How to File for Divorce in Connecticut (2026)
Reviewed by DocDraft Legal Team · Connecticut · Last updated 2026-05-18
If you are ending a marriage in Connecticut, the procedure, the forms, and the property rules are all set by Connecticut law. Connecticut follows equitable distribution (a fair, not automatically equal, split), and a divorce is granted when the marriage is irretrievably broken. The state's residency threshold is specific: A complaint for dissolution may be filed at any time after either party has established Connecticut residence, but no decree may be entered unless one of three conditions is met: (1) one party has been a Connecticut resident for at least 12 months before either the filing or the decree; (2) one party was domiciled in Connecticut at the time of marriage and returned with intent to remain; or (3) the cause for the dissolution arose after either party moved to Connecticut. The sections that follow cover the Connecticut filing path step by step, starting from Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40.
Key Considerations
The asset question in a Connecticut divorce is governed by equitable-distribution. Equitable distribution with broad judicial discretion under all-property approach: the court may assign to either spouse all or any part of the estate of the other after considering enumerated factors (length of marriage, causes for dissolution, age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities, needs, and opportunity for future acquisition of capital assets and income). The controlling authority is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81.
Connecticut's child-support math is rule-bound. Income-shares model under the Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines, promulgated by the Commission for Child Support Guidelines; calculation tied to combined net weekly income with adjustments for parenting time, health insurance, and child care It is set out in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-215a; Connecticut Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines, with the official calculator via the state agency.
On spousal support, Court may order alimony (permanent, time-limited, lump-sum, or rehabilitative) after considering the same factors as property division plus the desirability of the custodial parent securing employment; no statutory formula, broad judicial discretion. The governing authority is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82.
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Relevant Documents
In Connecticut, Form JD-FM-159 (Divorce Complaint / Cross Complaint - Dissolution of Marriage), accompanied by JD-FM-3 (Notice of Automatic Court Orders), JD-FM-6 (Summons-Family), and JD-FM-6-LONG (Financial Affidavit) Forms are published via the state agency.
Child Support Worksheet
This document calculates the appropriate amount of child support based on both parents' incomes, the custody arrangement, and other factors.
Final Decree of Divorce
This is the final court order that legally ends your marriage and includes all the terms of your divorce including property division, support, and child custody arrangements.
Financial Disclosure Declaration
Both spouses must complete this document detailing all assets, debts, income, and expenses to ensure fair division of property and appropriate support amounts.
Marital Settlement Agreement
This document outlines the terms of your divorce agreement including property division, debt allocation, spousal support, and child custody arrangements if applicable.
Parenting Plan
If you have children, this document details the custody arrangement, visitation schedule, and decision-making responsibilities for the children.
Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)
This document is necessary if you need to divide retirement accounts or pension benefits between spouses as part of the divorce settlement.
Response to Petition for Dissolution
If you're the responding spouse, this document allows you to answer the claims in the petition and state your own requests regarding the divorce terms.
Summons
This document notifies your spouse that a divorce action has been filed and that they have a certain amount of time to respond.
Wage Withholding Order
This document directs an employer to withhold child support or spousal support payments from a spouse's paycheck.
