Who serves a Connecticut contempt motion on the other parent?

A state marshal, not the filer. The marshal must serve a true and attested copy of the motion and the court's order at least 12 days before the hearing, and proof of service must be filed with the court at least 6 days before the hearing date.

Does a Connecticut contempt motion need to be notarized?

No. The filer signs a certification stating the information is true to the best of their knowledge. Connecticut's JD-FM-173 form does not require a notarized sworn affidavit the way some other states do.

Can a Connecticut court send someone to jail for contempt?

Jail is never automatic. The court decides after a hearing whether the order was violated and whether the violation was willful. A party who did not comply can defend by showing compliance was objectively impossible, not merely difficult.

Will a Connecticut court order the other parent to pay my attorney's fees for a contempt motion?

It may, but it is discretionary and cuts both ways under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-87, which covers contempt of an order entered under Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 46b-60 to 46b-62, 46b-81 to 46b-83, or 46b-86: the court can award the movant a reasonable attorney's fee and the marshal's service fee if contempt is found, but if the respondent is found not to be in contempt, the court can instead award a reasonable attorney's fee to the respondent.

What defenses can stop a Connecticut contempt finding?

An inability-to-pay or no-willfulness defense. The respondent can defeat the motion by showing that the failure to comply was not willful because compliance was objectively impossible, not just difficult.

Should a Connecticut parent stop paying child support just because the other parent is denying parenting time?

No. Withholding court-ordered support because parenting time was denied, or denying parenting time because support is unpaid, is not a lawful response in Connecticut and can itself become the basis for a contempt finding against the parent who does it.

Does this Connecticut contempt page cover changing custody or the support amount?

No. This page covers enforcing an existing Connecticut order through a contempt motion. Changing the support amount or the custody or visitation schedule is a separate matter covered on the child support modification and parenting plan pages.

Connecticut Motion for Contempt

Q: What is Connecticut's version of a motion for contempt?

Connecticut calls it a Motion for Contempt/Contempt Citation, filed on Judicial Branch form JD-FM-173 in the same family case and under the same docket number as the order being enforced. The same form doubles as the court's own order commanding the other party to appear and show why they should not be held in contempt.

Q: Is there a set jail time limit for family contempt in Connecticut?

The JD-FM-173 form cites Conn. Gen. Stat. section 51-33's general contempt cap of a $100 fine and 6 months in jail, but that statute's own case-law annotation says the cap does not apply to contempt of a family court's equitable orders. So do not assume the 6-month figure limits jail for contempt of a family order; for support arrears the court can instead order a payment plan as a coercive, curable condition.

Q: Is there a faster way to collect unpaid child support in Connecticut than filing a contempt motion?

Often yes. Connecticut splits enforcement across the Department of Social Services' Office of Child Support Services, the Judicial Branch's Support Enforcement Services, and the Family Support Magistrates, and tools such as income withholding, a court-ordered payment plan, or suspension of a driver's, professional, or occupational license under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-220 can often be used without a contempt finding.

A state marshal, not the filer, must serve the papers before the hearing, and the general contempt penalty the form cites is annotated as not applying to a family court order.

Find out where you stand in Connecticut

What court order is not being followed?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

