Looking for Connecticut’s rules on marriage, divorce, child custody, and child support? Want to find Connecticut state court forms and instructions and local court websites? Here’s where to start. For a wide range of other articles on family law in Connecticut, see the Resources by State section on this site.
Marriage Rules in Connecticut
Requirements: No blood test required. You must be of the age of consent, not be too closely related to your intended spouse, not be married to anyone else, and have sufficient mental capacity, meaning you understand what you are doing when you marry. You can marry immediately after your marriage license is issued, and your license is good for 65 days. For more details, check your county clerk’s office.
Common law marriage: No.
Community property: No.
Same-sex marriage: Yes.
Connecticut Divorce Rules
Grounds for divorce: Fault or no-fault grounds are allowed, or you can base your divorce on the fact that you’ve been separated from your spouse for at least 18 months.
Residency requirement: At least one spouse must be a resident of Connecticut for 12 months before a final judgment can be entered, unless (1) one party lived in Connecticut at the time of marriage and returned with the intention to stay, or (2) the cause for dissolution arose after either party moved to Connecticut.
How property is divided: Equitable division.
Child Custody Rules in Connecticut
Child custody guidelines: Connecticut courts begin with a presumption that it’s best for a child to have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after a divorce. If possible, judges want to support joint custody arrangements.
Connecticut Child Support Rules
Child support guidelines: Connecticut requires all parents to support their children. The amount of child support depends primarily on each parent’s income and other resources and how much time each parent spends with the children.
Child support calculators to determine Connecticut state guidelines: www.alllaw.com/calculators/childsupport/connecticut.
State child support enforcement agency: Bureau of Child Support Enforcement or Support Enforcement Services.
Connecticut Courts and Other Family Law Resources
State court information and family law forms: www.jud.ct.gov.
Family services section of Connecticut’s state website: www.ct.gov/dss.
