(a) On or after the return day of a complaint seeking the dissolution of a marriage or a legal separation and prior to the expiration of the ninety-day period specified in section 46b-67 either spouse or the counsel for any minor children of the marriage may submit a request for conciliation to the clerk of the court. The clerk shall forthwith enter an order that the parties meet with a conciliator mutually acceptable to them or, if the parties cannot agree as to a conciliator, with a conciliator named by the court. The conciliator shall, in any case, be a clergyman, a physician, a domestic relations officer or a person experienced in marriage counseling.
(b) Within such ninety-day period or within thirty days of the request, whichever is later, there shall be two mandatory consultations with the conciliator by each party to explore the possibility of reconciliation or of resolving the emotional problems which might lead to continuing conflicts following the dissolution of the marriage. Failure of the plaintiff or defendant to attend these consultations except for good cause shall preclude further action on the complaint until the expiration of six months from the date of the return day; provided the court may order the termination of such stay, upon the motion of either party and for good cause shown. Further consultations may be held with the consent of both parties, or, if the conciliator recommends one or more additional consultations and either one of the parties agrees, the court may order such additional consultations.
(c) All communications during these consultations shall be absolutely privileged, except that the conciliator shall report to the court whether or not the parties attended the consultations.
(d) The reasonable fees of the conciliator shall be paid by one or both of the parties as the court directs. No fee shall be charged by a domestic relations officer for such services. If the parties are unable to pay the fees which may be charged by the conciliator, only a domestic relations officer may be named as the conciliator.
(P.A. 73-373, S. 6; P.A. 74-169, S. 5, 18; P.A. 75-530, S. 11, 35; P.A. 78-230, S. 26, 54; P.A. 02-132, S. 80.)
History: P.A. 74-169 specified that each party must consult at least twice with conciliator; P.A. 75-530 referred to return day of complaint rather than its date of filing, authorized domestic relations officers to serve as conciliators, added proviso re termination of stay in proceedings and added exception re conciliators' fees; P.A. 78-230 divided section into Subsecs. and rephrased provisions; Sec. 46-41 transferred to Sec. 46b-53 in 1979 and reference to Sec. 46-44 revised to reflect its transfer; P.A. 02-132 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provisions re one or more additional consultations.
See Sec. 46b-10 re reconciliation attempts ordered by court in action for dissolution of marriage, legal separation or annulment.
Cited. 5 CA 649; 23 CA 330.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 815j - Dissolution of Marriage, Legal Separation and Annulment
Section 46b-41. (Formerly Sec. 46-36a). - Complaint includes cross-complaints or cross actions.
Section 46b-42. (Formerly Sec. 46-33). - Jurisdiction.
Section 46b-43. (Formerly Sec. 46-34). - Capacity of minor to prosecute or defend.
Section 46b-44. (Formerly Sec. 46-35). - Residency requirement.
Section 46b-44a. - Filing of joint petition for nonadversarial dissolution of marriage. Procedure.
Section 46b-44b. - Revocation of joint petition for nonadversarial dissolution of marriage. Effect.
Section 46b-45a. - Allegation of pregnancy in pleadings. Disagreement as to parentage. Hearing.
Section 46b-49. (Formerly Sec. 46-45). - Private hearing.
Section 46b-50. (Formerly Sec. 46-46). - Number of witnesses in uncontested action.
Section 46b-52. - Recrimination and condonation abolished.
Section 46b-53. (Formerly Sec. 46-41). - Conciliation procedures; privileged communications.
Section 46b-55. (Formerly Sec. 46-63). - Attorney General as party to action.
Section 46b-56b. - Presumption re best interest of child to be in custody of parent.
Section 46b-56c. - Educational support orders.
Section 46b-56e. - Orders of custody or visitation re children of deploying parent.
Section 46b-56f. - Emergency ex parte order of custody.
Section 46b-58. (Formerly Sec. 46-58). - Custody, maintenance and education of adopted children.
Section 46b-59. - Petition for right of visitation with minor child. Order for payment of fees.
Section 46b-59a. - Mediation of disputes re enforcement of visitation rights.
Section 46b-59b. - Court may not grant visitation to parent convicted of murder. Exception.
Section 46b-60. (Formerly Sec. 46-55). - Orders re children and alimony in annulment cases.
Section 46b-63. (Formerly Sec. 46-60). - Restoration of birth name or former name of spouse.
Section 46b-64. (Formerly Sec. 46-64c). - Orders of court prior to return day of complaint.
Section 46b-66a. - Order of court re conveyance of title to real property. Effect of decree.
Section 46b-69. (Formerly Sec. 46-64b). - Statutes applicable to matrimonial actions.
Section 46b-69a. - Wage executions and earning assignments.
Section 46b-69b. - Parenting education program.
Section 46b-69c. - Advisory committee. Recommendations to Judicial Department.
Section 46b-70. - Foreign matrimonial judgment defined.
Section 46b-71. - Filing of foreign matrimonial judgment; enforcement in this state.
Section 46b-72. - Notification of filing.
Section 46b-73. - Stay of enforcement; modifications; hearing.
Section 46b-74. - Right to action on judgment unimpaired.
Section 46b-75. - Uniformity of interpretation.
Section 46b-81. (Formerly Sec. 46-51). - Assignment of property and transfer of title.
Section 46b-82. (Formerly Sec. 46-52). - Alimony.
Section 46b-85. (Formerly Sec. 46-53). - Order for support of mentally ill spouse.
Section 46b-86. (Formerly Sec. 46-54). - Modification of alimony or support orders and judgments.
Section 46b-87. (Formerly Sec. 46-56). - Contempt of orders.