request for Entry of Judgment — where everything is agreed | Regular | 04/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-272 | Motion for Entry of Judgment Upon Default of Appearance — where the other spouse never responds | Regular | 10/23 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-177 | Dissolution of Marriage (Divorce) Judgment | Regular | 04/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-CL-12 | Appearance — on the nonadversarial route, one from each petitioner; on the regular route, your own plus a blank copy for the other spouse | All | 01/26 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-6-SHORT | Financial Affidavit — short form, for gross annual income and net assets both under $75,000; on the nonadversarial route, one from each petitioner | All | 02/16 | Download ↓ |
| JD-FM-75 | Application for Waiver of Fees, if needed | All | 12/21 | Download ↓ |
Every one of these is free. Download fresh each time — clerks reject superseded revisions, and saved copies go stale. Full catalog: jud.ct.gov/webforms.
3 · Getting the forms and filling them in
Nobody explains this part, so here it is. Every Connecticut form is free, most are fillable on screen, and self-represented filing (“pro se,” which Connecticut also calls being a self-represented party) is normal here — the court is built to expect it.
You may e-file, and you may file on paper Your choice
- Portal
- Connecticut Judicial Branch E-Services (Superior Court e-filing)
- Paper
- Yes. A self-represented party is permitted to e-file, not required to — you can take the papers to the clerk of the Superior Court in your judicial district instead.
- What it costs
- No portal fee published.
- Four routes that must be on paper
- A nonadversarial dissolution under CGS § 46b-44a cannot be started electronically, and because every document the court needs for judgment in one is filed at case initiation, that route is paper from beginning to end — for attorneys as well as for you. A case with a granted fee waiver cannot be initiated electronically either (§ 3.2.3.1), so if you file JD-FM-75 and it is granted, the case opens on paper. But it does not stay there, and this is easy to get wrong: § 3.2.3.1 goes on to say that subsequent motions, pleadings and documents in those cases are required to be filed electronically. What stays on paper afterwards is narrower — § 3.2.3.5 keeps any individual document whose own fee has been waived off the system. Paper to open it, the portal after that, paper again for a waived document. A foreign matrimonial or foreign paternity judgment (F70, CGS §§ 46b-70 and 46b-179) and a UCCJEA matter (F72, CGS § 46b-115) are paper from beginning to end — § 3.2.3.4 excludes both from e-filing at initiation and afterwards.
- Worth knowing
- Connecticut runs one statewide Superior Court, so this does not change with your county. The summons, the marshal’s return of service and the sworn Financial Affidavit (JD-FM-6) are not on the excluded-documents list — all three can be filed electronically. And if you do file on paper, enclose a self-addressed, postage-prepaid envelope: the clerk scans paper filings and destroys the original unless you do (§ 3.3).
Step one — download them free
All Connecticut Judicial Branch family forms live here, at no cost:
jud.ct.gov/webforms — Official Court Forms
Don’t reuse a saved copy. Forms get revised — several of the ones below were updated as recently as January and April 2026 — and clerks reject superseded versions. The revision (e.g. “Rev. 1-26”) is printed in the footer of every form.
Step two — fill them in on screen
Connecticut’s family forms are fillable PDFs — the button on the download page even says “Fill, Save and Print.” Open them in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), Preview on a Mac, or any browser, type directly into the fields, and print or upload. Type everything — write “N/A” where something doesn’t apply rather than leaving a field blank.
This is Connecticut’s real fast lane — no marshal, no return-date service math for your spouse, and a decision as early as 30 days after filing, on its own clock rather than the regular docket’s return-date schedule. It has hard numeric limits (see Section 1), and both spouses file it together, so it isn’t for contested cases. This guide still walks you through it because Connecticut’s own site doesn’t offer a guided tool the way Florida’s does.
Step three — signatures: notary, commissioner, or clerk (not always the same thing)
This is the part that trips people up coming from another state’s process. Connecticut uses three different kinds of signers depending on the document, and they are not interchangeable:
| Document | Who has to sign it with you |
|---|---|
| The Summons (JD-FM-3) | A commissioner of the Superior Court (any Connecticut-licensed attorney has this power automatically) — or, if you have no attorney, the clerk of the court signs it for you at the counter so you aren’t denied access to the courts. This is not a notary function. |
| The Complaint (JD-FM-159) | Just your own signature — no notary or commissioner required. |
| Financial Affidavit (JD-FM-6), Affidavit Concerning Children (JD-FM-164), Nonadversarial Joint Petition (JD-FM-242) | Must be sworn before a Notary Public, a Commissioner of the Superior Court, or an Assistant Clerk — any one of the three works, per Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-24. |
| Dissolution/Separation Agreement (JD-FM-172) | Signed by both parties; typically also acknowledged before a notary or commissioner if it’s being submitted for the court to incorporate. |
In practice: if you’re self-represented and have no attorney, you’ll need the clerk’s office to sign your summons when you file it, and a notary (banks, UPS Stores, and mobile notaries all do this cheaply or free) for the sworn affidavits. Connecticut permits remote online notarization for these documents as well — the same national services used elsewhere (Proof, BlueNotary, Notarize) are valid here.
