Source: http://ahmedhamdyeissa.com/divorcct.htm
Timestamp: 2017-08-23 17:40:07
Document Index: 63285535

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 46', '§ 52', '§ 52', '§ 46', '§ 46', '§ 46', '§ 46']

Divorce in Connecticut, USA (July 17, 2004):
How long do I have to live in Connecticut before I get a divorce?
Generally speaking, you have to be here at least 12 months.
Yes. You may file immediately, but final judgment may not enter until you have been a resident of Connecticut for 12 months.
That makes your case more complicated, but you can get your divorce here in Connecticut.
What kinds of complications?
First, you need to "serve" divorce papers on your spouse out of state. "Serving papers" means giving official notice.
By asking the court here in Connecticut for permission to serve papers in a couple of ways intended to give your spouse actual notice of the divorce.
You may have to hire a local constable or process server in your spouse's home state. Sometimes you also send copies by certified mail to your spouse's residence and publish a legal notice in a newspaper selected by the court, if you don't know where your spouse is.
I can manage that. But is it expensive?
It depends on what the local constable charges, but usually fees are under $100. Publishing a legal notice can be expensive. Depending on the newspaper, you can spend $100 or several times that amount.
That reminds me, what about legal fees and other costs?
Lawyers usually charge by the hour. In this area, fees range from $150.00 an hour to $400.00 an hour. Court filing fees are $150.00. According to a recent study, the average divorce costs $18,000 in major metropolitan areas of the United States.
That is a lot a money! Can I represent myself?
Absolutely, but you would be wise to consult an attorney if you have children and assets.
Can I hire a lawyer on a contingent fee basis?
No. Local disciplinary rules prohibit lawyers from taking divorce cases on a contingent fee basis.
I'm short on cash. My spouse has all of the money. How can I hire a lawyer?
Ask your spouse to pay your legal fees.
All things considered, my spouse and I get along, but we're not that friendly.
Then ask the court to order your spouse to pay. If you have children, you should consult a lawyer.
What can a lawyer tell me about my own children?
Well, the lawyer tells you about parental rights and responsibilities. For example, in Connecticut parents have a duty to support children until the age of 19 or until they graduate from high school, which ever first occurs.
I didn't know that! I thought children were supported until they turned 18. What else can the lawyer tell me?
Every state has a set of child support guidelines.
Then there shouldn't be any surprises.
Ideally, but lawyers still come up with arguments persuading the courts to deviate from the guidelines. Also each state has a different set of guidelines.
How much child support would I get here in Connecticut for my daughter, 7 years, and my son, 5 years?
Tell me how much income you have, including interest and dividends. I also need to know your spouse's income, and the cost of child care and family medical insurance.
Can I get alimony, too?
Possibly. Tell me whether you work outside the home, what you and your spouse earns, what the education levels and work experience is of you and your spouse.
What happens if my spouse and I agree on everything? Do we still need a lawyer?
That depends. Settlement is the best option, but you should consider hiring a lawyer to review the papers before you sign. By the way, one lawyer cannot represent both husband and wife, even if they agree on everything.
If we get along, we don't need two lawyers. Perhaps not, but any ethical lawyer will tell you that one lawyer cannot represent both husband and wife, even if they agree. You and your spouse have possible areas of conflict.
Your spouse may be paying a lot of money in child support, but cannot claim the children as dependents unless you sign an IRS form.
And one lawyer can't possibly take my side and my spouse's at the same time.
Mediators usually recommend that the parties review the settlement with independent counsel before signing.
There's no getting away from lawyers.
Perhaps not, but you can control legal fees, especially if you use a mediator.
Is a no-fault divorce cheaper than a fault divorce?
Not necessarily. Most people are not fighting over the reason for the divorce. They fight over the property, alimony, child support, custody, and visitation.
Can I get more money if my spouse is at fault?
Probably not. In Connecticut the conduct or fault of the parties is one of many factors considered by a judge before dividing assets and awarding alimony.
Assuming my spouse and I agree on everything, how soon can we be divorced?
There is a mandatory 90-day waiting period. Generally the fastest possible time for a divorce is four to five months.
Your divorce can take nine months to two year depending on trial schedules, discovery, cooperation, etc.
I had no idea it could take so long. What happens if I need child support or my spouse and I can't agree on visitation?
You should file your complaint for divorce and motions (written requests) for temporary orders of support and visitation.
Yes. In Connecticut, you appear in court at the motion session. Your spouse should be notified at least 12 days before the hearing and should have a chance to be in court.
