Please check the COVID-19 Updates web page for additional information not included in these FAQs.
General Info | Jury Duty | Court Filing & Pending Cases | Foreclosures & Evictions | Restraining Orders | Divorce & Child Custody | Child Support | Gestational Agreements | Criminal & Motor Vehicle | Adult Probation | Suspended Court Rules |
General Court Information
1. Where can I find the most up-to-date COVID-19 court
information?
2. Which courthouses are currently open,
what are the hours, and where can I find
the contact information?
3. Who can enter the open courthouses?
4.
How can I access Judicial Branch Resources from home?
5. What types of court matters are being handled remotely?
6. Are the Probate Courts open? What Probate services are available, and
can documents be filed?
Jury Duty Information
7. Do I need to appear for jury duty during the COVID-19 public health emergency?
Court Filing and Pending Cases
8. I have a pending case or
trial. Do I need to go to court?
9. Are civil short calendars being held?
10. Are civil pre-trials, trial management conferences, and status
conferences being held?
11.
Where can I find information about filing documents with the Superior
Court during the COVID-19 public health emergency?
12.
Where can I find online court forms?
13.
How can I get documents notarized?
Restraining Orders and Civil Protection Orders
16. If we have an agreement, may we have our
family court case resolved without having to come to court?
17.
I
have a trial or a specially assigned hearing for a pending case. Do I need to go to court?
18. My family case has a "resolution plan date" or a “case date” hearing. What
does that mean?
19. Are family pre-trials and status conferences being held?
20. My spouse and I are getting a divorce and we have an agreement. Can
we skip the parenting class and get the divorce approved?
21.
Can I
take a parenting class online? Do I have to pay for it out of my pocket?
22. How can I request approval of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order
(QDRO) during this crisis?
23. What is the status of my custody
agreement during this crisis?
24. What is the status of child support payments
if I lost my job?
25. Will my stimulus payment be reduced if I owe
child support?
26. How can I contact Support Enforcement Services
(SES) about an important child support issue?
27. How can I request approval of a gestational agreement without a court hearing?
28. What types of criminal matters
are currently being acted on by the courts?
29. How do I find information about a pending
criminal or motor vehicle case?
30. How do I find out when my next
court date is?
31. How do I safely apply for a public defender?
32. Where can I find information on traffic tickets
and reopening motor vehicle matters?
33. Where can I get information
on my driver’s license status and/or DMV information?
34.
How do I
request a criminal history record?
36. Can diversionary program educational requirements be completed remotely?
37. Where can I find the currently suspended Practice Book rules?
1. Where can I find the most up-to-date COVID-19 court
information?
The Judicial Branch has a
COVID-19 Updates web page
with the latest information, which can be used to update any information
in this FAQ. The Judicial Branch’s COVID-19
Updates web page includes the Governor’s
Executive Order No. 7G, Suspension of Non-Critical Court Operations and
Associated Requirements. Additionally,
Executive Order No. 9L extends to February 9, 2021 all previously issued executive orders related to COVID-19 that were in effect as of
November 9, 2020.
2. Which courthouses are currently open, what
are the hours, and where can I find
the contact information?
Please see this
List of
Courthouses that are Open to the Public. The days and hours of court
business at all open courthouses are currently Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.
3. Who can enter the open courthouses?
Pursuant to
Executive Order No. 7NNN, no person is
permitted to enter a Judicial Branch courthouse or facility without
covering his or her mouth and nose with a mask or cloth face-covering. In
addition, to allow for adequate social distancing, the number of people
allowed into a courthouse, courtroom, office, lobby, or corridor, may be
limited.
Please see this March 26, 2020 COVID-19 court notice about minimizing the number of people in Connecticut state courthouses. This April 15, 2020 COVID-19 court notice states that “lock boxes have been placed in the lobby area of the...open Superior Court courthouses, where litigants may leave their documents. The box is for filing non-urgent matters.”
Additionally, the Judicial Branch has published temporary procedures for media representatives seeking to observe criminal proceedings.