You swear to a financial affidavit and the affidavit concerning children — you don’t just sign them. Signing before you’re in front of the notary/commissioner/clerk (in person or via an approved remote session) makes the sworn statement invalid, and courts do check the date against your appearance or filing date.
Step four — file them, and understand the return date
Connecticut has an optional statewide e-filing system, E-Services, but self-represented parties are not required to use it — paper filing at the clerk’s office in your judicial district is completely normal and, for the return-date mechanics below, often simpler. If you do register for E-Services as a self-represented party, you can e-file and check your docket online.
The return date is the technical opening date of your case — it is not a hearing, and nobody has to appear in court that day. It has to be a Tuesday, and Connecticut’s own summons form (JD-FM-3) instructs plaintiffs to pick one no more than two months out from the day the complaint is signed. Everything downstream — when your spouse must respond, when the Resolution Plan Date is set, when a default can be entered — counts from this one date. See Section 4 to calculate it.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Almost everything in a Connecticut divorce counts from the return date — not from the day you file. Put in the date you’re signing your complaint and the return date you’re choosing (or already have), and we’ll turn every rule into an actual date on your calendar — then add the whole thing to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook in one click.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · The rejection-proofing checklist
These are the specific things that get Connecticut filings bounced, dismissed, or defaulted — every one of them costs weeks.
The return date trap
It has to fall on a Tuesday. It can’t be more than 2 months after the day you sign the complaint. Your marshal must complete service at least 12 days before it. Your original papers must be filed with the clerk at least 6 days before it. Miss the 6-day filing window and the return date passes with nothing on file — the case never properly commences and you start over with a new return date, new marshal fee, and a new filing fee.
Forms people forget
Timing
Alimony not checked on the complaint’s relief section is not automatically preserved — the form asks you to select it explicitly under “The Court is asked to order,” and nonadversarial petitioners waive alimony entirely by using that track. And missing the financial affidavit deadline before the Resolution Plan Date is not a paperwork slip — it can lead to a nonsuit or default against the non-filing party under Practice Book § 25-50A(b).
7 · The Financial Affidavit — what JD-FM-6 requires
Due on or before your Resolution Plan Date. This is filed with the court, unlike Florida’s exchange-only disclosure — and both the short and long forms are sworn statements, not drafts.
It is a dollar test, not a complexity test. Both forms state the rule in their own first paragraph, and it is arithmetic rather than an assessment of how complicated your life is. Use JD-FM-6-SHORT only if your gross annual income is under $75,000 and your total net assets are under $75,000. If either figure is over $75,000, Connecticut requires the long form. That cuts across what people assume: a self-employed person earning $40,000 with modest assets uses the short form, and a straightforward W-2 employee earning $90,000 must use the long one. Income is Section I of the form and net assets are Section IV, so the two figures you need are the ones the form is already asking you to total. If you are genuinely on the line, the long form is always accepted; the short form filed over the threshold is the more common way to get sent back to redo it.
8 · What this costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee (flat statewide — Connecticut uses judicial districts, not counties) | $360 |
| State marshal service of process, per person — statutory maximum under § 52-261(a), plus mileage | $50 + mileage |
| Parenting education program, per parent (if minor children) — published figure | $150 |
| Notary / remote online notarization for sworn affidavits | $0–$25 |
| Service by publication or out-of-state alternate service, if needed | $100+ |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | $410–$585 |
How that total is built: $360 filing fee, plus up to $50 to the marshal (the statutory maximum for one process served), plus up to $150 for the parenting education program if minor children are involved, plus up to $25 for notarization. It does not include the marshal’s mileage, which Connecticut sets by reference to a state-employee rate it does not publish, nor service by publication or alternate service. The floor is $410 because $360 of it is fixed by statute.
