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How much does it cost to file for divorce in Connecticut?

Filing a Complaint for Dissolution of Marriage in Connecticut costs a $360 entry fee in Superior Court under Conn. Gen. Stat. §52-259 — the standard civil entry fee, charged identically in every judicial district. What makes Connecticut different is not the fee but the machinery around it: service by a state marshal before filing, a Tuesday return date, and a statutory waiting period before any decree can enter.

Connecticut divorce fees at a glance

Connecticut charges family cases at the general civil rate — there is no separate, cheaper family filing tier as there is in Florida. The $360 is paid when the served papers are returned to court, not when the complaint is first drafted, because Connecticut service happens first: the marshal serves the defendant, then the plaintiff files the original with the return of service at least six days before the return date. The national comparison sits on the divorce filing costs hub and the full state picture on the Connecticut court costs guide.

Marshal service — the cost before the fee

A Connecticut divorce cannot be served by a friend or by mail in the ordinary case: a state marshal (or another authorised server for an out-of-state defendant) must deliver the summons, complaint and Notice of Automatic Court Orders. Marshal fees are set by statute in CGS §52-261 and turn on the service performed, copies and travel, so the Judicial Branch publishes no single statewide service price and this page does not invent one — get the marshal's figure before the return date is chosen. Where spouses cooperate, the defendant can instead sign a waiver of service and file an Appearance, which removes the marshal from the budget entirely.

Residency, the return date and the 90-day clock

Under CGS §46b-44, a complaint may be filed if one spouse has lived in Connecticut for the twelve months before filing or before the decree, if one spouse lived in the state at the marriage and has returned with a permanent intention to remain, or if the cause arose after either spouse moved here. The return date — always a Tuesday — is the case's formal start line, and service must be completed at least twelve days before it. Under §46b-67, the court ordinarily cannot proceed on a contested complaint until 90 days have passed after the return date. Connecticut also offers a streamlined nonadversarial dissolution track for short, childless, low-asset marriages meeting §46b-44a-style criteria, decided on papers without a hearing; the entry fee is the same $360.

Children: parenting education is mandatory

Parents in a Connecticut dissolution must complete a parenting education programme under CGS §46b-69b within 60 days of the return date, unless the court excuses it. The programme is delivered by approved providers who set their own registration charges, so no official price is published here — ask the clerk or the Judicial Branch service center for the provider list. Financial affidavits (Form JD-FM-6) must be sworn and exchanged early in the case, and the Automatic Court Orders (JD-FM-158) restrain both spouses from dissipating assets or relocating children from the moment of service.

1. Prepare the Summons (JD-FM-3), Complaint (JD-FM-159) and Notice of Automatic Court Orders (JD-FM-158); have the summons signed by a clerk, attorney or commissioner of the Superior Court
2. Have a state marshal serve your spouse at least 12 days before the chosen Tuesday return date — or obtain a signed waiver of service marshal fee set by CGS §52-261
3. File the originals with the marshal's return at least 6 days before the return date and pay the entry fee $360
4. Exchange sworn financial affidavits, and complete the §46b-69b parenting education programme if you have minor children
5. Finalise by agreement on the papers, or after the 90-day period at a hearing; order certified copies of the decree for name and records changes

What divorce really costs beyond the clerk

Beyond the $360 and any marshal charge, the clerk-side extras are modest — copy and certification lines are on the Judicial Branch fee schedule. The real money, as in every state, is market-priced: mediation, custody evaluation where ordered, and attorney fees in a contested case. Connecticut's family courts push most parenting disputes toward mediation and the Family Services resolution process before trial, which is a cost control as much as a procedure. Compare the neighbouring structures in Massachusetts divorce costs and New York divorce costs.

Can't afford the fee?

Connecticut courts may waive the entry fee and marshal service costs for an indigent applicant on Form JD-FM-75, decided by a judge on the sworn financial statement in the application. File the waiver request with the papers rather than after — a case whose fee is unresolved does not move. The general mechanics are explained in the fee waiver guide.

Sources: Conn. Gen. Stat. §52-259 (Superior Court entry fees: dissolution/civil $360, summary process $175, small claims $95, appeal $250; no fee for §§46b-15/46b-16a restraining orders) · CGS §52-261 (state marshal fees) · CGS §46b-44 (residency) · CGS §46b-67 (90-day period after return date) · CGS §46b-69b (parenting education) · Connecticut Judicial Branch — divorce forms JD-FM-3, JD-FM-158, JD-FM-159, JD-FM-75. Last verified: October 2026 — confirm current figures with your judicial district clerk.