Relevant Laws
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-40 - Grounds for dissolution of marriage
This statute establishes that Connecticut is a 'no-fault' divorce state, meaning you can file for divorce based on 'irretrievable breakdown' of the marriage without proving fault. However, Connecticut also maintains traditional fault grounds including adultery, fraudulent contract, willful desertion, seven years' absence, habitual intemperance, intolerable cruelty, life imprisonment, or confinement for mental illness.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-81 - Property division in dissolution proceedings
This law governs how marital property is divided in Connecticut divorces. Connecticut follows 'equitable distribution' principles, meaning property is divided fairly but not necessarily equally. The court considers factors including length of marriage, causes for dissolution, age, health, occupation, sources of income, vocational skills, employability, liabilities, needs of each party, and contributions to the acquisition of property.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-82 - Alimony
This statute covers alimony (spousal support) in Connecticut. Courts may award alimony to either spouse based on factors including length of marriage, causes for dissolution, age, health, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, needs of each party, and the opportunity for future acquisition of capital assets and income.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-56 - Child custody determinations
This law establishes that child custody decisions in Connecticut are made based on the 'best interests of the child' standard. The court considers factors including the child's developmental needs, each parent's ability to meet the child's needs, the child's relationships with parents and siblings, stability, and each parent's willingness to facilitate a relationship with the other parent.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-84 - Child support
This statute governs child support in Connecticut divorces. Connecticut uses income-based guidelines to determine support amounts. Parents are obligated to support their children until age 18, or until age 19 if the child is still in high school. The court considers the parents' income, the number of children, childcare costs, health insurance, and other factors.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-45 - Residency requirement
This law establishes Connecticut's residency requirements for divorce. Either spouse must have been a resident of Connecticut for at least 12 months before the divorce decree is granted, or one spouse must have been domiciled in Connecticut at the time of the marriage and returned with the intention of permanently remaining, or the cause for divorce arose after either party moved to Connecticut.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-67 - Waiting period
Connecticut has a 90-day waiting period from the filing date before a divorce can be finalized. This 'cooling off' period is designed to give couples time to potentially reconcile, though it can be waived in certain circumstances.
Regional Variances
Connecticut Divorce Regional Variances
Fairfield County, being one of the wealthiest counties in Connecticut, often sees more complex property division cases. The courts here frequently deal with high-value assets, multiple properties, and complex investment portfolios. Divorce proceedings may take longer due to the complexity of financial discovery. Local attorneys often specialize in high-asset divorces.
As the location of the state capital, Hartford County's family courts tend to have more standardized procedures. The Hartford Family Court offers more robust self-help resources than some other counties. The court also has specialized dockets for high-conflict cases and a dedicated family relations office that provides mediation services.
New Haven County courts are known for strongly encouraging mediation before trial. The county has a particularly active roster of court-appointed mediators. Yale Law School's legal clinics sometimes provide free representation to qualifying low-income residents in divorce cases, a resource not available in most other counties.
Being more rural, Litchfield County's family court calendar is typically less congested than urban counties, potentially resulting in faster processing times. However, the court serves a large geographic area, which can mean longer travel times for parties. The court has fewer specialized resources than larger counties but often provides more personalized attention.
New London County courts have developed specific protocols for military divorces due to the proximity to the Naval Submarine Base. The courts here have experience handling the unique aspects of military pensions, deployment schedules, and other military-specific issues that affect divorce proceedings.
Suggested Compliance Checklist
Confirm the residency requirement before filing
Before filing days after startingA complaint for dissolution may be filed at any time after either party has established Connecticut residence, but no decree may be entered unless one of three conditions is met: (1) one party has been a Connecticut resident for at least 12 months before either the filing or the decree; (2) one party was domiciled in Connecticut at the time of marriage and returned with intent to remain; or (3) the cause for the dissolution arose after either party moved to Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-44).
State the grounds
Before filing days after startingNo-fault available on irretrievable breakdown of the marriage or 18 months continuous separation due to incompatibility. Fault grounds include adultery, fraudulent contract, willful desertion for one year with total neglect of duty, seven-years absence with no information, habitual intemperance, intolerable cruelty, sentence to imprisonment for life or commission of any infamous crime involving violation of conjugal duty, and legal confinement for mental illness for a total of at least five years within six years preceding filing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40).
Start the action: file the petition with the court
At filing days after startingForm JD-FM-159 (Divorce Complaint / Cross Complaint - Dissolution of Marriage), accompanied by JD-FM-3 (Notice of Automatic Court Orders), JD-FM-6 (Summons-Family), and JD-FM-6-LONG (Financial Affidavit) Expect a filing fee of $360 filing fee for a dissolution of marriage complaint in Superior Court. A fee waiver is available: Application for Waiver of Fees / Appointment of Counsel Family (JD-FM-75) waives filing fees and service costs for indigent filers.
