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How to Modify Child Support in Connecticut

Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Connecticut · Last updated September 21, 2026

In Connecticut, a deviation of fifteen percent or more between your current child support order and what the state guidelines would produce now is presumed a substantial change, and a child support modification is a court order or agency adjustment that changes an existing support amount after circumstances change (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). Support is set by the statewide child support guidelines tied to each parent's income (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-215b), so a job loss, a raise, or a new parenting schedule can push the current amount out of line. You can change an order in two ways. You can file a Motion for Modification (Form JD-FM-174) with the Superior Court that issued your order, or, if Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services manages your case, you can ask that agency to review it. A modification takes effect only back to the date the other parent is served with notice of your motion, not to when your circumstances changed, so support that already came due generally cannot be reduced (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). You can also request a review about every three years under federal rules. Keep paying your current order until the court changes it; do not simply stop. Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft.

Find out where you stand in Connecticut

Where are you with changing your child support order?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

How do I modify child support in Connecticut?

File a Motion for Modification (Form JD-FM-174) with the Superior Court that issued your order, or ask Support Enforcement Services to review your case. You must show a substantial change in circumstances or that the order substantially deviates from the state child support guidelines (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86).

How much of a change is needed to modify child support in Connecticut?

Connecticut recognizes a substantial change in circumstances, and by statute a deviation of fifteen percent or more between your current order and the child support guidelines amount is presumed substantial, while a deviation under fifteen percent is presumed not substantial (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86).

How far back can a child support change go in Connecticut?

A modification can reach back only to the date the other parent is served with notice of your pending motion, not to when your circumstances changed (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). Support that already came due generally cannot be reduced, so serving promptly protects you.

Which court or agency handles child support modifications in Connecticut?

The Superior Court, usually the family division, that entered your order handles modifications. If Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services manages your child support case, you can ask that agency to review the order, and it can bring the matter to court when needed.

Connecticut child support modification at a glance

In Connecticut, a child support modification is a court order or agency adjustment that changes an existing support amount after circumstances change, and the state uses a clear yardstick: a deviation of fifteen percent or more between your current order and what the child support guidelines would produce now is presumed a substantial change (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). Support follows the statewide guidelines tied to each parent's income (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-215b). You file a Motion for Modification (Form JD-FM-174) with the Superior Court that issued your order, or ask Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services to review your case. A change takes effect only back to the date the other parent is served with notice of the motion, so support that already came due generally cannot be reduced.

Lowering a Connecticut order after a layoff

Because Connecticut presumes a deviation of fifteen percent or more from the child support guidelines is a substantial change, suppose your income dropped after a layoff and the guidelines now produce an amount well below your current order. You complete Form JD-FM-174, the Motion for Modification, attach a Financial Affidavit showing your lower income, and file both with the Superior Court that issued your order. You have the other parent served right away, because a change can reach back only to the date of service (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86), and you keep paying the current amount until the court rules. At the hearing the court recalculates support under the guidelines and signs a lower order effective from the service date. Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft.

Relevant Laws

Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86 (modification of support orders)

Provides that a support order may be modified upon a showing of a substantial change in the circumstances of either party or that the order substantially deviates from the child support guidelines, creates a rebuttable presumption that a deviation of fifteen percent or more is substantial, and bars retroactive modification earlier than the date of service of notice of the pending motion.

Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-215b (child support guidelines)

Requires the child support and arrearage guidelines to be considered in all determinations of child support amounts, establishing the statewide formula, tied to each parent's income, that a court uses when recalculating support in a modification.

Connecticut Judicial Branch Motion for Modification (Form JD-FM-174)

The statewide Motion for Modification form used to ask the Superior Court to change an existing child support, alimony, custody, or visitation order, filed with a Financial Affidavit.

Connecticut Judicial Branch self-help: Filing a Motion for Modification

The Judicial Branch self-help page explaining how to file a Motion for Modification, which forms to use including Form JD-FM-174 and the Financial Affidavit, and how to serve the other party.

