Superior Court for Family Matters Standing Orders
Management Order for Trials, Hearings, Case Dates, and Resolution Plan Dates
Effective January 1, 2025



These management orders shall apply to trials, hearings, Case Dates, and Resolution Plan Dates in family matters, whether pendente lite or postjudgment, unless:

  1. the requirements are waived or modified by the court in a particular case, or
  2. the hearing is on an application for, or a motion for extension, modification, or contempt of, a temporary restraining order pursuant to Section 46b-15 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

Section A applies to trials and hearings that are assigned to a date other than a Case Date. Section B applies to hearings on a Case Date. Section C applies to Resolution Plan Dates. Section D applies to all items to be filed or exchanged under this order.

A.   Trials and Hearings. Counsel and self-represented parties are ordered to exchange with each other and file with the court, in the manner set forth in Section D, the following documents not less than five (5) business days before the assigned trial or hearing date.

  1. Current sworn financial affidavits meeting the requirements of Practice Book Sec. 25-30(a), if any financial issues are involved.

  2. A list of all pending motions, including motions to be decided before the start of the trial or hearing such as motions in limine and motions for protective order.

  3. A fully completed child support guidelines worksheet as required by Practice Book Sec. 25-30(e), if applicable.

  4. Written proposed orders in accordance with Practice Book Sec. 25-30(c) and (d).

  5. A list of the names of all witnesses each party reasonably expects to call as part of the party’s case in chief, as well as any reasonably anticipated rebuttal witnesses, including an identifier (that is, party, eyewitness, or expert) and stating any expected scheduling problems. Note: This order does not replace or change the requirements of Practice Book Sec. 13-4 about the manner and time for expert witness disclosure.

  6. A list of exhibits each party reasonably expects to introduce in evidence, indexed by P plus a number for the plaintiff, and D plus a letter for the defendant, with a brief description of each exhibit, indicating whether any party objects to the admission of the exhibit and if so, including a statement of the grounds for the objection if known.

  7. Copies of the exhibits listed in the document required under Section A(6).

B.   Case Dates. For Case Dates, counsel and self-represented parties are ordered to exchange with each other and file with the court, in the manner set forth in Section D, the following documents not less than five (5) business days before the Case Date.

  1. If there is a pending motion that concerns financial issues, current sworn financial affidavits meeting the requirements of Practice Book Sec. 25-30(a); provided, that if a party has already filed a financial affidavit in the case, there has been no substantial change in the party’s financial condition in the interim, and the party is prepared to so testify on the Case Date, no additional financial affidavit is required of the party at this time.

  2. If there is a pending motion that concerns child support, a fully completed child support guidelines worksheet as required by Practice Book Sec. 25-30(e).

  3. If a party has more than one motion that is pending at the time of the Case Date, the party shall provide:

    1. A list of the motions the party intends to pursue on the Case Date by having a hearing on the Case Date or, if the estimated length of the hearing exceeds the time available, on a subsequent date assigned at the Case Date; provided, that the filing party must be prepared to commence the hearing of any motion on this list on the Case Date, even if completion of the hearing requires additional time at a later date. The list shall include an estimate of the amount of hearing time expected to be required for the hearing of each listed motion. Motions shall be listed in order of the priority in which the filing party believes the motions should be heard.

    2. A list of the party’s motions that are pending but which the party does not intend to pursue on the Case Date as set forth in Section(B)(3)(a). Unless otherwise ordered by the court, the motions on this list shall be deemed to be scheduled for the next Case Date, if any, and if none, then for the time of trial.

  4. As to any motion that a moving party intends to pursue on the Case Date, such party shall provide copies of the party’s proposed exhibits to the other party (and, if the Case Date is to be held by remote means, to the court) in accordance with the procedures described in Section D(2).

  5. A party who intends to offer exhibits with respect to a motion filed by the opposing party must provide copies of such exhibits to the opposing party (and, if the Case Date is to be held by remote means, to the court) at least two business (2) days before the Case Date, notwithstanding the five business day requirement as to other Case Date compliance.

  6. A party may (but is not required to) provide written proposed orders in accordance with Practice Book Sec. 25-30(c) and (d).

C.   Resolution Plan Dates. If an action or motion that is the subject of a Resolution Plan Date involves any financial issues, on or before the Resolution Plan Date, the parties shall file current sworn financial affidavits meeting the requirements of Practice Book Sec. 25-30(a). The other provisions of this order shall not apply to Resolution Plan Dates.

D.   Methods of Filing and Exchanging Items.

  1. Except for the documents covered by Sections D(2) and (3), all documents to be exchanged under this order shall be placed in the court file, and the filing party shall serve copies of same upon each other appearing party in the manner prescribed by Practice Book Section 10-13.

  2. Copies of exhibits shall be filed and exchanged as follows:

    1. Where applicable court procedures require or allow the electronic submission of proposed exhibits, a party (the “submitter”) shall be in compliance with the requirements of this order as to exhibits if, by the time required in this order, the submitter submits the exhibits to the court electronically and (i) gives written notice of such submission to each other appearing party who has the ability to view exhibits submitted electronically, and (ii) provides paper or digital copies to each other appearing party who does not have the ability to view exhibits submitted electronically. An attorney who appears for a party shall be presumed to have the ability to view exhibits electronically unless the attorney notifies the submitter at least ten (10) days before the proceeding of an inability to do so. A self-represented party shall be presumed not to have the ability to view exhibits electronically unless said party has also submitted exhibits for the proceeding electronically, or the submitter has received said party’s written confirmation of the ability to view exhibits submitted electronically.

    2. Except to the extent that Section D(2)(a) applies, paper or digital copies of exhibits shall be exchanged by the parties, independent of the court file, by the time required in this order. Parties shall not submit copies of proposed exhibits in advance to the court unless the proceeding is to be held by remote means, but shall report to the courtroom clerk at least fifteen (15) minutes before the assigned time for the proceeding in order to complete the marking of exhibits. If the proceeding is to be held by remote means, paper copies of proposed exhibits shall be submitted to the Clerk’s Office at least two (2) business days before the date of the proceeding.

    3. If a party has both a current self-representation appearance and a current appearance by an attorney in a case, compliance with this order shall require only the exchange of proposed exhibits with the attorney.

If a party does not follow this order, the court may impose sanctions on the party, which may include a monetary sanction, exclusion of evidence, or the entry of a nonsuit, default or dismissal. On a Case Date, the court may in its discretion decline to hear a pending motion for which the moving party has not complied with the requirements of Section B.


The Honorable Leo V. Diana
Chief Administrative Judge
Family Division