File Form JD-FM-75, Application for Waiver of Fees/Payment of Costs. § 52-259b(b) presumes you cannot pay if your income after taxes, mandatory wage deductions and child care expenses is 125% or less of the federal poverty level, or if you receive public assistance — the statute names state-administered general assistance, temporary family assistance, aid to the aged, blind and disabled, supplemental nutrition assistance and Supplemental Security Income. Where the court makes that finding, § 52-259b(a) requires the state to pay the cost of service of process, and the same application covers the parenting program fee.
Does cheating change the money in Connecticut?
It can. Marital conduct is a factor the court is allowed to weigh. The rule: the court “shall consider … the causes for the … dissolution” (§ 46b-82(a)). How all fifty states answer this.
Reconciled, and it did not work? Connecticut has written the old forgiveness doctrine out of its code: condonation, state by state. If the decision itself is what you are sitting with rather than the law, start here.
What this is. A guide to Connecticut’s own process, built from the Connecticut General Statutes (Title 46b, chapter 815j — including §§ 46b-44, 46b-44a, 46b-67, and 46b-69b), the Connecticut Practice Book (including §§ 3-1 through 3-12 and 25-50A), and the official JD-FM and JD-CL forms and instructions published by the Connecticut Judicial Branch at jud.ct.gov/webforms. The forms themselves are free and this guide links you to them rather than reselling them.
What this is not. The Cusp is not a law firm and does not practice law. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here tells you which choice is right for your particular situation — only what Connecticut requires of each path. If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney; many offer free consultations, and one hour of advice is cheaper than a case that gets dismissed over a return date. Court staff — including the clerk who may sign your summons — are not permitted to give legal advice.
Confirm current numbers with the clerk. Filing fees, financial thresholds for nonadversarial dissolution, and program costs are periodically adjusted by the legislature or the Judicial Branch. Where this guide could not verify an exact figure, link, or deadline interpretation with confidence, it says so or points you to jud.ct.gov/webforms rather than guessing.
Four things can happen to the house in a Connecticut divorce
Connecticut is one of 22 states with automatic orders. An automatic order takes effect on both of you: for the person who files when the complaint is signed, and for the other spouse when they are served. It bars either from selling or encumbering property. Nobody is served with it separately and nobody explains it. Breaking it is contempt.
One of you buys the other out, you sell later, you sell now, or the court decides. For a great many people the right answer is not to sell at all – and three of the four routes earn us nothing.
The four routes, compared · Keeping it: the buyout and the carrying cost · Selling: capital gains, basis and timing · Finding an agent who has done a divorce sale · What two households cost
Need a vetted attorney, mediator, or financial analyst in Connecticut?
Browse The Cusp’s professional directory — rated only by verified clients, never ranked by who paid the most.
Browse the directory →The Cusp · All 50 state kits · Find a professional · About
Ask for an introduction to an agent → — who we would introduce you to, what the referral fee is and who pays it, and why the answer is sometimes that you should not sell at all.
Everything we have written about Connecticut specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Connecticut’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
- Modifying support after divorce
- Modifying custody and parenting time after divorce
- Check your state’s rules in one place (modification checker)
- What it costs to file
- Child custody
- Child support
- Guardians ad litem and child representation
- Travel, custody and relocation
- Alimony
- Property, support and legal fees
- Protective orders
- Changing your name back
- Legal help you can afford
- Verified professionals
The most expensive mistakes in a divorce are made in the year after it, by people who thought the case was over. After the divorce is the checklist for that year — the health-coverage clock, the retirement order a decree cannot replace, and the beneficiary form that outranks your will.
Filing is one household becoming two, and the second one starts empty. The two-household list is what to send the people who keep asking how they can help — the second of everything, and the half of it that costs nothing. Some people call it a divorce registry.
All 22 Connecticut divorce forms, listed by the number the clerk will ask for — 22 with an official form number, 22 linked straight to the state’s own file, each with its revision date where the state publishes one. Open the Connecticut form list →
Common questions about filing for divorce in Connecticut
Short answers to what people ask most before they start. Each one points at the part of this page that covers it in full.
How do I file for divorce in Connecticut?
This page sets out the order it happens in for Connecticut: which form opens the case, what has to be served on the other person and when, and what the court needs before it will finish. It is written to be followed in sequence rather than read through.
What forms do I need to file for divorce in Connecticut?
The form list on this page gives the official Connecticut form numbers, each one’s revision date, and a link to the copy on the court’s own site rather than a copy hosted here. Using a superseded revision is one of the most common reasons a filing comes back, which is why the dates are shown.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Connecticut?
