Statutory Reference to Connecticut General Statutes:

Divorce: § 46b-44, 46b-40, 46b-51

Property Division: § 46b-81(c)

Alimony: § 46b-82

Custody: § 46b-56a

Visitation: § 46b-56b

Child Support: §§ 46b-84, 46b-215a-1 et seq.

http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2003/pub/Title46b.htm

 

Residence:

The Complaint may be filed by either party at any time after he/she has established residence.  The Decree of Divorce, however, may be entered only after one party has been a resident for a year or one party was domiciled in the state at the time of the marriage and returned to the state before filing the Complaint or the cause for divorce arose in the state after either party moved into the state.

 

Grounds:

(1) Irretrievable breakdown of marriage ("no-fault divorce"). Fault, however, may be taken into account by the Court when it divides assets or awards alimony.

(2) Living Apart for 18 months due to incompatibility, with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation

(3) Adultery

(4) Fraudulent contract

(5) Desertion for one year

(6) Seven years' absence

(7) Habitual intemperance

(8) Intolerable cruelty

(9) Sentencing to imprisonment for life or the commission any infamous crime involving a violation of conjugal duty and punishable by imprisonment for over one year

(10) Five years' confinement in a mental institution

 

 

Distribution of Property:

Equitable distribution of all property.  The court shall value and distribute all property, considering the causes of the dissolution, the length of the marriage, the age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate, liabilities, needs of each party, opportunity for future acquisition of capital assets and income, contribution of each party to the marital and separate estates. 

 

Alimony/Spousal Support:

The court shall consider, when awarding alimony, the length of the marriage, the causes for dissolution, age, health, station, occupation, amount and sources of income, vocational skills, employability, estate and needs of each party, property distribution, and the desirability of the custodial parent securing employment. 

 

Child Custody/Visitation:

If the parents agree to joint custody, then it is presumed that joint custody is in the best interests of the child, and the court must state its reasons for denial of joint custody. 

The court may award joint legal custody with primary physical custody to one parent. 

Visitation may be granted to "any person" if it is in the child's best interests. 

 

Child Support:

Child Support and Arrearage Guidelines at Sections 46b-215a-1 et seq.  The guidelines are based on the Income Shared Model, taking into consideration the net income of both parents. 

 

Child support terminates when the child reaches 18 years of age.