Handle service and disclosure
After filing days after startingAfter filing, serve the other spouse and trade the required financial disclosures so the court can rule on property and support.
Plan for the mandatory timing rule
After filing days after starting90-day cooling-off period from the Return Date before the court may dissolve the marriage Set by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-67.
Obtain the final judgment
Final step days after startingAfter timing and any custody, support, and property terms are settled, the court signs the decree of dissolution.
| Task | Description | Document | Days after starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm the residency requirement before filing | A complaint for dissolution may be filed at any time after either party has established Connecticut residence, but no decree may be entered unless one of three conditions is met: (1) one party has been a Connecticut resident for at least 12 months before either the filing or the decree; (2) one party was domiciled in Connecticut at the time of marriage and returned with intent to remain; or (3) the cause for the dissolution arose after either party moved to Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-44). | - | Before filing |
| State the grounds | No-fault available on irretrievable breakdown of the marriage or 18 months continuous separation due to incompatibility. Fault grounds include adultery, fraudulent contract, willful desertion for one year with total neglect of duty, seven-years absence with no information, habitual intemperance, intolerable cruelty, sentence to imprisonment for life or commission of any infamous crime involving violation of conjugal duty, and legal confinement for mental illness for a total of at least five years within six years preceding filing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40). | - | Before filing |
| Start the action: file the petition with the court | Form JD-FM-159 (Divorce Complaint / Cross Complaint - Dissolution of Marriage), accompanied by JD-FM-3 (Notice of Automatic Court Orders), JD-FM-6 (Summons-Family), and JD-FM-6-LONG (Financial Affidavit) Expect a filing fee of $360 filing fee for a dissolution of marriage complaint in Superior Court. A fee waiver is available: Application for Waiver of Fees / Appointment of Counsel Family (JD-FM-75) waives filing fees and service costs for indigent filers. | divorce-petition | At filing |
| Handle service and disclosure | After filing, serve the other spouse and trade the required financial disclosures so the court can rule on property and support. | - | After filing |
| Plan for the mandatory timing rule | 90-day cooling-off period from the Return Date before the court may dissolve the marriage Set by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-67. | - | After filing |
| Obtain the final judgment | After timing and any custody, support, and property terms are settled, the court signs the decree of dissolution. | - | Final step |
Frequently Asked Questions
No-fault available on irretrievable breakdown of the marriage or 18 months continuous separation due to incompatibility. Fault grounds include adultery, fraudulent contract, willful desertion for one year with total neglect of duty, seven-years absence with no information, habitual intemperance, intolerable cruelty, sentence to imprisonment for life or commission of any infamous crime involving violation of conjugal duty, and legal confinement for mental illness for a total of at least five years within six years preceding filing. The governing statute is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-40.
A complaint for dissolution may be filed at any time after either party has established Connecticut residence, but no decree may be entered unless one of three conditions is met: (1) one party has been a Connecticut resident for at least 12 months before either the filing or the decree; (2) one party was domiciled in Connecticut at the time of marriage and returned with intent to remain; or (3) the cause for the dissolution arose after either party moved to Connecticut. This is set by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-44.
$360 filing fee for a dissolution of marriage complaint in Superior Court Application for Waiver of Fees / Appointment of Counsel Family (JD-FM-75) waives filing fees and service costs for indigent filers
Connecticut uses equitable distribution (a fair, not automatically equal, split). Equitable distribution with broad judicial discretion under all-property approach: the court may assign to either spouse all or any part of the estate of the other after considering enumerated factors (length of marriage, causes for dissolution, age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities, needs, and opportunity for future acquisition of capital assets and income). See Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81.
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