We both tell our side of the story?
Yes, or your attorneys speak. The court then makes a decision and issues temporary orders.
Why are the orders temporary?
The orders are temporary until the court enters a divorce judgment and final orders.
The dissolution action is commenced by filing a summons and complaint with the Superior Court in the judicial district where one of the parties resides. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-45. The filing or "entry" fee is $190 (effective 7/1/01), and the sheriff's fee for service of papers will generally be about $35.
Although the parties to a divorce action are denominated as "plaintiff" and "defendant," it really does not matter which party commences the action. Some attorneys suggest that there is an advantage to being the plaintiff because you get to tell your side of the story in its entirety first, although in practice it rarely makes much difference. The complaint must be served on the defendant at least twelve days before the return date (a date specified by plaintiff's counsel), Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-46, and must be filed in the clerk's office at least six days before the return date. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52a-46a.
New Rules Effective October 1, 1997:
Effective October 1, 1997, Connecticut made dramatic changes in the procedural rules applicable to family matters. These rules are designed to streamline the process of divorce, although their real impact remains to be seen. Among other things, the rules provide for standing orders requiring each party maintain the status quo (i.e., prohibiting transfers of assets, termination of insurance, etc.) pending the final judgment in a divorce case (those orders are now automatic, even if neither party requests them), and providing for various case-management, automatic discovery and alternative-dispute-resolution procedures. Also, because there are so many pro se filings, new "check the box" forms have been promulgated and are available from the Superior Court clerk's office. The new rules have been incorporated in the Connecticut Practice Book.
Probably more than 90% of all dissolution cases are settled prior to trial in Connecticut. The traditional means of memorializing a settlement is a writing called a "Separation Agreement." This agreement, drafted by the parties' counsel, and then executed and acknowledged by the parties, provides for all of the financial arrangements (alimony, child support, real and personal property, counsel fees, etc.) to which the parties have agreed, as well as for the custody and visitation of children, waiver of rights in future property (including estate rights), and other matters.
Personal jurisdiction is not required for a dissolution of marriage, since the court is deemed to have "in rem" jurisdiction over the marriages of residents of the state. However, the court must have personal jurisdiction over the defendant if financial orders are to be imposed on him or her.
Connecticut requires both parents to support their children in accordance with their respective abilities. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-84, -86. The published guidelines are required to be considered in each case. For general information about child support.
In contested custody matters, an attorney may be appointed to represent the minor child, at the expense of the parents. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-54, -62. Disputed matters are referred to the Family Relations Office for mediation and/or a custody study. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-6 et seq. Connecticut has a statutory presumption in favor of joint custody when the parents agree to it. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-56a.
For general information about custody.
First, liability for support is imposed on both parents (whether or not the children are born in wedlock). Second, the amount of support is fixed by a court in an amount determined by the court to be "fair and reasonable," which suggests that fixation of child support can be an inexact science (with the adoption of child support guidelines, the science has become a bit more predictable. Third, child support can be based not on the means "possessed" by a parent but also on the means which the parent is "able to earn."
Child support consists of payments made toward the care, maintenance and education of an unemancipated child under the age of 21. Support payments may be made by either or both parents and can be provided for by valid agreement or by a court order.
The federal Family Support Act of 1988 requires every state to promulgate numerical child support guidelines. The guidelines implement a federal requirement demanding not only that guidelines be established, but that such guidelines form the presumed standard when fixing the amount of child support. This presumption in favor of a numeric computation of the support obligation is rebuttable only by a showing that the guideline figure would be "unjust or inappropriate," based on criteria established by the state. The guidelines are designed to overcome three of the persistent problems in the award of child support: insufficient levels of support, inconsistency of criteria used by judges to fashion awards, and inefficiency in the adjudication of child support. The formula attempts to balance the child's needs and the parents' ability to provide for those needs when the family is split and living in two households. In Connecticut and most other states, the basic child support obligation is calculated by combining the incomes of the parents and multiplying that figure by the percentages set forth in the guidelines. These percentages vary according to the number of children. This number, the total child support obligation due, is then assigned to the parents according to the proportion of their individual contributions to the parents' total income. The noncustodial parent pays a pro rata share to the custodial parent. For example, in Connecticut, the guidelines percentages are applied to take-home pay and are approximately 25% for one child, 37% for two children, 45% for three children, 49% for four children and 53% for five children. The guidelines percentages in New York are applied to gross income (less some generally small deductions) and are: 17% percent for one child; 25% for two children; 29% for three children; 31% for four and no less than 35% for five or more children. The computation under the laws of most other states results in substantially similar dollar amounts of support. California's formula is the most complicated and is generally applied using a computer program.
