Connecticut Answer to a Complaint
Connecticut counts your answer from the return day, not service. Pleadings must advance within 30 days under Practice Book 10-8 to avoid a default judgment.
Introduction
A Connecticut Answer to a Complaint is the written pleading you file with the clerk of the Superior Court after you are served with a writ, summons and complaint. It admits or denies the complaint's allegations, raises the affirmative defenses you intend to rely on, and, if you have a related claim, includes a counterclaim. What sets Connecticut apart is the clock. Your answer deadline is not measured from the date you were served. Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-8, pleadings begin on the return day of the writ, summons and complaint, and the answer and other pleadings addressed to the complaint must advance within thirty days from the return day. Connecticut also runs a two-step sequence: you first file an appearance, and the answer follows under the pleading rules. There is no statewide fill-in answer form for general civil cases that replaces a typed pleading, though the Judicial Branch publishes form JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint Civil Cases Only) and the answer is captioned under section 4-1. Miss the deadline and the plaintiff can move for default for failure to plead under section 17-32(a). DocDraft drafts a Connecticut-formatted answer from your facts, with attorney review available before you file.
Key Things to Know
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Your deadline runs from the return day, not from service. Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-8, pleadings begin on the return day of the writ, summons and complaint, and the answer must advance within thirty calendar days from the return day, with the last day extended to the next business day if the clerk's office is closed under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 51-347c.
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Connecticut uses a two-step sequence. You first file an appearance with the court, then the answer and other pleadings addressed to the complaint advance under the section 10-8 thirty-day schedule. Filing an appearance is not the same as filing your answer.
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There is no statewide fill-in answer for general civil cases. The Judicial Branch publishes form JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint Civil Cases Only), but a general civil answer is typically a typed pleading captioned under Conn. Practice Book section 4-1 for the Superior Court named on the summons.
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Small claims still requires a written answer. Under Conn. Practice Book section 24-16(a) a small claims defendant is defaulted unless an answer, or a motion to transfer under section 24-21, is filed by the answer date, which section 24-12 sets at not less than 15 nor more than 45 days after the writ is filed. Appearing without filing a written answer is not enough.
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An eviction answer is much faster. In a summary process (eviction) action, the pleading time period under Conn. Practice Book section 10-8 is three days from the return day, counted as calendar days with the section 51-347c next-business-day extension.
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There is a filing fee, with a waiver. The Superior Court appearance fee is $175, with no separate fee for the answer unless you file a counterclaim. If you cannot afford it, request a waiver on form JD-CV-120 for civil, housing, and small claims matters, or JD-FM-75 for family matters.
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A related claim may be a counterclaim. Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-10 a counterclaim is permitted when it arises out of the transaction that is the subject of the complaint, and the statute of limitations on a written contract is six years under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 52-576.
Key Decisions
Answer to a Complaint Requirements
The full name of the court and judicial district where the lawsuit was filed, exactly as it appears on the summons.
The plaintiff's and defendant's full legal names as listed in the complaint, with you named as the defendant.
The case or docket number assigned by the court, found on the summons and the complaint.
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Connecticut Requirements for Answer to a Complaint
Your deadline runs from the return day of the writ, summons and complaint, not from the date of service. Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-8 the answer and other pleadings addressed to the complaint must advance within thirty calendar days from the return day, with the last day extended to the next business day if the clerk's office is closed under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 51-347c. In a summary process (eviction) action the period is three days from the return day.
Connecticut runs a two-step sequence. You first file an appearance with the court, and the answer follows under the pleading rules. There is no statewide fill-in answer that replaces a typed pleading for a general civil case, though the Judicial Branch publishes form JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint Civil Cases Only). Filing an appearance is not the same as filing your answer.
Caption the answer under Conn. Practice Book section 4-1 for the Superior Court location named on the summons, including the judicial district, the docket number, the parties' names, the return date, and the title Answer. Type the pleading so it admits or denies each numbered allegation of the complaint.
File your answer with the Clerk of the Superior Court at the location specified on the summons. Electronic filing through E-Services is mandatory for attorneys under Conn. Practice Book section 4-4, while self-represented parties may file electronically or in paper.
Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-12, serve a copy of your answer on all parties by mail or electronic delivery and attach a certification of service stating how and when you served it. Keep proof of service.
The Superior Court appearance fee is $175, with no separate fee for the answer unless you file a counterclaim. If you cannot afford it because of indigence or inability to pay, request a waiver on form JD-CV-120 for civil, housing, and small claims matters, or JD-FM-75 for family matters.
State each affirmative defense you intend to rely on, such as accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award, duress, fraud, illegality, payment, release, statute of limitations, or res judicata. The statute of limitations on a written contract is six years under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 52-576.
Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-10 you may plead a counterclaim that arises out of the transaction, or one of the transactions, that is the subject of the plaintiff's complaint. The rule uses a transaction test, so raising a related claim with your answer keeps it in the same case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Connecticut measures the deadline from the return day, not the date you were served. Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-8, pleadings begin on the return day of the writ, summons and complaint, and the answer must advance within thirty days from the return day, counted as calendar days. The window is shorter in a summary process (eviction) action, where section 10-8 sets a three-day pleading period from the return day. In small claims a written answer is due by the answer date printed on the writ, which section 24-12 sets 15 to 45 days after the writ is filed. Missing your deadline can lead to a default judgment.
Connecticut does not have a single statewide fill-in form that replaces a typed answer in a general civil case. The Judicial Branch publishes form JD-CV-106 (Answer to Complaint Civil Cases Only), but a general civil answer is commonly a typed pleading that admits or denies each allegation and is captioned under Conn. Practice Book section 4-1 for the Superior Court named on the summons. The answer can also raise affirmative defenses and a counterclaim.
File your answer with the Clerk of the Superior Court at the location specified on the summons. Electronic filing through E-Services is mandatory for attorneys under Conn. Practice Book section 4-4, while self-represented parties may file electronically or in paper. General civil matters are heard in the Superior Court of Connecticut, and small claims cases up to $5,000, or $15,000 for home improvement contracts, are heard in the Small Claims Session of the Superior Court.
Connecticut charges a $175 appearance fee in the Superior Court, and there is no separate fee for the answer itself unless you file a counterclaim. If you cannot afford the fee because of indigence or inability to pay, you can ask the court to waive it by filing form JD-CV-120 for civil, housing, and small claims matters, or form JD-FM-75 for family matters.
If you do not plead by the section 10-8 deadline, the plaintiff may file a written motion for default for failure to plead under Conn. Practice Book section 17-32(a), which the clerk may act on not less than seven days after the motion is filed. If a default judgment enters, you may file a Motion to Open Judgment upon Default under section 17-43(a) within four months after notice was sent, showing mistake, accident, or other reasonable cause that prevented your defense, and that a good defense existed.
Yes. Under Conn. Practice Book section 10-10 you may plead a counterclaim that arises out of the transaction, or one of the transactions, that is the subject of the plaintiff's complaint. The rule uses a transaction test rather than making the counterclaim strictly compulsory, but raising a related claim with your answer keeps it in the same case. The statute of limitations on a written contract is six years under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 52-576.