Instructions
These instructions are to help you
represent yourself in a divorce. Legal words and court documents can be
confusing. The more you know, the more comfortable you will be when you
fill out the necessary court forms and come to court. These instructions will give you some useful information and instructions on filling
out the necessary forms.
Every case is different and this instruction
sheet is to be used as a guide only; if you think you need more help you
may want to get an attorney. You can also go to a
Court Service Center or contact the
Connecticut Network for Legal
Aid or
find additional information at the Law Libraries.
Court staff can answer procedural questions and help you understand the
legal process, but cannot give you legal advice.
To start a divorce you have to
fill out the following 2 forms:
And attach to the Complaint:
Once you finish your paperwork,
you must take it to the Superior Court Clerk’s office. The Clerk
will sign the summons and return the forms to you. Copies of the
paperwork must be delivered to your spouse by a State Marshal.
The Clerk’s office or the Court Service Center can give you a
list of State Marshals.
A State Marshal will charge a fee for delivering the paperwork
which you must pay, unless the court has decided that you do not
have to pay. There is a form you can use to ask the court to pay
the State Marshal if you prove that you cannot afford to pay. It
is the Application For Waiver Of Fees/
Appointment Of Counsel Family (JD-FM-75). You can also use this
form if you cannot afford to pay the fee to file the case. Do
not sign these forms until you are in front of a court clerk or
a notary public.
Once copies of the paperwork have
been delivered to your spouse, the original paperwork must be
returned to the Clerk’s Office along with the filing fee and
proof the papers were delivered to the other party. If the court
has decided that you do not have to pay the filing fee, you must return the
Application For Waiver Of Fees/ Appointment Of Counsel with your
other papers.
On your paperwork there will be 2
dates listed. One is the Return Date. The return date should be
a Tuesday and must be at least 4 weeks after the day you bring
the papers to the court clerk. The other is the Case Management
Date. The Case Management date is at least 90 days after your
Return Date.
The next form you will have to
fill out and send or give to the Superior Court Clerk’s office
is the:
If your spouse has filed an
Appearance form, he or she must sign the Case Management
Agreement form, too. This form must be given or sent to the
Clerk’s Office before the Case Management Date on your Summons
form. You do not have to go to court on the Return Date. On the
Case Management Agreement form you are choosing your actual
divorce date and must be in court on that date. If you and your
spouse do not agree to a divorce date and have not filed a Case
Management Agreement either, you must come to court on your Case
Management Date.
For your final divorce hearing
you have to fill out the following forms:
If your spouse did not respond to
the divorce complaint you may have to file another form, the:
On the day of your divorce
hearing be sure to come to court early because it can take 10 to
20 minutes to get into the courthouse since everyone must go
through a metal detector. Be sure to bring your filled out court
forms and copies of any other forms you may have given or sent
to the court clerk. Go to your assigned courtroom and wait for
instructions. If you are not sure where to go, check with the
Clerk’s Office or Court Service Center.
|
