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Disclaimer: The information on this web
page is provided as a service and a convenience by the Connecticut Judicial
Branch. It is not intended as legal advice to any person. If you have
questions about the use of these forms, your legal rights, or particular
issues in your case, it is strongly recommended that you talk to an
attorney.
Due to the changing nature of the law, the forms and
information found on this web site will change from time to time. It is up
to you to follow the current procedures and to file the correct, up-to-date
forms. Each court location has a Clerk's Office and many locations also have
a Court Service Center that
can give you help and information about court procedures. Please note,
however, that Clerk's Office and Court Service Center personnel cannot
provide you with legal advice.
Instructions
These instructions are to help you representing yourself in the
dissolution of a civil union in which children are involved. 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 these instructions are 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 help you understand the legal process, and while they may give you
procedural information, they cannot give you legal advice.
To
start a dissolution you have to fill out the following 3 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 the defendant 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 excuse you from paying the State
Marshal fee 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 this form until you are in front of a court clerk or notary public.
Once copies of the paperwork have been delivered to the defendant, the
original paperwork must be returned to the Clerk’s office along with the
filing fee and proof that 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 must be Tuesday and should 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 Family Clerk’s office is the:
If the defendant has filed an Appearance
form, he or she needs to sign the Case Management Agreement form, too. This
form must be given or sent to the Clerk’s Office before the Case Management
Agreement 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 dissolution date and must be in court on that date. If you and the
defendant do not agree to a dissolution date and have not filed a Case
Management Agreement either, you must come to court on your Case Management
Date.
If you have children under the age of 18 (eighteen), you must take part
in a parenting education program within 60 (sixty) days after a family case
is filed. There is a fee for the classes that you will have to pay unless
the court has decided that you do not have to.
There is a form to ask the court to let you not pay the fee. It is the
Application For Waiver Of Fees/ Appointment Of Counsel Family (JD-FM-75).
You will need the following forms to participate in the class:
For your final dissolution hearing you have to fill out the following forms:
If the defendant did not respond to the Dissolution of Civil Union Complaint you may have to file another form, the:
On the day of your dissolution 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 filed. 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.
For Help - You may go to the
Court Service Center for help completing these or any other forms. Any additional procedural questions that you might have may also be directed to the staff of the Court Service Center.
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