$360 to open the case, and that is only the filing fee — it does not cover service, copies, any required class, or a lawyer. The full breakdown for Connecticut, with every figure traced to the court’s own published schedule and dated, is at what it costs to file in Connecticut.
What gets a Connecticut divorce filing rejected?
This page has a section on exactly that — the specific mistakes that get a filing returned in Connecticut rather than a general list. Most of them are procedural and cost weeks rather than money: the wrong form revision, a missing signature or notarization, service done in a way the state does not accept, or filing before a residency requirement is met.
How long does a divorce take in Connecticut?
There is a timeline on this page built from Connecticut’s own statutory day-counts, not from averages. The honest short answer is that the waiting period is a floor and not a prediction: an uncontested case can finish close to it, and a contested one is governed by the court’s calendar rather than the statute.
Where does the information on this page come from?
Connecticut’s own courts and statutes. Every form links to the court’s site, every fee is quoted from the published schedule with the date it was last checked, and where something could not be confirmed from an official source this site says so instead of estimating. It is free, with no account and no paywall.
Does cheating change the money in Connecticut?
It can. Marital conduct is a factor Connecticut allows the court to weigh, which is not the same as a rule that decides the outcome — it sits alongside need, earning capacity and the length of the marriage, and how much weight it gets is the judge’s. Eighteen states are in this position. The fifty-state table sets out the section this comes from, and the card higher up this page quotes your state’s own words.
Choosing an agent for a divorce sale is a different problem from choosing one for an ordinary sale: who the agent is allowed to talk to, who has to sign, what happens when one of you will not, and the three separate conflicts of interest that come up when one spouse found the agent first. How to choose a real estate agent for a divorce sale sets out what to ask, and how to check a credential yourself — no divorce credential is official with the National Association of Realtors.
The Cusp receives a referral fee from agents it vets and trains to handle divorce clients.
Your county
Divorce rules are set by the state, but each county or court has its own forms, deadlines, classes and filing habits. Choose yours.
Or go straight to your county or court:
Bridgeport Judicial District (call to confirm)Hartford Judicial District (call to confirm)New Britain Judicial District (call to confirm)New Haven Judicial District (call to confirm)Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District (call to confirm)Waterbury Judicial District (call to confirm)Bridgeport Judicial District Call or check the court website to confirm
Connecticut uses one statewide Superior Court system, and the statewide rules and forms read on official pages apply here as elsewhere. The courthouse is at 1061 Main Street, Bridgeport; its Public Information Desk is (203) 579-6193 (staffed at peak hours except legal holidays, not a clerk line). A separate Geographical Area 2 courthouse is listed at 172 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport, (203) 362-0150. Parenting education within 60 days of filing, fee waiver form JD-FM-75, and referral to Family Services mediation or special masters are statewide, not local. No district-specific rules or forms could be confirmed.
Who to contact: 1061 Main Street, Bridgeport; Public Information Desk (203) 579-6193
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Hartford Judicial District Call or check the court website to confirm
Connecticut uses one statewide Superior Court system, and the statewide rules and forms read on official pages apply here as elsewhere. The courthouse is at 101 Lafayette Street, Hartford; its Public Information Desk is (860) 566-1630, ext. 3032 (staffed at peak hours except legal holidays, not a clerk line). Parenting education within 60 days of filing, fee waiver form JD-FM-75, and referral to Family Services mediation or special masters are statewide, not local. No district-specific rules or forms could be confirmed.
Who to contact: 101 Lafayette Street, Hartford; Public Information Desk (860) 566-1630, ext. 3032
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
New Britain Judicial District Call or check the court website to confirm
Connecticut uses one statewide Superior Court system, and the statewide rules and forms read on official pages apply here as elsewhere. The courthouse is at 20 Franklin Square, New Britain; its Public Information Desk is (860) 515-5201 (staffed at peak hours except legal holidays, not a clerk line). Parenting education within 60 days of filing, fee waiver form JD-FM-75, and referral to Family Services mediation or special masters are statewide, not local. No district-specific rules or forms could be confirmed.
Who to contact: 20 Franklin Square, New Britain; Public Information Desk (860) 515-5201
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
New Haven Judicial District Call or check the court website to confirm
Connecticut uses one statewide Superior Court system, and the statewide rules and forms read on official pages apply here as elsewhere. The courthouse is at 121 Elm Street, New Haven; its Public Information Desk is (203) 773-6814 (staffed at peak hours except legal holidays, not a clerk line). Parenting education within 60 days of filing, fee waiver form JD-FM-75, and referral to Family Services mediation or special masters are statewide, not local. No district-specific rules or forms could be confirmed.
