Connecticut Legal Guides
27 guides covering Connecticut topics, each with Caselaw search beside the article.
Where to search Connecticut lawFree caselaw search for Connecticut — search by citation, case name, or legal issue, with full text and PDFs.
- Adverse Possession in Connecticut
Connecticut adverse possession: 15 years under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-575. Elements, taxes, color of title, and linked Connecticut opinions.
- A Per Stirpes Primer From The Connecticut Supreme Court
In Schwerin v. Ratcliffe , the Connecticut Supreme Court did a deep dive on the application of and rationale behind per stirpes distribution. The Court analyzed the terms of two family trusts and law from Connecticut and other jurisdictions…
- Can I Get Sued After a Car Accident in Connecticut? Does Fault Matter?
Connecticut car accident lawsuits and fault: modified comparative fault with a 51% bar (recovery barred if you are more than 50% at fault) under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-572h, when you can sue or be sued, insurance rules, and the statute of limitations (2 years — Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-577).
- Castle Doctrine in Connecticut: Deadly Force Against Intruders
Connecticut castle doctrine: when occupants may use deadly force against home intruders, key statutes (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-19), presumptions, and leading cases.
- Child Custody and Parenting Time in Connecticut
How Connecticut courts decide custody and parenting time under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-56, 46b-56a, including best-interests factors, relocation, and modification.
- Clearing a Criminal Record in Connecticut
Connecticut expungement begins with Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-102l, expungement of DNA data bank records and destruction of samples. This guide follows that petition, the records that travel under a different section, and the opinions that have already decided these requests.
- Connecticut Alimony: Eligibility, Amount, and Duration
How Connecticut courts award alimony under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82: eligibility, statutory factors, duration, and leading cases.
- Connecticut Child Support Guidelines: How Support Is Calculated
How Connecticut calculates child support under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-215a, 46b-215b; Connecticut Child Support Guidelines, including the income shares, deviations, modification, and leading cases.
- Connecticut Evidence Law: Admissibility, Hearsay, and Authenticity
A practitioner guide to Connecticut evidence law under the Connecticut Code of Evidence: general admissibility, character evidence, hearsay and its workhorse exceptions, unavailable declarants, depositions at trial, party admissions, dying declarations, medical statements, and a dedicated authenticity section — with case and statute links in the LawDiver corpus.
- Connecticut Supreme Court Strikes In Terrorem Clause Governing Estate Administration
Most states have a well-developed rule governing in terrorem clauses, or "no contest" clauses, wherein a beneficiary who attempts to challenge the terms of a will or trust forfeits the inheritance he or she would otherwise receive. Some sta…
- DUI Penalties in Connecticut
Connecticut DUI penalties under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a: BAC limits, first-offense range, when a DUI becomes a felony, and ignition-interlock rules.
- How Does Bond Work in Connecticut? Bail and Pretrial Release Explained
Connecticut bail and bond explained: cash, surety, and ROR. Types of release, what judges consider at a bail hearing, forfeiture risks, and linked Connecticut opinions under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 54-63 to 54-65.
- How Does Eviction Work in Connecticut?
Connecticut eviction / summary process under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-23 to 47a-26h: notices, filing forum, timeline to a writ of possession, and common tenant defenses.
- How Do You Make a Valid Will In Connecticut?
To make a valid will under Connecticut law, the will must be: In writing; Signed by the testator; and, Attested by two witnesses. The requirements for a valid will in Connecticut are located at CT Gen Stat §45a-251 . Who Can Make a V…
- How to File a Lawsuit Without a Lawyer in Connecticut: Pro Se Litigation Guide
A practical Connecticut guide to representing yourself: what statutes, cases, and rules are; how to draft and file a complaint (or small-claims writ and complaint); how service and Connecticut Judicial Branch e-Services / E-Filing registration work; discovery; evidence; and how LawDiver helps you research authorities in the corpus.
- How to File for Divorce in Connecticut
Connecticut divorce filing guide: At least one party must have resided in Connecticut for 12 months before the complaint (with limited domicile-related exceptions). equitable distribution; linked statutes and process overview.
- How to Get a Prison Sentence Reduced in Connecticut
Paths to shorten or correct a Connecticut prison sentence under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-29; Conn. Practice Book § 43-22: modification motions, good-time credits, parole, and post-conviction relief — with linked Connecticut opinions.
- How to Modify Alimony in Connecticut
Step-by-step guide to modifying alimony in Connecticut under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-86(b): changed-circumstances standards, retirement and cohabitation rules, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- How to Modify Child Support in Connecticut
Step-by-step guide to modifying a Connecticut child support order under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-86(a); § 46b-215a (guidelines): what counts as a change in circumstances, when changes take effect, and the cases that matter.
- Is Abortion Legal in Connecticut?
Connecticut abortion law after Dobbs: protected access. Legal until viability, with life/health exceptions thereafter. Linked statutes and Connecticut opinions.
- Security Deposit Return in Connecticut
How Connecticut landlords must handle residential security deposits under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-21: limits, return deadlines, and wrongful-withholding remedies.
- Stand Your Ground Laws in Connecticut
Connecticut stand-your-ground overview (duty-to-retreat (outside the home)): duty to retreat, statutes, civil immunity, and controlling cases.
- Surviving Spouse Rights Connecticut
Surviving spouse rights (also called widow's rights) in Connecticut include: Intestate Share Elective Share Support Allowance Omitted Spouse Rights What Are Surviving Spouse Rights in Connecticut If There Is No Will? When someone dies witho…
- Trustee of Inter Vivos Revocable Trust Has Duty to Collect Trust Assets
A standard estate plan is the use of a "pour over" will with a revocable trust. The will bequeaths the entirety of the residuary of the probate estate to a trust. The will in this scenario is known as a "pour over" will. Ideally, the trust,…
- What Happens If I Refuse a Breathalyzer Test in Connecticut?
Connecticut implied-consent consequences for refusing a chemical breath or blood test under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227b, including license suspension and evidence use.
- Who Are Next Of Kin In Connecticut?
Next of kin in Connecticut can describe who inherits from an estate when there is no will, known as intestacy. The rules for which next of kin inherit in the absence of a will are based on the total family composition of the deceased. CT Ge…
- Who Can Serve As the Fiduciary Of a Connecticut Estate?
Who is entitled to serve as the fiduciary of a Connecticut estate depends on whether the decedent died testate (with a will) or intestate (without a will). Who Is Appointed As Fiduciary When Decedent Died With a Will? If the decedent died w…