Glossary

Family court terms, in plain English.

Definitions of the terms you will see in Connecticut court forms and in ProSay. These are general definitions, not legal advice.

Affidavit: A written statement of facts that you swear is true, signed in front of a notary, a Commissioner of the Superior Court (a lawyer), or a court clerk. Courts rely on affidavits, so false statements in them carry serious consequences.
Alimony: Payments one spouse makes to the other for support, during the case or after the divorce. The court decides whether to order alimony and for how long based on factors set by law.
Annulment: A court order that a marriage was never valid.
Answer: The defendant's formal written response to a complaint, stating which of its numbered allegations they admit and which they deny. Filing an answer on time keeps the case moving toward a hearing instead of a default.
Appearance: The court form that tells the clerk you are participating in your case. Filing it puts your name and address on record so the court and the other party send you copies of everything. It does not mean you admit anything.
Arrearage: Support that was ordered and not paid.
Automatic orders: Court orders that take effect on their own when a divorce is filed and served, without a judge signing anything. They restrict both spouses from things like moving assets, changing insurance, or relocating children while the case is pending.
Beneficiary: The person named to receive money from a policy or account.
Case management date: An early deadline in a Connecticut divorce for the parties to tell the court how the case is proceeding. Depending on the case, it may be handled by paperwork without anyone going to court.
Certification of service: The statement at the end of a court document confirming you delivered a copy to the other party, including how and when you delivered it. Most documents filed after the case begins require one.
Child support: Payments one parent makes toward the cost of raising a child. Connecticut calculates support using statewide guidelines based mainly on the parents' incomes.
Child Support Guidelines: The state's formula for setting child support from both parents' incomes.
Civil union: A legal union Connecticut offered before 2010, treated like a marriage.
Complaint: The paper that says what the case is about and what the person filing it wants.
Contempt: A claim that someone is willfully violating a court order, such as not paying ordered support or not following a parenting schedule.
Contested divorce: A divorce where the spouses disagree on at least one issue the court must decide. A case can start contested and become uncontested if the spouses reach agreement.
Continuance: A court-approved postponement of a hearing or deadline. Only the court can grant one; asking for a continuance does not mean you have it.
Court clerk: The court staff who accept filings, maintain case records, and schedule court events. Clerks can answer questions about procedure but are not allowed to give legal advice.
Cross complaint: A request the served spouse files in the same divorce case, asking the court for a divorce and orders of their own. The case then continues even if the original complaint is withdrawn.
Custody: The legal arrangement for raising a child, covering both decision-making and where the child lives. Courts decide custody based on the best interests of the child.
Default: A ruling against a party for failing to respond or show up on time. A defaulted party can ask the court to set the default aside, but the court decides whether to do so.
Defendant: The party a court case is filed against. In an eviction, the defendant is the tenant. In a divorce, the defendant is the spouse who did not file the case.
Discovery: The formal exchange of information between parties in a case, such as written questions (interrogatories) and requests for documents.
Dissolution of marriage: The legal term Connecticut uses for divorce. Court paperwork says dissolution, but it means the same thing.
Docket number: The number the court clerk assigns to your case. It identifies your case in the court's system, and it goes on every document you file.
E-services: The Connecticut Judicial Branch's online system for filing documents and looking up cases. Some case types allow or require electronic filing; others still use paper.
Ex parte: A request decided by the court before the other party is heard, used in emergencies. Ex parte orders are temporary, and the court holds a hearing soon after where both sides can be heard.
Family relations: Counselors in the Judicial Branch's Family Services office who help parties resolve disputes, conduct evaluations, and make recommendations to the court. Judges often send disagreements about children to family relations first.
Family Support Magistrate: A court officer who decides child support cases, often ones Support Enforcement Services opens.
Fee waiver: Permission from the court to skip filing fees and certain service costs because you cannot afford them. You request it by filing an application, and the court decides based on your finances.
Financial affidavit: A sworn statement of your income, expenses, assets, and debts. Connecticut family courts require one from each spouse, and decisions about support and property rely on it being accurate.
Guardian ad litem: A person the court appoints to represent a child's best interests in a case involving the child. The guardian ad litem investigates and reports to the court and does not work for either parent.