In addition to the guidelines amount, a court may be authorized or required to award additional sums for a) child-care expenses for employed parents or those furthering their education; b) maintenance of health and life insurance, or reimbursement of health-care expenses, for the benefit of the children; c) private school and college tuition; and d) child-care expenses for parents seeking work.
Getting a child support order isn't the final step in the process. In many cases, it barely seems to be even the first step in the struggle to collect the child support your child is entitled to receive. There are many enforcement devices available in most states. These include income execution (deducting money from the payor parent's wages), making a negative report to credit reporting agencies, collecting past-due child support from lottery prizes won by the payor parent, intercepting tax refunds due the payor parent from state and federal income tax authorities, property executions (using legal procedures to seize property the payor parent owns, such as real estate and bank accounts), medical support enforcement (where the employer is required to deduct health insurance premiums from the payor parent's wages similar to an income execution), obtaining a court order directing that the payor parent post a cash deposit to secure payment of support, obtaining a court order placing the defaulting parent on probation and, usually where other methods have all failed, obtaining a court order sentencing the defaulting parent to serve jail time. In some states, many of these devices are automatically put into place when the payor parent defaults on the child support obligation if the support is supposed to be paid through a child support enforcement agency.
For most custodial parents, if there is any difficulty in collecting support, it is worthwhile applying for support enforcement services at the local child support enforcement agency (call them and ask them how as the procedure varies from state to state). It is usually recommended that the custodial parent have the support paid through the support enforcement agency even if no problems are anticipated as most support enforcement services take care of the necessary recordkeeping, provide a neutral third party to report to the Court concerning any collection problems, send reminders to the payor parent, send out income executions and automatically undertake many of the enforcement methods without cost to the custodial parent in the event the payor parent does not pay support. However, sometimes the services of the support enforcement agency are not sufficient to collect the support due your child. If that happens, it usually is necessary to seek the assistance of the court in collecting the support. That is done by filing a motion or petition alleging that the payor parent has failed to pay support and asking the court to assist in the collection of support. In most jurisdictions, the support enforcement agency will help you file such a petition. However, it is often necessary to consult with an attorney about such a proceeding, because invoking some court powers may not be wise (e.g., if the payor parent usually pays support but is a little behind in payments, it might be unwise to seek incarceration if incarceration would cause the payor parent to lose his or her job and thus be unable to pay support in the future). Talking about such issues with an attorney prior to filing a petition with the court will help you be sure you know the rules in your state and have considered the costs and benefits of the procedure in question.
Protecting Yourself in a Connecticut Divorce
Protecting yourself in a divorce requires that you maintain a businesslike focus on your objectives. Reasonable objectives in a divorce are to obtain a favorable financial agreement for yourself and protect the interests of your children. It is not reasonable or realistic for you to expect the court to punish your spouse for hurting your feelings or shattering your dreams, nor is it reasonable to expect that you will be rewarded for your years of being a "good" spouse while your husband or wife misbehaved. In most cases, courts are extremely disinterested in marital fault unless it is particularly egregious. There is a limited "pie" or pool of resources available for distribution. The court's objective is to distribute that pool efficiently and fairly.
You need to be very familiar with and have a complete understanding of your family's finances. Start by gathering all records from your home or office, including financial statements, tax returns, appraisals and loan documents and current statements showing retirement benefits such as 401(k) plans, IRAs, pension and profit-sharing plans. For closely-held businesses, get five years of corporate tax returns and/or financial statements. While all this financial information may be obtained through the legal process called discovery, once an action for divorce has been filed it may be more difficult to get the information you need. Therefore, the more documents you can gather before announcement of divorce is made, the more assurance you have that you will know the complete financial picture. Does this mean you should skulk around and see what your spouse is making, spending or owns? You bet!
Transfer money into a bank account in only your name to cover immediate living expenses and attorneys' fees. Be aware that your spouse could close all joint accounts upon your announcement of intent to proceed with divorce.
Also, prepare a detailed budget of your monthly living expenses. Keep track of what you are spending. If you can do this for weeks or months before announcing your intentions, so much the better. Alimony is based upon need and ability to pay. Use bank statements, canceled checks and credit card statements to determine your average monthly expense.
Most importantly, hire an attorney who specializes in family law matters. He knows the ropes and will make sure that you emerge with an objectively fair and reasonable arrangement.