Connecticut Divorce Return Date: What It Is and How to Choose One

The Return Date Is Not a Court Date

This is the single most important thing to understand about Connecticut divorce procedure: the Return Date is not a day you appear in court. It is an administrative date that serves as the starting clock for every deadline in your case.

When you prepare your Summons (JD-FM-3), you choose a Return Date — a Tuesday at least four weeks in the future. This date anchors everything that follows: when your spouse must file an Appearance, when Financial Affidavits are due, when the 90-day waiting period expires, and when the Resolution Plan Date is scheduled.

Think of it as Day Zero for your case timeline.

How to Choose Your Return Date

The rules for selecting a valid Return Date are specific:

It must be a Tuesday. No exceptions. Connecticut court rules require all family Return Dates to fall on a Tuesday.

It must be at least four weeks after the date of service. If you plan to serve your spouse on March 3, the earliest valid Return Date is March 31 (the first Tuesday that is at least 28 days later). In practice, pick a Tuesday five to six weeks out to give yourself a buffer for marshal scheduling.

Work backward from your desired timeline. The 90-day waiting period starts on the Return Date. If you want to finalize your divorce as early as possible, choose the earliest valid Tuesday and make sure service happens promptly. Every week you delay in choosing a Return Date pushes your final decree back by the same amount.

Why the Return Date Matters So Much

Every major deadline in your Connecticut divorce is counted from the Return Date:

If you miscalculate the Return Date or choose a day that is not a Tuesday, the court rejects the filing and you start over — picking a new date, re-serving your spouse, and resetting all the clocks.

The Confusion: Return Date vs. Hearing Date

Many self-represented filers panic when they see their Return Date on the calendar, believing they need to show up in court. You do not. Nothing happens at the courthouse on the Return Date. It is a paper deadline only.

Your first actual court event is usually the Resolution Plan Date, which is scheduled about 30 to 45 days after the Return Date. At the RPD, you meet with a Family Relations Counselor who evaluates your case and assigns it to a management track. Even this is not a formal hearing — it is a screening session.

If you are pursuing an uncontested divorce and request approval "on the papers" (Forms JD-FM-281 and JD-FM-282), you may never set foot in a courtroom at all.

Common Return Date Mistakes

Choosing a non-Tuesday. The filing will be rejected. Double-check the calendar before filling in the Summons.

Not leaving enough time for service. The marshal must serve your spouse at least 12 days before the Return Date. If the marshal needs multiple attempts, you may miss this window and need to choose a new Return Date.

Not filing in time. The complete package — summons, complaint, and Return of Service — must be filed with the court clerk at least six days before the Return Date. Late filings are rejected.

Confusing Return Date with filing date. The 90-day waiting period starts on the Return Date, not the day you walk into the clerk's office. Filing early does not shorten your wait.

The Connecticut Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a Return Date calculator and a complete timeline worksheet that maps every downstream deadline from the date you choose — so you avoid the scheduling mistakes that force filers to restart the process.

See more Connecticut guides →