Hearing: A court proceeding where a judge listens to the parties and decides an issue. Some hearings resolve one motion; others resolve the whole case.
Income withholding: Support taken straight from a paycheck.
Interrogatories: Written questions one side must answer under oath.
Judgment: The court's decision resolving the case. After judgment, deadlines may run for appeals, stays, or enforcement.
Jurisdiction: The court's power to decide a case.
Legal custody: The authority to make major decisions for a child, such as education, health care, and religion. It can be shared by both parents or held by one.
Legal separation: A court order that sets the terms of living apart without ending the marriage.
Modification: A request to change an existing court order, such as custody or support, because circumstances have changed in a significant way since the order entered. The existing order stays in effect until the court changes it.
Motion: A written request asking the court to order something in your case. Motions are filed with the clerk, and the other party has a chance to respond.
Nonadversarial divorce: A simplified divorce process for couples who meet specific legal requirements, such as a shorter marriage with no minor children and limited property. Couples who qualify can be divorced faster and often without a court appearance.
Nonsuit: An order ending a case because a party did not do what the court required.
Notarization: Having a notary public or court clerk witness your signature on a sworn document. It confirms that you are the person who signed and that you signed under oath.
Oath: A formal promise that what you are saying or signing is true. Statements made under oath carry legal penalties if they are knowingly false.
Objection: A written response telling the court you oppose something the other party has asked for. Objections usually respond to motions and explain why the request should be denied.
Order to Show Cause: The court's order setting a hearing date and telling the other side to come.
Parenting plan: A written plan describing how parents will share decision-making, where the child will live, and the schedule for time with each parent. Courts review parenting plans in cases involving children.
Parenting time: The schedule for when a child is with each parent.
Pendente lite: Latin for "while the case is pending." Pendente lite motions ask the court for temporary orders on things like custody, support, or alimony that last until the divorce is final.
Physical custody: Where the child lives day to day. It can be primarily with one parent or shared between both.
Plaintiff: The party who starts a court case. In an eviction, the plaintiff is the landlord. In a divorce, the plaintiff is the spouse who files first.
Pleading: A formal court document that states a party's claims or responses, such as a complaint or an answer. Pleadings define what the case is about.
Practice Book: The rulebook for how Connecticut court cases proceed, including deadlines, formats, and required steps. Court forms and procedures follow it.
Pro se: Latin for "for oneself." A person who handles their own court case without a lawyer. Connecticut courts also use the term self-represented party. Pronounced "pro say."
Protective order: A court order that keeps a person from contacting or coming near you.
Quitclaim deed: A paper one owner signs to give their share of a property to another.
Relief from abuse: A court order, often called a restraining order, protecting a person from a family or household member who has been abusive or threatening. It can be requested without filing for divorce and has its own fast-moving process.
Return date: The date on the summons that starts the court's clock. It is not a hearing date and you do not go to court that day. Other deadlines in your case are counted from it.
Self-represented party: The Connecticut courts' term for a person handling their own case without a lawyer. It means the same thing as pro se.
Separation agreement: A written agreement between spouses resolving the issues in their divorce, such as property, support, and parenting. If the court approves it, the agreement becomes part of the divorce judgment.
Served: Court papers were officially delivered to a person, usually by a state marshal, so that person knows about the case.
Service of process: The official delivery of court papers to a party. Connecticut generally requires service by a state marshal at the start of a case, so the court knows the other party actually received the papers.
State marshal: An official authorized to deliver court papers and carry out certain court orders. Marshals charge a fee for service, which can be included in a fee waiver request.
Stipulation: A written agreement between the parties that is filed with the court. If the court approves it, the stipulation has the force of a court order.
Substantial change in circumstances: A big change since the last order, such as a lost job, that lets the court change it.
Summons: The court paper that tells the other side a case has started and when to respond.
Support Enforcement Services: The Judicial Branch office that helps set up, collect and enforce support.
Uncontested divorce: A divorce where both spouses agree on every issue, including property, support, and any orders involving children. The court still reviews and approves the agreement.
Visitation: The time a child spends with a parent the child does not primarily live with. Court orders and parenting plans often call it parenting time.
Waiver of service: Signing a form so a marshal does not have to deliver the papers.

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