Although the issues that drive people to end their marriages may differ, people in Connecticut will navigate basic steps before completing a divorce. Factors such as children, finances and animosity between spouses might complicate matters, but essentially a divorce requires filing, responding, negotiating and agreeing.

The filing represents the act of preparing legal forms to initiate a divorce. One spouse will present the other spouse with the documents called the petition and summons. Upon taking this step, a person should obtain some legal advice especially if child custody and financial support need to be addressed. After filing, the spouse that received the petition and summons must submit a response to the family court.

The negotiation stage will begin next. Both parties must disclose income, assets and debts. Once the former partners come to terms, a court will enter the legal judgment that ends the marriage. Not everyone reaches this final outcome by the same path. Mediation might suffice for some people to reach an agreement whereas other splitting spouses might litigate their divorces, which leaves a judge to make final decisions about the terms.

An attorney could represent a person going through a divorce to various degrees. Someone might only want knowledge about rights to property and access to children, which an attorney could provide. When a person needs additional services, an attorney could prepare court documents and manage negotiations. Legal representation might be especially helpful to a person who wishes to limit hostile confrontations with a former partner. When necessary, an attorney could challenge the other party's demands in court.