Who to contact: 121 Elm Street, New Haven; Public Information Desk (203) 773-6814
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Stamford-Norwalk Judicial District Call or check the court website to confirm
Connecticut uses one statewide Superior Court system, and the statewide rules and forms read on official pages apply here as elsewhere. The courthouse is at 123 Hoyt Street, Stamford; its Public Information Desk is (203) 965-5350 (staffed at peak hours except legal holidays, not a clerk line). Parenting education within 60 days of filing, fee waiver form JD-FM-75, and referral to Family Services mediation or special masters are statewide, not local. No district-specific rules or forms could be confirmed.
Who to contact: 123 Hoyt Street, Stamford; Public Information Desk (203) 965-5350
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Waterbury Judicial District Call or check the court website to confirm
Connecticut uses one statewide Superior Court system, and the statewide rules and forms read on official pages apply here as elsewhere. The courthouse is at 300 Grand Street, Waterbury; its Public Information Desk is (203) 591-3308 (staffed at peak hours except legal holidays, not a clerk line). A separate Geographical Area 4 courthouse is listed at 400 Grand Street, Waterbury, (203) 236-8270. Parenting education within 60 days of filing, fee waiver form JD-FM-75, and referral to Family Services mediation or special masters are statewide, not local. No district-specific rules or forms could be confirmed.
Who to contact: 300 Grand Street, Waterbury; Public Information Desk (203) 591-3308
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Not listed? Your county clerk of court can tell you the local rules. These are general information from court and clerk pages, last checked 2026-11-10, not legal advice.
Serving the papers in Connecticut? Any proper officer, usually a state marshal. The return is filed at least 6 days before the return date. (As we read the rules on 29 October 2026.) See who can serve a divorce summons and whether you can do it yourself, and find Connecticut in our state-by-state serving table.
Stay current
We re-check the law. We will tell you when your state’s changes.
One email, and only when something we have published about your state stops being true — a filing fee that moved, a statute that was amended, a form the court replaced. No newsletter, no sales, unsubscribe in one click.
We use your address for that one purpose. We do not sell it, and we do not add you to anything else. Privacy
How we can help
Understand the house first. Then talk to someone who gets it.
The house is usually the largest decision in a divorce, and the one people are least ready for. Here is what we do, in the order that makes sense.
1. Start with the facts, free
22 states have automatic orders that freeze both spouses the moment a divorce is filed, barring either one from selling or borrowing against the property. Is yours one of them?
Plain-English guides on what can happen to the house, what an automatic order stops you doing, and how the tax rules decide what a sale is worth. No account and nothing to buy.
- The four things that can happen to the house
- Selling the house: who signs, and the tax rules
- Keeping the house: the buyout and the carrying cost
2. Know when not to call an agent
Often the right answer is to wait, or to talk to your lawyer or an accountant first. We say so plainly. An agent is the wrong first call if nothing is filed, or if an order restricts what either of you can do with the property.
3. Talk to someone who gets it
When you do need an agent, we introduce you to a local agent who has completed our divorce real estate training and passed its 20-question exam. Before any introduction we check the license with the state regulator (any unresolved disciplinary action is a no), the agent’s closed sales, and a review rating of 4.7 or better. The introduction is free, and you are free to say no.
Ask for an introductionHow we are paid
You pay us nothing. Agents are not charged for the training, the exam or the free resources. If an introduction leads to a closed sale, the agent’s brokerage pays a referral fee out of its own commission, not out of your proceeds. A place on the panel cannot be bought.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The Cusp is not a law firm.
Selling a home in a divorce: what to ask a local listing agent
Selling the house is often the largest single decision in a divorce. These questions help you judge whether an agent has done it before. They do not replace your lawyer, who should approve the plan before anything is listed.
- Have you sold homes where both spouses had to sign, or where a court had to approve the sale? How many, and how recently?
- Does filing already restrain a sale in my state? Check the 50-state table and ask my lawyer before we sign anything.
- Who decides on price changes and which offers to accept when we disagree, and how will that be written down?
- Who pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance until closing, and what does the listing agreement say about it?
- Where will the sale proceeds be held until the decree says who gets what?
- How will you handle showings, access and lockboxes if we are not speaking?
- Will you give both spouses and both lawyers the same information at the same time?
- What happens to the listing agreement if we settle, reconcile or the case is delayed? What are the cancellation terms?
- Can I have your fee terms in writing and the names of past clients who sold during a divorce?