4. How can I access Judicial Branch Resources from home?
Please see this pamphlet on
Accessing Judicial Branch Resources from Home. The pamphlet points
you to contact information and services available online and by email.
5. What types of court matters are being handled remotely?
Please see this
July 28,
2020 court notice about how the Judicial Branch is expanding its
remote capabilities.
6. Are the Probate Courts open? What Probate services are
available, and can documents be filed?
According to the
Probate Court COVID-19 Update web page, “Probate Courts are
available by telephone,
eFiling
or for assistance through the Probate Court website. Hearings
continue as scheduled and may be conducted by audio or video
conference. All filings, whether emergency or routine, may be mailed or
eFiled with the Probate Courts.”
7. Do I need to appear for jury duty during the
COVID-19 public health emergency?
Jurors scheduled to appear in a Connecticut courthouse
from now until January 31, 2021 should not report. Their jury service has been cancelled.
Judicial Branch officials
are developing strategies to safely resume jury trials. You may call
Jury Administration
if you have any questions at 1-800-842-8175 or send an email to
jury.administration@jud.ct.gov. On all correspondence, please
include your name, your current address, a telephone number and your
juror identification number printed on the summons or reminder notice.
For additional information, see the
Jury Administration web page, which includes a
frequently asked questions
section.
Court Filing and Pending Cases
8. I have a pending case or trial. Do I need to go to court?
If you have an attorney, please contact your attorney. If you do not
have an attorney, look up your case on the Judicial Branch’s
case look up section.
Remote hearings on the record and remote court trials are being scheduled and conducted in identified civil cases. If a remote court hearing is scheduled and you receive an e-mail invitation to join a Microsoft Teams meeting, see this Connecticut Guide to Remote Hearings For Attorneys and Self-Represented Parties
9. Are civil short calendars being held?
Beginning with the October 26, 2020 calendar, Short Calendar 01 (civil
arguable matters) will resume, and all motions printing on the calendar
can be marked during the marking period. For more information on short
calendar markings and marking periods, see the Civil Short Calendar
Standing Order at
https://www.jud.ct.gov/external/super/Standorders/ElectronicCivil.htm.
Please see this
October
13, 2020 court notice for more information.
Do not come to court on the date of the short calendar.
Non-arguable motions marked "take papers" on civil short calendar 10 and all Indical calendars are being ruled on remotely by judges and processed remotely by clerks. Arguable motions on Indical calendars marked "ready" are being scheduled for a remote hearing on the record. Do not come to court on the date of the short calendar.
Beginning with the September 8, 2020 calendar, Short Calendar 03 (Special Proceedings/PJR) resumed, and all motions on that calendar that are marked “take papers” will be ruled on by the Court on the papers. Motions marked “ready” will be scheduled for a remote hearing at a later date. Do not come to court on the date of the short calendar.
10. Are civil pre-trials, trial management conferences, and
status conferences being held?
Civil pretrials, status
conferences, trial management conferences, and judicial mediations are
being conducted with judges and parties participating remotely, either
by video link or telephone.
There are instructions on how to join a Teams Meeting scheduled by the Court. For family matters case dates, pre-trials, and status conferences, see question 18 and question 19.
11. Where can I find information about filing documents with the
Superior Court during the COVID-19 public health emergency?
This
March 26, 2020 COVID-19 court notice states that “[y]ou may file
documents (accompanied by the
court fee
if one is required) by mailing them to the appropriate courthouse or by
e-filing." Please visit the Judicial Branch’s
E-Services web page for additional information on E-Filing.
Please note that the process for a Self-Represented Party to be approved to E-File their documents has been simplified so that a party no longer needs to print the request and bring or mail it to a courthouse to verify their identity. Instead, they can email the documents that verify their identity to a centralized emailbox. For more information, see this May 11, 2020 E-Filing court notice.
