Finalizing Your Uncontested Divorce: Filling Out the Court Documents, Part III

•  Fill out an Affidavit Concerning Children (JD-FM-164).
• Fill out a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CCSG-1, JD-FM-220).
• Fill out an Advisement of Rights Re: Income Withholding (JD-FM-71).
• Fill out an Affidavit Concerning Military Service (JDFM-178) if the defendant has not filed an Appearance form.
• Send a copy of all the completed forms to your spouse or your spouse’s attorney.
• Fill out a Dissolution of Marriage Report (JD-FM-181) or a Dissolution of Civil Union Report (JD-FM-181A). Fill in Part 1 only and give it to the court at the final hearing. This form is for the court’s use only.

 

The 90 Day Waiting Period: Alimony and Child Support

Alimony

 Alimony is the money a judge orders one spouse to pay for the support of the other spouse. There are no formal guidelines for how much alimony to award. The judge decides each case after looking at the facts, including the length of the marriage or civil union, the age, the health, the income, and the job skills of each spouse. If you do not ask for alimony at the final hearing, you can never get it in the future. If alimony is ordered by the court, either party may be able to ask the court to change (or modify) the amount in the future. If you want alimony, tell the court how much you want, how long you want to get alimony, and for what reason. For example, you may want alimony because you plan to go to school or because you need it to pay household expenses.

 Child Support

 Connecticut has child support guidelines which help the court set the amount of child support to be paid by the noncustodial parent. The chart in the guidelines tells you the amount of the basic child support obligation based on the number of children and the combined net income of both parents. The guidelines also list reasons the judge or family support magistrate can use for not following the chart.

 You can get a copy of the child support guidelines from the court clerk’s office, Court Service Center and on the Judicial Branch website at http://www.jud.ct.gov. Before your court hearing, you will need to fill out the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CCSG-1, JD-FM-220). A family relations counselor can help you fill this form out in court before your hearing. If you are going to family support magistrate court, a support enforcement officer can help you fill this form out. All child support orders are paid through an income withholding order unless the parties agree or the court orders differently.

 TIP: All child support orders are paid through an income withholding order  unless the parties agree or the court orders differently.