Connecticut Courts Allow Limited Scope Representation for Family Law Matters
by
Joseph C. Maya on Mar. 13, 2024
Summary: Connecticut’s court system is beginning a pilot program that will allow people involved in family law cases to hire attorneys on a limited basis. The program begins Jan. 6 and is designed to help people who can’t afford a lawyer to hire one for certain proceedings in their cases. This program is intended to combat the number of pro se litigants in family matters in Connecticut.
Judicial Branch officials say more people are having problems affording lawyers, and many are representing themselves in civil and family cases. New legal forms will allow attorneys to file for limited appearances only in cases and to fully withdraw from cases once their work is done.
Limited Scope Representation
Limited scope representation allows for an individual to hire an attorney to represent them with part, but not all, of their legal matter. The typical retainer agreement will be limited to one specific portion of a case, for instance, a custody hearing, and then the representation will conclude.
There is a limited appearance form, JD-CL-121, that is filed by an attorney to specify the event they are providing the client representation for. Once that event is complete, the attorney must file another appearance form signaling completion of their representation and notifying all parties that the attorney is withdrawing from further representation of the individual.
This flexibility allows pro se litigants to hire attorneys for complex points of their case and to go it alone on others. This added flexibility is mainly a cost-saving tool, but the Connecticut Judicial Branch also hopes it will aid efficiency in the family law courts.
If you currently represent yourself in a divorce action and are interested in securing legal services for a particular aspect of your case you can take advantage of this new opportunity rather than hiring an attorney for all court appearances and all negotiations.
More information is available on the Judicial Branch website at http://www.jud.ct.gov and at courthouses.
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