Connecticut enforces a family court order through a Motion for Contempt/Contempt Citation, filed on Judicial Branch form JD-FM-173 in the same case and under the same docket number as the order being enforced. The Judicial Branch's self-help page states that two documents must be completed: the Motion for Contempt/Contempt Citation, form JD-FM-173, and an Appearance, form JD-CL-12. The form asks whether the case is a family support magistrate, or IV-D, matter, which routes support enforcement to the Family Support Magistrate Division of the Superior Court. Once filed, the same form doubles as the court's own order commanding the other party to appear and show why they should not be held in contempt. The filer cannot serve the papers; a state marshal must serve a true and attested copy on the other party at least 12 days before the court date, and proof of service must be filed with the court at least 6 days before the hearing. The motion must state the date and specific language of the order violated, the specific acts alleged to constitute the contempt including the amount of any arrears claimed, and the relief requested. The filer signs a certification that the statements are true to the best of their knowledge, not a notarized sworn affidavit. At the hearing, a party who did not comply can defend on the ground that the failure was not willful, by showing compliance was objectively impossible, not merely difficult. A contempt finding and jail are never automatic, and the court decides case by case. The JD-FM-173 form cites Conn. Gen. Stat. section 51-33, which caps general contempt at a $100 fine and 6 months in jail, but that statute's own case-law annotation says the cap does not apply to contempt of a family court's equitable orders, so do not assume the 6-month figure limits jail for contempt of a family order; for arrears the court can instead order a payment plan as a coercive but curable condition. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-87, when someone is found in contempt of an order entered under Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 46b-60 to 46b-62, 46b-81 to 46b-83, or 46b-86, the court may award the filer a reasonable attorney's fee and the marshal's service fee; if the other party is found not in contempt, the court may award that party a reasonable attorney's fee. Do not withhold court-ordered support because parenting time was denied, and do not deny parenting time because support is unpaid; either one can itself be treated as contempt. This page does not cover changing the amount of support or the custody schedule; use DocDraft's child support modification and parenting plan pages for that. If domestic violence or a safety risk is involved, use DocDraft's getting a restraining order guide instead of confronting the other party. For unpaid child support, Connecticut splits enforcement across the Department of Social Services' Office of Child Support Services, the Judicial Branch's Support Enforcement Services, and the Family Support Magistrates, and tools such as income withholding, a payment plan, or license suspension can often be used without a contempt finding. The Judicial Branch form, not this page, controls what is filed. Attorney review is available before filing.

Key Things to Know

1
Connecticut calls this a Motion for Contempt/Contempt Citation, filed on Judicial Branch form JD-FM-173 in the same case as the order being enforced. The self-help page states two documents must be completed: JD-FM-173 and an Appearance, form JD-CL-12. The form itself also functions as the court's own order commanding the other party to appear and show cause.
2
The papers cannot be served by the filer. A state marshal must serve a true and attested copy on the other party at least 12 days before the hearing, and proof of service must be filed with the court at least 6 days before the hearing date.
3
The motion must state the date and specific language of the order violated, the specific acts alleged to constitute the contempt including the amount of any arrears claimed, and the relief requested. The filer signs a certification that the statement is true to the best of their knowledge; Connecticut does not require a notarized sworn affidavit for this filing.
4
A party who did not comply can defend on the ground that the failure was not willful, by showing compliance was objectively impossible, not merely difficult. The court decides after a hearing, and a contempt finding is never automatic.
5
Do not withhold court-ordered support because parenting time was denied, and do not deny parenting time because support is unpaid. Either move is not a lawful response and can itself become the basis for a contempt finding against the parent who does it.
6
The JD-FM-173 form cites Conn. Gen. Stat. section 51-33's $100 fine and 6-month jail cap, but that statute's own annotation says the cap does not apply to contempt of family court orders, so do not assume the 6-month figure limits jail here; for arrears the court can instead order a payment plan. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-87, for contempt of an order entered under Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 46b-60 to 46b-62, 46b-81 to 46b-83, or 46b-86, the court may award the filer a reasonable attorney's fee and the marshal's service fee, or award a respondent found not in contempt a reasonable attorney's fee.
7
Connecticut splits child support enforcement three ways: the Department of Social Services' Office of Child Support Services, the Judicial Branch's Support Enforcement Services, and the Family Support Magistrates, and tools like income withholding, a payment plan, or license suspension under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-220 can often be used without a contempt finding. This page does not cover modifying support or custody, and a domestic violence or safety risk should go through DocDraft's restraining order guide instead.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Motion for Contempt in Connecticut, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Motion for Contempt guide walks through them.

Open the Motion for Contempt guide

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DRAFT MOTION FOR CONTEMPT

Connecticut's official form for this filing is Judicial Branch form JD-FM-173, and the court's form controls. This draft prepares the information that form asks for.

SUPERIOR COURT JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF [JUDICIAL DISTRICT] AT [COURT LOCATION]

[MOVANT NAME] Case No. [CASE NUMBER] v. [RESPONDENT NAME]

This motion is [PENDENTE LITE OR POSTJUDGMENT] and concerns [TYPE OF ORDER].

