CT Divorce Papers: Core Forms, Filing, and Serving a Spouse

To file for divorce in Connecticut, you need four core court forms: a Summons (JD-FM-3), a Divorce Complaint (JD-FM-159), a Notice of Automatic Court Orders (JD-FM-158), and a Financial Affidavit (JD-FM-6 short or long). CT divorce papers are filed with the clerk of the Superior Court, cost $360 to file, and must be personally served on your spouse by a Connecticut State Marshal. After that, a mandatory 90-day waiting period runs before a judge can finalize anything.

Who Can File in Connecticut

At least one spouse must have lived in Connecticut for 12 consecutive months before the court can enter a final divorce decree. You can file the paperwork before hitting that mark, but the court will not sign off on the final order until the residency clock runs out.¹ Two narrow exceptions exist: one spouse lived in Connecticut when the marriage happened, moved away, and then returned with the intent to stay permanently, or the reason for the divorce arose after either spouse moved into the state.

Connecticut is a no-fault state. Most filers simply check the box saying the marriage has “broken down irretrievably.” Fault-based grounds like adultery, desertion, and prolonged separation are still on the books, but they require you to prove wrongdoing, and most people skip that route.¹

The Core Forms You Need to File

The person who files first is the plaintiff. The other spouse is the defendant. Nearly every form on the list is free to download from the Connecticut Judicial Branch website.

Summons (JD-FM-3)

The Summons is the official notice telling your spouse a legal action has begun. It identifies the court, names both parties, and lists the return date that governs the case timeline.²

Divorce Complaint (JD-FM-159)

The Complaint is the substance of the filing. It asks for the wedding date and location, confirms whether either spouse meets the residency requirement, and states whether the marriage has broken down irretrievably. If you have minor children, you list their names and dates of birth. At the bottom, you check what you want the court to order: the divorce itself, property division, alimony, child support, custody, or a name change.³

Included with the Complaint is a public assistance certification (Form JD-FM-175). If you, your spouse, or your children have ever received state benefits such as HUSKY healthcare, you must disclose it. Connecticut law requires the Attorney General to become a party in any support proceeding where public assistance has been received.⁴

Notice of Automatic Court Orders (JD-FM-158)

Every filing must include this form. It binds the plaintiff the moment the complaint is signed and the defendant the moment the papers are served.⁵ More on what it restricts below.

Financial Affidavit (JD-FM-6 Short or Long)

Both spouses must file a Financial Affidavit, a sworn breakdown of income, expenses, assets, and debts. Which version you file depends on your finances. If your gross annual income and total net assets are both under $75,000, use the short form (JD-FM-6-SHORT). If either figure crosses $75,000, use the long form (JD-FM-6-LONG).⁶⁷

Both versions ask for weekly gross and net income, a detailed list of monthly expenses, the value of real estate and vehicles, retirement account balances, and outstanding debts. Judges rely on this document to calculate child support, decide alimony, and divide property. Because it is sworn under oath, misrepresentation can trigger sanctions or, in serious cases, criminal charges.

Filing the Papers and Getting the Fee Waived

The completed package goes to the clerk of the Superior Court. The filing fee is $360.⁸

If you cannot afford the fee, file an Application for Waiver of Fees (Form JD-FM-75). It asks the court to excuse the entry fee, service costs, parenting education costs, or other expenses based on your finances.⁹

Serving Your Spouse

Once the clerk processes your papers, a Connecticut State Marshal must personally hand them to your spouse. This is called service of process, and it is what gives the court jurisdiction. You cannot serve the papers yourself. The base fee for a marshal to serve one defendant is $40, set by state regulation. Multiple attempts or significant travel add mileage fees.¹⁰

After delivery, the marshal files a return of service with the court confirming the date and method. Without that proof, the case cannot move forward.

If You Cannot Locate Your Spouse

If your spouse has disappeared or moved out of state and you cannot find them after a genuine effort, you can ask the court for permission to serve notice by publication. Connecticut law allows a judge to order whatever notice is “deemed reasonable” when the other party lives outside the state or cannot be found.¹¹ You will need to show the court what you did to find them: checking the last known address, searching public records, contacting family. If the judge approves, notice is typically published in a newspaper, and the case can proceed once publication is complete.

What the Automatic Orders Restrict

The automatic orders take effect the moment your case starts, so it pays to know what you are agreeing to before you sign the Complaint.

