Can you get your Connecticut court filing fee waived?
Connecticut decides fee waivers using 125% of the federal poverty guidelines. That gives you a number to compare against, but it is usually a presumption or one route of several, not a hard ceiling.
Compare your income
For a household of 1, 125% of the federal poverty guidelines is $19,950 a year ($1,663 a month). The guideline itself is $15,960.
Ways to qualify in Connecticut
- Public benefits. Receiving State-administered General Assistance, Temporary Family Assistance, Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled, SNAP, or SSI counts toward qualifying, often without any income showing at all.
- Income. At or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for your household size.
- Inability to pay. You explain your income, expenses and debts on a sworn form, and the court decides whether paying the fee would leave you unable to cover basic needs. This route has no income cutoff.
Rebuttable presumption of indigency at or below 125% FPL, measured AFTER taxes, mandatory deductions and childcare, or on receipt of a listed program. The court can still find indigency outside these categories.
What to file
Connecticut uses the Application for Waiver of Fees, Payment of Costs, and Appointment of Counsel (Family) (JD-FM-75). File it at the same time as your petition or response, not after.
This page explains how Connecticut decides fee waivers. It is not legal advice, and it cannot tell you how a judge will rule on your case. Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm.
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