Online Divorce in Connecticut

Even a divorce based on mutual consent involves a lot of paperwork, and even a single mistake in legal forms may cause case delays. Online divorce services were designed to solve such problems and allow self-representing litigants to prepare for the filing process without 
a hassle.

Connecticut Online Divorce is an affordable and straightforward paperwork preparation service focused on uncontested divorce cases. You can complete all the divorce papers relevant to your particular circumstances online for just $139, saving money on attorney fees.

All the court forms provided by Connecticut Online Divorce are 100% legit and any couple seeking 
an uncontested divorce in Connecticut can take advantage of this website, regardless of whether the spouses have minor children or marital property.

The primary benefits of this online divorce tool are:

If the spouses are eligible to apply for a nonadversarial divorce, a simplified dissolution procedure provided by Connecticut Family Law, they must complete the following forms:

For regular divorces, Connecticut Superior Court provides the following primary forms:

To complete the divorce forms the spouse initiating the case (the plaintiff) or both spouses if filing for divorce jointly, must take the following steps:

1. First, consider the different types of divorce available in Connecticut and choose the type of filing that best fits their circumstances. In the state of Connecticut, there are generally two types of divorce: contested and uncontested. However, if the spouses seeking an uncontested divorce were married less than eight years, do not have minor children, real estate, more than $35,000 of assets, and neither party has a defined benefit pension plan, they can apply for 
a non-adversarial divorce. This simplified procedure allows finalizing a divorce within 35 days without attending court hearings.

2. The relevant court-approved divorce forms package can be obtained from the Superior Court Clerk's Office or on the Connecticut Judicial Branch website.

3. Thoroughly review the blanks from the chosen package and pick the forms that address the case circumstances. For example, besides the type of divorce, the necessary documents can vary depending on the county where the lawsuit is filed, whether the spouses have children, whether either party is seeking alimony, etc.

4. Look through each form and determine which information is required or what matters are still to be negotiated with the spouse if parties want to draw up a Settlement Agreement and file for an uncontested divorce.

5. Not all divorce forms must be filed at once. Moreover, some of them must be filed by the defendant, not the plaintiff. So, papers should be sorted in chronological sequence and then completed.

6. Proofread all the filled-out divorce forms, make the necessary copies, and check if notarization is required.

Although the spouses are advised to hire attorneys to advocate their interests before the court in contested divorce proceedings, most simple uncontested divorces can be handled without legal representatives.

So, if the parties are ready to negotiate and reach an agreement about the final terms of their separation out of court, they can arrange a so-called DIY divorce, i.e., divorce without a lawyer.

The plaintiff (or both spouses together if they qualify for a non-adversarial divorce) can either complete all the required divorce forms independently or use Connecticut Online Divorce to make things easier. This website helps prepare your unique divorce papers in only two business days for $139.

However, once the divorce forms are ready to be filed, the further steps of the dissolution procedure are the couple's responsibility if they want to file their own divorce.

So, to begin a divorce action, the party initiating the case (or both spouses, if filing a joint application) must file the initial divorce forms with the Superior Court Clerk’s Office in the county where either spouse resides.

Besides, the court charges mandatory filing fees to file the case. In Connecticut, the filing fee is about $350, but parties can contact your local Court Clerk's office to know the exact amount.

Generally, the Connecticut divorce process involves the following steps:

1. Complete the initial divorce forms

In a regular uncontested divorce, they include the Divorce Complaint, Summons, Notice of Automatic Court Orders, and Motion for Orders Before Judgment (Pendente Lite) if the plaintiff wants to request any temporary orders.

In a non-adversarial divorce, the spouses need to fill out the Joint Petition, Financial Affidavit, Notice of Automatic Court Orders, and an Appearance.

2. File for divorce

The plaintiff (or both spouses together) must file the above divorce papers with the Superior Court Clerk’s Office in the county where either spouse currently lives. Besides, the court fees must be paid.

3. Serve the divorce papers

The spouses filing a Joint Petition for a non-adversarial divorce skip this step, but in a regular uncontested divorce, the plaintiff must deliver the copies of divorce papers to the other spouse by a State Marshal. Once copies of the Complaint and Summons have been delivered to the defendant, the original forms must be returned to the Clerk's Office. Besides, the Marshall must complete a Return of Service form as proof of service.

4. Waiting period

Once the defendant was served with copies of the Divorce Complaint and Summons, they must respond by filing an Appearance form with Superior Court Clerk. Then, at least twenty days after the divorce papers were delivered, the waiting period begins.

Connecticut typically requires a 90-days waiting period before a final divorce decree can be entered.

However, a simplified non-adversarial divorce does not imply a waiting period and can be finalized in 35 days without appearing before a judge.

5. Finalize a divorce

The spouses who have settled all their disputes out of court must attend only one brief hearing. At an uncontested divorce hearing, the judge reviews all the submitted divorce forms and grants the divorce as long as everything is completed correctly and the spouses' Settlement Agreement is fair.

If the spouses have minor children, they can agree on the terms of custody and other child-related issues independently, and the court is likely to approve their agreement as long as it meets the child's best interests.

However, if the parents fail to reach an agreement, the court makes the decision at its discretion. The judges shall consider multiple relevant factors, including each parent's willingness and ability to meet the child's needs, cooperate with the other parent and encourage their relationship with the child.

Whether decided by the parents or the judge, child custody includes legal (each parent's decision-making authority) and physical custody (the child's primary residence). Both legal and physical custody may be sole or joint, depending on what would be better for the child in a particular case.

Besides, the divorcing parents of minors are required to take a court-approved parenting class within sixty days after filing for divorce and complete some additional divorce forms, including:

As for child support, Connecticut Child Support Guidelines are based on the Income Shares Model. An exact amount of child support is determined on a case-by-case basis, considering both parents' combined net weekly income and the number of children.