Marriages don't always last forever, regardless of what people say in their wedding vows, so states have laws and procedures for the dissolution of marriage, most commonly referred to as "divorce." Connecticut divorce laws, as with the divorce laws in other states, require divorcing couples to be residents of the state for a certain amount of time and also impose waiting periods. And while certain legal grounds for divorce may be cited in Connecticut, such as adultery or willful desertion, it is also possible to get divorced on "no-fault" grounds. In Connecticut, a no-fault divorce would be filed as an "irretrievable breakdown" or after at least 18 months of continuous separation.
Learn more about Connecticut's divorce laws in the chart below.
| Code Section | 46b-40, 44, 67 |
| Residency Requirements | Resident for 12 months before filing or 1 party domiciliary at time of marriage and returned with intent to stay or the cause for dissolution occurred after either moved to the state. |
| Waiting Period | 90 days. |
| 'No Fault' Grounds for Divorce | Irretrievable breakdown; separation. (lived apart for at least 18 mos. prior to complaint) |
| Defenses to a Divorce Filing | - |
| Other Grounds for Divorce | Adultery; cruelty or violence; willful desertion for 1 yr.; drug/alcohol addiction; insanity; unexplained absence for at least 7 yrs.; conviction of infamous crime; fraudulent contract; legal confinement for mental illness 5 out of last 6 yrs. |
Note: State laws are constantly changing, usually through caselaw or the enactment of new legislation, but occasionally through the passage of ballot initiatives or other means. FindLaw makes every effort to keep these pages up to date, but you may also want to contact an attorney or conduct your own legal research to verify the state law(s) you are researching.
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Connecticut Divorce Laws: Related Resources
Getting Divorced in Connecticut? Consider Getting Legal Help
Getting divorced is rarely a stress-free endeavor and typically conjures intense emotional responses, which is why it's almost always important to have an attorney by your side who can focus on the legal particulars of your case. And if your spouse has a lawyer, it makes even more sense to secure legal representation. Get started today by calling an experienced Connecticut divorce attorney.
