Conn. Practice Book § 25-5 (2026)

Sec. 25-5. Automatic Orders upon Service of Complaint or Application (Amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000.) The following automatic orders shall apply to both parties, with service of the automatic orders to be made with service of process of a complaint for dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment, or of an application for custody or visitation. An automatic order shall not apply if there is a prior, contradictory order of a judicial authority. The automatic orders shall be effective with regard to the plaintiff or the applicant upon the signing of the complaint or the appli- cation and with regard to the defendant or the respondent upon service and shall remain in place during the pendency of the action, unless termi- nated, modified, or amended by further order of a judicial authority upon motion of either of the parties: (a) In all cases involving a child or children, whether or not the parties are married or in a civil union: (1) Neither party shall permanently remove the minor child or children from the state of Connecti- cut, without written consent of the other or order of a judicial authority. 302 (2) A party vacating the family residence shall notify the other party or the other party’s attorney, in writing, within forty-eight hours of such move, of an address where the relocated party can receive communication. This provision shall not apply if and to the extent there is a prior, contradictory order of a judicial authority. (3) If the parents of minor children live apart during this proceeding, they shall assist their chil- dren in having contact with both parties, which is consistent with the habits of the family, personally, by telephone, and in writing. This provision shall not apply if and to the extent there is a prior, contradictory order of a judicial authority. (4) Neither party shall cause the children of the marriage or the civil union to be removed from any medical, hospital and dental insurance coverage, and each party shall maintain the existing medical, hospital and dental insurance coverage in full force and effect. (5) The parties shall participate in the parenting education program within sixty days of the return day or within sixty days from the filing of the appli- cation. (6) These orders do not change or replace any existing court orders, including criminal protective and civil restraining orders. (b) In all cases involving a marriage or civil union, whether or not there are children: (1) Neither party shall sell, transfer, exchange, assign, remove, or in any way dispose of, without the consent of the other party in writing, or an order of a judicial authority, any property, except in the usual course of business or for customary and usual household expenses or for reasonable attorney’s fees in connection with this action. (A) Nothing in subsection (b) (1) shall be con- strued to preclude a party from purchasing or sell- ing securities, in the usual course of the parties’ investment decisions, whether held in an individ- ual or jointly held investment account, provided that the purchase or sale is: (i) intended to pre- serve the estate of the parties, (ii) transacted either on an open and public market or at an arm’s length on a private market, and (iii) completed in such manner that the purchased securities or sales proceeds resulting from a sale remain, sub- ject to the provisions and exceptions recited in subsection (b) (1), in the account in which the securities or cash were maintained immediately prior to the transaction. Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to apply to a party’s purchase or sale on a private market of an interest in an entity that conducts a business in which the party is or intends to become an active participant.

© Copyrighted by the Secretary of the State of the State of Connecticut SUPERIOR COURT—PROCEDURE IN FAMILY MATTERS Sec. 25-5A (B) Notwithstanding the requirement of subpar- agraph (A) of subsection (b) (1) that the transac- tion be made in the usual course of the parties’ investment decisions, if historically the parties’ usual course of investment decisions involves their discussion of proposed transactions with each other before they are made, but a sale pro- posed by one party is a matter of such urgency as to timing that the party proposing the sale has a good faith belief that the delay occasioned by such discussion would result in loss to the estate of the parties, then the party proposing the sale may proceed with the transaction without such prior discussion, but shall notify the other party of the transaction immediately upon its execution; provided, that a sale permitted by this subpara- graph (B) shall be subject to all other conditions and provisions of subparagraph (A) of subsection (b) (1), so long as the transaction is intended to preserve the estate of the parties. (2) Neither party shall conceal any property. (3) Neither party shall encumber (except for the filing of a lis pendens) without the consent of the other party, in writing, or an order of a judicial authority, any property except in the usual course of business or for customary and usual household expenses or for reasonable attorney’s fees in con- nection with this action. (4) Neither party shall cause any asset, or por- tion thereof, co-owned or held in joint name, to become held in that party’s name solely without the consent of the other party, in writing, or an order of the judicial authority. (5) Neither party shall incur unreasonable debts hereafter, including, but not limited to, further bor- rowing against any credit line secured by the fam- ily residence, further encumbrancing any assets, or unreasonably using credit cards or cash advances against credit cards. (6) Neither party shall cause the other party to be removed from any medical, hospital and dental insurance coverage, and each party shall main- tain the existing medical, hospital and dental insurance coverage in full force and effect. (7) Neither party shall change the beneficiaries of any existing life insurance policies, and each party shall maintain the existing life insurance, automobile insurance, homeowners or renters insurance policies in full force and effect. (8) If the parties are living together on the date of service of these orders, neither party may deny the other party use of the current primary resi- dence of the parties, whether it be owned or rented property, without order of a judicial authority. This provision shall not apply if there is a prior, contra- dictory order of a judicial authority. 303 (c) In all cases the parties shall each complete and exchange sworn financial statements sub- stantially in accordance with a form prescribed by the chief court administrator within thirty days of the return day. The parties may thereafter enter and submit to the court a stipulated interim order allocating income and expenses, including, if applicable, proposed orders in accordance with the uniform child support guidelines. (d) The automatic orders of a judicial authority as enumerated above shall be set forth immedi- ately following the party’s requested relief in any complaint for dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment, or in any applica- tion for custody or visitation, and shall set forth the following language in bold letters: Failure to obey these orders may be punish- able by contempt of court. If you object to or seek modification of these orders during the pendency of the action, you have the right to a hearing before a judge within a reasonable time. The clerk shall not accept for filing any com- plaint for dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment, or any application for custody or visitation, that does not comply with this subsection. (P.B. 1998.) (Amended June 29, 1998, to take effect Jan. 1, 1999; subdivision (a) (1) was amended on an interim basis, pursuant to the provisions of Section 1-9 (c), to take effect Jan. 1, 1999; amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000; amended August 22, 2001, to take effect Jan. 1, 2002; amended June 26, 2006, to take effect Jan. 1, 2007; amended June 29, 2007, to take effect Jan. 1, 2008; amended June 20, 2011, to take effect Jan. 1, 2012; amended June 13, 2019, to take effect Jan. 1, 2020; amended June 14, 2024, to take effect Jan. 1, 2025.) Sec. 25-5A. Automatic Orders upon Service of Petition for Child Support (a) The following automatic orders shall apply to both parties, with service of the automatic orders to be made with service of process of a petition for child support. An automatic order shall not apply if there is a prior, contradictory order of a judicial authority. The automatic orders shall be effective with regard to the petitioner or the applicant upon the signing of the document initiat- ing the action (whether it be complaint, petition or application), and with regard to the respondent, upon service and shall remain in place during the pendency of the action, unless terminated, modi- fied, or amended by further order of a judicial authority upon motion of either of the parties: Neither party shall cause the other party or the children who are the subject of the complaint, application or petition to be removed from any medical, hospital and dental insurance coverage, and each party shall maintain the existing medical, hospital and dental insurance coverage in full force and effect.

© Copyrighted by the Secretary of the State of the State of Connecticut SUPERIOR COURT—PROCEDURE IN FAMILY MATTERS