Additionally, this April 15, 2020 COVID-19 court notice indicates that “lock boxes have been placed in the lobby area of the open Superior Court courthouses, where litigants may leave their documents. The box is for filing non-urgent matters.”
12. Where can I find online court forms?
Forms can
be found on the
Official Court Webforms page. There is also a list of
recently updated
forms. The Probate Courts have a separate
Probate Court Forms page.
13. How can I get documents notarized?
For
information on notarizing documents, please see this State of
Connecticut COVID-19 answer page, which answers the following question:
Please note that the instructions for filing a temporary restraining order or civil protection order state that “during this period, the usual requirement that you take an oath before a notary public or other official has been suspended. Instead, the forms are signed, without a notary, under the ‘penalty of false statement.’”
14. Where can I find information about the legal protections, court orders,
and procedures concerning foreclosures and evictions during the COVID-19 public health
emergency?
You can view Executive
Order No. 9T issued on December 23, 2020, for information about the
extension of the residential eviction moratorium to February 9, 2021.
Additionally, this
Law About Landlord/Tenant web page has links to further information,
including information about the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's eviction moratorium.
The Connecticut Judicial Branch COVID-19 Updates web page has the latest court related information on these issues. Here are the six most recent orders:
11/25/20 -- Notice of Resumption of Civil Short Calendar 02 (Property/Foreclosure) for Arguable Matters
09/29/20 -- Notice of Resumption of Civil Short Calendar 02 (Property/Foreclosure) for Non-arguable Motions
09/14/20 -- Notice Regarding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Eviction Moratorium
09/04/20 -- Order extending strict foreclosure law days to October 6, 2020
09/03/20 -- Notice Regarding Issuance and Service of Executions
Housing mediators, who are trained employees of the court, will soon begin meeting with parties in commercial eviction cases via remote technology to try to work out agreements on these cases. The mediators will also begin to meet with parties in residential eviction cases after the moratorium expires on October 1, to resolve those matters. Housing stipulated agreement forms have been revised to eliminate the need for signatures, allowing mediators to draft agreements reached during remote mediations and forward them electronically to parties for review and for the court to review.
Restraining Orders and Civil Protection Orders
15. What is the procedure for filing of restraining orders and civil
protection orders during the COVID-19 public health emergency?
Please
see this web page on the Procedure for the
Remote Filing of Temporary Restraining Orders. Please note that the
instructions
for filing a temporary restraining order or civil protection order
state that “during this period, the usual requirement that you take an
oath before a notary public or other official has been suspended.
Instead, the forms are signed, without a notary, under the ‘penalty of
false statement.’”
Divorce and Custody
16. If we have an agreement, may we have our
family court case resolved without having to come to court?
This web page on how to request that
certain family matters be handled remotely states that "[d]uring the COVID-19 public health
emergency, the Judicial Branch has established a procedure for parties
with full written agreements in family court matters to request approval
of their agreements without having to come to the courthouse for a
hearing. The procedure is available to request the entry of final
judgment in any action for custody, visitation between parents,
dissolution of marriage, or legal separation, or a final order on any
motion in such a case, as long as the parties are in complete agreement
and file all necessary documents."
Click here for explanations
of the procedures and the necessary documents.
On or about June 24, judges will begin to hold virtual (video) family court hearings, including final agreements and uncontested dissolutions of marriage (divorces). Please see this June 17, 2020 court notice for more information about virtual family court hearings.
17. I have a trial or a specially assigned hearing for a pending case. Do I need to
go to court?
If you have an attorney, please contact your
attorney. If you do not have an attorney, look up your case on the
Judicial Branch’s
case look up section. With
some exceptions, all family trials and specially assigned hearings which
had been scheduled to commence or continue on dates during the months of
May, June, and July 2020, will be continued to dates to be determined at a
later date. You can view the full-text of this
June 17,
2020 court notice for exceptions.
If you have a remote court hearing scheduled and you receive an e-mail invitation to join a Microsoft Teams meeting, see this Connecticut Guide to Remote Hearings For Attorneys and Self-Represented Parties
18. My family case has a "resolution plan date" or a
"case date" hearing. What does that mean?