Regional Variances

Connecticut child support modification rules at a glance

Qualifying threshold

A substantial change in the circumstances of either party, or a substantial deviation from the child support guidelines. A deviation of fifteen percent or more from the guidelines is presumed substantial, and a deviation under fifteen percent is presumed not substantial (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86).

Where to file

The Superior Court, usually the family division, that entered your order. If Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services manages your case, you can ask that agency to review the order and adjust or file for a change.

Modification form

Form JD-FM-174, the Motion for Modification, filed with a Financial Affidavit (Form JD-FM-6) and, in cases involving children, an Affidavit Concerning Children (Form JD-FM-164). Forms are free from the Connecticut Judicial Branch.

Retroactivity

A modification can reach back only to the date the other parent is served with notice of the pending motion, not to when circumstances changed (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). Support that already came due generally cannot be reduced.

Periodic review

If Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services handles your case, you can generally request a review about every three years under federal rules without showing a change, and sooner when a substantial change occurs.

Suggested Compliance Checklist

Gather proof of your changed circumstances

Before you file days after starting

Collect current pay stubs, tax returns, and proof of the change (job loss, income change, or a new parenting schedule), and estimate the new guideline amount (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-215b). Attorney review of your filing is available through DocDraft.

Complete the Motion for Modification (JD-FM-174)

As soon as your circumstances change days after starting

Fill out Form JD-FM-174 asking to change child support, state the current order and the change you want, and attach a Financial Affidavit (Form JD-FM-6). Use the free Connecticut Judicial Branch forms and instructions.

File with the Superior Court

Promptly (the change dates back to service) days after starting

File your Motion for Modification and Financial Affidavit with the Superior Court clerk and pay the fee, or ask the court to waive it. Because a change reaches back only to the service date, do not delay (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86).

Serve the other parent

Right after filing days after starting

Have the other parent served with notice of your motion under state rules, then file proof of service. The service date sets how far back a modification can reach, so complete service promptly (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86).

Consider a Support Enforcement Services review

Anytime your case is with the agency days after starting

If Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services manages your case, ask it to review your order against the child support guidelines. Under federal rules you can generally request a review about every three years.

Attend court and get the new order

On your court date days after starting

Go to the hearing with your income proof, let the court recalculate support under the guidelines, and get the signed order effective back to the service date. Keep paying the current order until then.

Frequently Asked Questions

A genuine, involuntary income drop can be a substantial change in circumstances, but you must file a Motion for Modification to change the amount; support keeps accruing at the current rate until the court acts (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). A court may weigh whether you are earning what you reasonably could. Do not simply stop paying.

No. Either parent can file a Motion for Modification alone, and the other parent is served and can respond. If both parents agree on a new amount, they can submit a written agreement for the court to review, but the court still checks it against the state child support guidelines (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-215b).

After you file Form JD-FM-174 and serve the other parent, the Superior Court sets a hearing, often several weeks to a few months out depending on the court. An agreed change or a Support Enforcement Services review can be faster. Because a change reaches back only to the service date, act promptly.

If Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services manages your case, you can ask it to review your order. The review compares your current order with the child support guidelines and can lead to an agreed adjustment or a motion filed with the Superior Court on your behalf.

A modification changes support only from the date the other parent was served forward (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). Support that already came due, called arrears, generally cannot be reduced or erased by a modification. Keep paying your current order to avoid building arrears while your motion is pending.

Filing a Motion for Modification in the Superior Court carries a filing fee, but you can ask the court to waive it if you cannot afford it. A review through Support Enforcement Services or the Department of Social Services does not charge you a separate fee for reviewing the order.

You start with Form JD-FM-174, the Motion for Modification, and attach a current Financial Affidavit (Form JD-FM-6). Cases involving children also use an Affidavit Concerning Children (Form JD-FM-164). The Connecticut Judicial Branch provides these forms and instructions free on its website.

You can file whenever a substantial change in circumstances occurs or the order deviates fifteen percent or more from the guidelines (Conn. Gen. Stat. 46b-86). If an agency handles your case, you can generally request a review about every three years under federal rules, even without a change.

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