Connecticut Financial Affidavit in Divorce (JD-FM-6 Guide)

Every divorce in Connecticut requires both spouses to file a sworn Financial Affidavit — Form JD-FM-6. This document is the foundation of every property division, alimony, and child support decision the court makes.

Getting it wrong doesn't just slow your case. Because you sign it under oath, errors can be treated as misrepresentation. And because judges use it to evaluate whether a settlement is fair, an inaccurate affidavit can cost you money you didn't know you were leaving on the table.

Short Form vs Long Form: Which One Do You File?

Connecticut uses two versions:

If either spouse's gross income or total assets exceed $75,000, both spouses file the long form. In Fairfield County and many Hartford-area cases, that means the long form is standard.

The Weekly Math Problem

Here's what trips up most self-represented filers: the JD-FM-6 requires all income and expenses in weekly figures. Most people budget monthly or get paid bi-weekly or semi-monthly. Converting those numbers correctly is critical.

Bi-weekly pay (26 paychecks/year): Divide your bi-weekly gross by 2 to get the weekly figure.

Semi-monthly pay (24 paychecks/year): Multiply your semi-monthly gross by 24, then divide by 52.

Monthly expenses (12 cycles/year): Multiply the monthly amount by 12, then divide by 52.

Annual income: Divide by 52.

The court wants a 13-week average for variable income and expenses — not a single recent paycheck. If you earn commissions, bonuses, or overtime that fluctuate, average the last 13 weeks (one quarter) to produce a defensible figure.

Section-by-Section Walkthrough

Income Section

List every source of income, pre-tax:

• Base salary or hourly wages (weekly average)
• Overtime, commissions, bonuses (13-week average)
• Self-employment income (net after business expenses)
• Rental income
• Investment income (dividends, interest, capital gains)
• Social Security, disability, or pension benefits
• Any other recurring income

Report gross income, not net. Deductions for taxes, insurance, and retirement contributions are listed separately so the court can see both sides.

Expense Section

This is where accuracy matters most. The court uses your expenses to determine need — for alimony, for child support, and for evaluating the fairness of a proposed settlement.

Key categories:

• Housing (mortgage/rent, property taxes, insurance, maintenance)
• Utilities (electric, gas, water, phone, internet)
• Food (groceries and dining — separate them)
• Transportation (car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, parking)
• Medical (insurance premiums, co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision)
• Children (childcare, tuition, activities, clothing)
• Personal (clothing, grooming, subscriptions)
• Debt payments (credit cards, student loans, personal loans — minimum payments)

Don't lowball your expenses to look frugal or inflate them to justify a higher alimony request. Judges see hundreds of these forms and know what reasonable household expenses look like. Outliers get questioned.

Assets and Liabilities Section

List every asset and every debt — joint and individual:

• Bank accounts (with current balances)
• Retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, pension — current value)
• Real estate (estimated market value minus mortgage balance)
• Vehicles (NADA/KBB fair market value minus loan balance)
• Investment accounts (brokerage, mutual funds)
• Life insurance (cash surrender value for whole life policies)
• Credit card balances
• Student loans
• Medical debt
• Tax obligations owed

For each item, indicate whether it's held jointly, in your name, or in your spouse's name.

Common Mistakes That Hurt Your Case

1. Using monthly numbers without converting — filing monthly figures on a weekly form makes your income look four times higher or your expenses four times lower
2. Forgetting pre-tax deductions — report gross income, then itemize deductions; don't report net and skip the deduction lines
3. Omitting variable income — bonuses, overtime, and commissions must be averaged and included
4. Listing only joint debts — individual debts matter too, especially student loans and credit cards in your name alone
5. Rounding aggressively — use actual figures from statements, not round numbers that suggest estimation

What Happens After You File

Both affidavits are exchanged between the parties. In contested cases, either side can request supporting documentation — bank statements, pay stubs, tax returns — to verify the numbers.

If the case settles, the judge reviews both affidavits before approving the separation agreement. If the numbers don't support the proposed division, the judge can reject the agreement and send the parties back to negotiate.

The Connecticut Divorce Financial Split Guide includes a JD-FM-6 weekly converter worksheet that automates the pay-cycle math and maps each line item directly to the court form's categories.

See more Connecticut guides →