As of January, 2021, Connecticut has a
new process
[Resolution Plan Date] for custody, visitation, dissolution of marriage, and legal separation cases. It was developed with the help of the National Center for
State Courts based on research and experience in other states. The process is designed to encourage parties to concentrate on resolving their cases by agreement, instead of engaging in
lengthy litigation. It seeks to give each case the level of court resources it needs sooner than was possible under the old process, and reduce the number of necessary court appearances. More
information about Resolution Plan Dates can be found here: https://www.jud.ct.gov/faq/ResolutionPlanDate.pdf.
A Case Date is a hearing before a judge to address matters like motions for temporary orders on custody, child support, or other subjects, to be in effect while your case is pending. The judge may also hear
reports on the progress of services that have been ordered in your case. Due to the pandemic, these meetings will take place virtually for
the foreseeable future. Case Dates are not the final trial of your case.
They are intended as checkpoints along the way to final resolution, to
keep your case on track and to conduct brief hearings on issues that
need orders in place before there is a final agreement or trial. More
information about Case Dates can be found here: https://jud.ct.gov/HomePDFs/facasedate.pdf.
19. Are family pre-trials and status conferences being held?
Family
pre-trials and status conferences will be held telephonically
starting the week of May 11, 2020. These remotely held events
will be scheduled in cases from all Judicial District courts, whether or
not the court location is currently open. Please read this
May 15, 2020
Message Regarding Remote Family Pretrials and Status Conferences for
more detailed information. (See also: May
7, 2020 Family Matters Update.) Family relations counselors are also
providing status conferences remotely.
20. My spouse and I are getting a divorce and we have an
agreement. Can we skip the parenting class and get the divorce approved?
If both you and your spouse agree not to participate in
the parenting education program, you can request that the court waive
this requirement. It is within the judge’s discretion to approve or deny
this request.
21. Can I take a parenting class online? Do I have to pay for it
out of my pocket?
Parenting education programs, offered as
part of Connecticut General Statute
Sec. 46b-69b, will be conducted virtually until further notice. You
can contact the programs listed in this
Parenting
Education Program Offered Online document for their schedule of Virtual Parenting
Education Program dates and times. If you sign up and complete a virtual
program, this will be accepted as fulfilling the requirement.
Online parenting courses are paid for out of pocket unless the fee has been waived by the court. If you have an attorney, please contact your attorney.
22. How can I request approval of a Qualified Domestic Relations
Order (QDRO) during this crisis?
Please review this document
on How to Request
Approval of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order by Electronic Means.
To facilitate the continued processing of QDROs, the Judicial Branch has
established an optional procedure whereby the proposed orders may be
submitted and acted upon electronically. This option is available only
in paperless, electronic files in which at least one appearing attorney
or self-represented party is enrolled in e-filing. The procedure is not
available in paper files.
23. What is the status of my custody agreement during this
crisis?
All custody agreements remain in effect. A party
can file an emergency motion if the child is in imminent or present
physical danger or psychological harm.
Child Support
24. What is the status of child support payments if I lost my
job?
All child support orders remain in effect. You can
file a motion for a modification but that motion will not be heard until
court business resumes.
25. Will my stimulus payment be reduced if I owe child support?
For information on the Economic Impact (Stimulus)
Payments and the Treasury Offset Program for
child support, please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
published by the Department of Social Services (DSS) at https://portal.ct.gov/DSS/Child-Support/Child-Support.
You may contact DSS with any questions about the offset program. For
specific questions about your child support balance or case please
contact SES.
26. How can I contact Support Enforcement Services (SES) about an
important child support issue?
The
COVID-19 Updates web page
states that “[d]uring this time, SES is operating with reduced staffing
and is providing limited services. If you have an important child
support issue or question regarding your case, you may email SES at
CSIPRU@JUD.CT.GOV. You may also
continue to call the automated payment processing line for payment
information on your case, at 1-888-223-7223.”