ORDER VIOLATED. On [DATE OF ORDER], this court ordered [RESPONDENT NAME] to [EXACT WORDING OF THE ORDER].
WAYS THE ORDER HAS NOT BEEN FOLLOWED. a. On [DATE OF FIRST VIOLATION], [RESPONDENT NAME] failed to [DESCRIPTION OF THE ACT OR OMISSION]. b. On [DATE OF SECOND VIOLATION], [RESPONDENT NAME] failed to [DESCRIPTION OF THE ACT OR OMISSION]. c. On [DATE OF THIRD VIOLATION], [RESPONDENT NAME] failed to [DESCRIPTION OF THE ACT OR OMISSION].
ARREARS CLAIMED. As of [DATE OF THIS MOTION], the amount of arrears claimed due is [DOLLAR AMOUNT], covering the period from [START DATE] through [END DATE].
CLAIM FOR RELIEF. [MOVANT NAME] asks the court to find [RESPONDENT NAME] in contempt of the order described above and to enter any other orders the court finds appropriate, including a plan for payment of the arrears, if the order was an order entered under Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 46b-60 to 46b-62, 46b-81 to 46b-83, or 46b-86, a reasonable attorney's fee and the marshal's fee for serving this motion under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-87, and [ANY OTHER SPECIFIC RELIEF REQUESTED].
IMMEDIATE INCOME WITHHOLDING ORDER. [MOVANT NAME] [DOES OR DOES NOT] request an immediate income withholding order.

I confirm that the above information is true to the best of my knowledge.

[SIGNATURE OF MOVANT OR ATTORNEY] [PRINTED NAME] [ADDRESS] [CITY, CONNECTICUT ZIP] [TELEPHONE NUMBER]

CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE ON PARTIES OF RECORD I certify that a copy of this motion was provided on [DATE] to all attorneys and self-represented parties of record.

[SIGNATURE]

SERVICE BY STATE MARSHAL

After the court issues its order to attend on form JD-FM-173, a state marshal, not [MOVANT NAME] personally, must serve a true and attested copy of this motion and the court's order on [RESPONDENT NAME] at least 12 days before the court event, and proof of service must be filed with the court at least 6 days before the court event.

Connecticut Requirements for Motion for Contempt

Official Statewide Form JD-FM-173
Connecticut's Judicial Branch form for this filing is JD-FM-173, which also functions as the court's own order commanding the other party to appear; the Judicial Branch states that the form and an Appearance, form JD-CL-12, must be completed.
Marshal-Only Service, No Self-Service
The filer cannot serve the papers personally. A state marshal must serve a true and attested copy of the motion and the court's order on the other party at least 12 days before the hearing date.
Proof of Service Deadline
Proof of service must be filed with the court at least 6 days before the hearing date, as stated in the order printed on JD-FM-173.
Required Pleading Contents
The motion must state the date and specific language of the order violated, the specific acts alleged to constitute the contempt including the amount of any arrears claimed, and the movant's claim for relief, plus a caption designation of whether the matter is pendente lite or postjudgment and the subject matter of the order (Conn. Practice Book section 25-27).
Certification in Lieu of Notarized Affidavit
The filer signs a certification that the information is true to the best of their knowledge, not a notarized sworn affidavit.
Willfulness and Ability-to-Pay Defense
The motion targets a willful violation of the order; the respondent can defend by showing the failure was not willful because compliance was objectively impossible, not merely difficult.
General Contempt Cap Does Not Bind Family Orders
Conn. Gen. Stat. section 51-33 caps general contempt at a $100 fine and 6 months in jail, but that statute's own annotation says the cap does not apply to contempt of a family court's equitable orders, so the 6-month figure should not be assumed to limit jail here; for arrears the court can instead order a payment plan.
Two-Way Fee-Shifting Under Section 46b-87
When someone is found in contempt of an order entered under Conn. Gen. Stat. sections 46b-60 to 46b-62, 46b-81 to 46b-83, or 46b-86, the court may award the movant a reasonable attorney's fee and the marshal's fee for serving the citation; if the respondent is found not in contempt, the court may award the respondent a reasonable attorney's fee (Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-87).
Non-Contempt Enforcement Tools
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. section 46b-215(a)(9), the court or a family support magistrate can order a payment plan for arrears, income withholding, or suspension of a driver's, professional, occupational, or recreational license under section 46b-220, without a contempt finding.

Find out where you stand in Connecticut

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Motion for Contempt Template with DocDraft

Connecticut Requirements for Motion for Contempt

Official Statewide Form JD-FM-173

Marshal-Only Service, No Self-Service

Proof of Service Deadline

Required Pleading Contents

Certification in Lieu of Notarized Affidavit

Willfulness and Ability-to-Pay Defense

General Contempt Cap Does Not Bind Family Orders

Two-Way Fee-Shifting Under Section 46b-87

Non-Contempt Enforcement Tools

Frequently Asked Questions