In every case, neither spouse may sell, hide, or transfer property without the other’s written consent or a court order. Neither may take on unreasonable debt, borrow against a home equity line, or change beneficiaries on life insurance. Neither may drop the other from health, dental, or hospital insurance.⁵

When minor children are involved, more restrictions apply. Neither parent may permanently move the children out of Connecticut without the other’s written permission or a court order. Both must keep existing medical and dental coverage in place. And both must complete a parenting education program within 60 days of the return date.⁵

Violating an automatic order can result in a contempt finding, which may carry fines or jail time.

After You File: The 90-Day Wait and Pathways

The return date on your Summons marks the official start of the case on the court’s calendar. From that date, Connecticut law imposes a mandatory 90-day waiting period before the court can finalize the divorce.¹² No matter how amicable the split, the court will not sign a final decree before then.

During the wait, your case enters the Pathways process, Connecticut’s system for managing family cases. You will be scheduled for a Resolution Plan Date, where a Family Relations Counselor meets with both parties to identify what you agree on, what you don’t, and what help you need — mediation, a settlement conference, or a trial track.¹³

If you and your spouse settle everything, the court can approve your agreement at any scheduled court date, or without a hearing if you submit the right paperwork. If you cannot agree, the case moves to a pretrial settlement conference and eventually a trial.¹³

Parenting Education if You Have Children

If minor children are involved, the court will almost certainly order both parents into a parenting education program. It covers how divorce affects children at different ages, ways to reduce conflict, co-parenting communication, and guidelines for parenting time. The program cannot exceed ten hours, and the fee is capped at $200 per person, adjusted annually for inflation. No one is turned away for inability to pay.¹⁴

You must complete the program within 60 days of the return date.⁵ The court can waive the requirement if both parties agree and the judge signs off, or if a judge decides participation is unnecessary on motion. A comparable program you complete on your own can also satisfy the requirement, but the court has to approve the substitute.¹⁴

The Nonadversarial Shortcut

Connecticut offers a streamlined path called nonadversarial divorce that can wrap up in as few as 35 days without a court appearance. Eligibility is strict. Both spouses must agree on everything, and all of the following must be true:

The marriage is nine years old or less.
Neither spouse has children born to or adopted during the marriage, and neither spouse is pregnant.
Neither spouse holds any interest in real property.
Total property value is under $80,000.
Neither spouse has a defined benefit pension plan.
Neither spouse has a pending bankruptcy.
No restraining or protective orders exist between the spouses.

Instead of a Summons and Complaint, you file a Joint Petition for Nonadversarial Divorce (JD-FM-242), a nonadversarial version of the automatic orders (JD-FM-260), and short-form Financial Affidavits from both spouses. The 90-day waiting period does not apply.¹⁵¹²

If you have children, own real estate, have a pension, or have been married more than nine years, this option is off the table regardless of how well you get along. You would file through the standard process, though agreement between spouses still speeds things up considerably.

If You Need Support Before the Case Ends

The automatic orders freeze the status quo, but they do not put money in your pocket. If you need temporary child support, spousal support, exclusive use of the family home, or a specific custody arrangement while the divorce is pending, file a Motion for Orders Before Judgment (JD-FM-176). Temporary orders stay in effect until the final decree replaces them or a judge modifies them.¹⁶ Filing this early prevents months of financial strain while the case works through the system.

1
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 815j – Dissolution of Marriage, Legal Separation and Annulment
2
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Summons Family Actions – JD-FM-3
3
State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Divorce Complaint (Dissolution of Marriage) – JD-FM-159
4
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 816 – Support
5
State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Notice of Automatic Court Orders – JD-FM-158
6
Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut. Financial Affidavit – JD-FM-6-SHORT
7
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Financial Affidavit – JD-FM-6-LONG
8
Justia Law. Connecticut Code Title 52 Chapter 901 – Section 52-259
9
Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut. Application for Waiver of Fees, Payment of Costs, Appointment of Counsel – Family – JD-FM-75
10
Connecticut State Library. Connecticut State Marshal Manual
11
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut Code Chapter 896 – Civil Process, Service and Time for Return
12
Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut’s Expedited Divorce Processes
13
Connecticut Judicial Branch. The Pathways Process in Your Divorce, Custody or Visitation Case
14
Justia Law. Connecticut Code Title 46b Chapter 815j – Section 46b-69b
15
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Is Nonadversarial Divorce for You
16
Connecticut Judicial Branch. Motion for Orders Before Judgment (Pendente Lite) – JD-FM-176