Gestational Agreements
27. How can I request approval of a gestational agreement
without a court hearing?
Please review this document on
How to
Request Approval of a Gestational Agreement and the Entry of Pre-Birth
Orders Without a Court Hearing. During the COVID-19 public health
emergency, the Judicial Branch has established a procedure whereby
parties to gestational carrier agreements may request the approval of
their agreements, and the entry of pre-birth orders, without coming to
the courthouse for a hearing.
Criminal and Motor Vehicle
28. What types of criminal matters are
currently being acted on by the courts?
Please see this May
13, 2020 court notice titled
Criminal Matters Continue Expanding its Capability to Handle Cases.
For additional information, see this
July 28,
2020 court notice.
29. How do I find information about a pending criminal or motor
vehicle case?
Information on pending criminal and motor
vehicle cases can be found online by utilizing the
case lookup page.
30. How do I find out when my next court date is?
Court date information can be found online by utilizing the
case lookup page.
31. How do I safely apply for a public
defender?
Please see this Division of Public Defender Services web page titled
Safely Apply for a Public Defender or call 860-756-7840 to request a
safe application by phone.
32. Where can I find information on traffic tickets and
reopening motor vehicle matters?
This
COVID-19 court notice states that “[y]ou may pay, plead not guilty
or request online review of your traffic ticket. Questions concerning
traffic tickets may be sent to
traffictickets@jud.ct.gov.
Fines and fees for criminal and motor vehicle matters are deferred until
further notice. If you wish to reopen a motor vehicle matter that has
been closed out pursuant to C.G.S. sec. 14-140 please remit payment by
mail. Please send a money order (personal checks are not accepted) in
the amount of $60.00 made payable to ‘Clerk of Court’ and mail to the
court of jurisdiction. Please provide your name and docket number in the
body of the money order.” Please see this
Traffic Violation FAQ
for further details.
33. Where can I get information on my driver’s license status
and/or DMV information?
For questions about your driver’s
license and/or DMV information, please visit https://portal.ct.gov/DMV. For
questions regarding a suspended license, please contact the DMV
suspension line at 860-263-5720 or send an email to
dmv.suspension@ct.gov.
34. How do I request a criminal history record?
Criminal history records can be requested through the Department of
Emergency Services and Public Protection. This
Criminal History Record Request Form also includes the contact
information.
Adult Probation
35. Are Adult Probation offices open during the COVID-19 public
health emergency? How can I contact an Adult Probation office?
The COVID-19 Updates
web page states that the Judicial Branch has closed Adult Probation
offices to public access, including to probation clients, unless
authorized by a probation officer, until further notice. The offices are
staffed the same hours as the courts are open, and you may contact the
offices by telephone. Adult
probation officers are connecting with clients via telephone contacts. Please
do not hesitate to call if you need assistance from a probation officer.
For additonal information, see this
Adult
Probation COVID-19 Update and this
June 17,
2020 court notice (last page).
36. Can diversionary program educational requirements be
completed remotely?
Pretrial Alcohol Education and
Pretrial Drug Education and Community Service clients may complete their
education program requirements via tele-health evaluations and remote
group sessions. CSSD clients may attend Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Victim Impact Panels remotely.
Suspended Court Rules
37. Where can I find the currently suspended Practice Book
rules?
Please see this page on the Emergency
Meeting of the Rules Committee of the Superior Court pursuant to Section
1-9B of the CT Practice Book. The suspended rules are in
Appendix A and a new rule is in
Appendix B.
Additionally, to determine whether or not certain rules are still suspended, check the Judicial Branch’s COVID-19 Updates web page for notices and orders. For example, see this Notice of Resumption of Defaults and Nonsuits in Civil and Family Matters and this September 24, 2020 order: Removal of the Suspension of Requirements and Deadlines in Section 3-2 and Section 17-30 Concerning Defaults.
To find the current Connecticut Practice Book, including current and proposed revisions, see the court rules web page.
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