What to Do Now If You Have a Pending Divorce in Connecticut

By Robert B. Fried
March 25, 2020

I often tell my clients that divorce is contagious and can multiply whether during good times or bad. So, if you have a pending divorce in Connecticut, what can you do now in the wake of this ongoing health crisis?

Most Connecticut courts are closed. Thirteen buildings remain open — one per judicial district. And in those 13 courthouses, business is limited to “Priority I Business Functions.” That includes arraignments involving domestic violence cases, family orders of relief from abuse, civil orders of relief from abuse, ex parte motions, and emergency ex part order of temporary custody.

So you want to bring a new divorce action; that should not be a problem because we must e-file the paperwork. But the standard motions for alimony, child support, possession of the marital home during the divorce will not be heard — not now and not in the next month. Beyond that, no one knows. Your pending divorce is in limbo.

But if you are taking advantage of the collaborative process, negotiating your divorce with trained collaborative attorneys may result in a much earlier resolution of your divorce issues. Along with everyone else, we are making adjustments to how we help our clients, and this includes video conferencing. While you will still have to wait to get the actual court divorce, working out an agreement now can eliminate the source of the stress, resolve child-related issues, alimony, property and debt issues — at this point, it is a much better option.

If you have questions, please call my office at 860-728-6644 or send me an email at rbfried@lawyer.com. We are open for business and are taking steps to ensure our clients’ safety in these difficult times.