Court Hearings in Connecticut

The short calendar and motion practice

In Connecticut Superior Court, most routine and interim family motions go on what is called the short calendar. This includes requests for pendente lite orders. It is the regular calendar for matters that can usually be decided without a lengthy evidentiary hearing, unlike a trial or a longer contested hearing. A party files the motion and serves the opposing party. The matter then appears on the short calendar for a specific court date. There, the judge may rule on the papers, hear argument, or send the motion to a longer hearing if it turns out more contested than expected. Short calendar sessions are usually held on a fixed day of the week at each courthouse. Specific rules govern how far in advance a motion must be filed to appear on a given date.

Pendente lite orders

Pendente lite orders address custody, parenting time, child support, or alimony while the divorce case is still open. Either spouse can move for pendente lite relief early in the case. The court can enter an order that stays in effect only until final judgment, or until the court changes it. A Connecticut divorce can take months to resolve, especially if contested. Pendente lite orders set a working arrangement for the family in the meantime, so the household is not left waiting for the case to conclude. Both parties generally must file a sworn financial affidavit before a pendente lite hearing that involves support, since the court relies on that document to evaluate the request.

Family Support Magistrates

Connecticut has a separate Family Support Magistrate Division. It hears certain child support and paternity matters, including cases connected to the Title IV-D federal child support enforcement program. A Family Support Magistrate, rather than a Superior Court judge, decides these cases. Which track a case follows, magistrate or judge, depends on the nature of the support matter and whether it falls within the division's jurisdiction. Parties with a support-focused case should confirm with the court which track applies to them. Magistrates hold regular sessions in courthouses around the state, separate from the general family short calendar.

Remote hearing guidelines

Connecticut's Judicial Branch adopted a Standing Order for Superior Court Family Matters addressing remote proceedings in December 2020. It has kept publishing updated guidance since, including general guidelines for remote proceedings issued after the pandemic. Remote participation has remained part of how some Connecticut family matters are handled. The guidelines describe when and how remote proceedings are used. They do not guarantee that every hearing will be remote. Check the current guidelines, or ask the clerk's office, whether a specific short calendar date or hearing will be remote, in person, or hybrid. Attorneys and self-represented parties alike should check in with the clerk's office if they are unsure of the format.

What happens at a pendente lite hearing

A short calendar appearance on a pendente lite motion is usually more limited than a trial. Depending on how contested the request is, the judge may rule based on the motion, any objection, and the parties' financial affidavits. Or the judge may hear brief argument or testimony before deciding. More contested pendente lite requests can be marked for a longer hearing date if the short calendar format does not allow enough time.

Typical subjects include temporary custody and parenting time, temporary child support or alimony, and use of the marital home. Whatever the court orders stays in effect only until the court changes it or the case reaches final judgment. Either party can later file a new motion if a real change in circumstances occurs before the case concludes.