What Is a Case Date?

“Case Date” is a scheduled court event in Connecticut family law proceedings, such as divorce, legal separation, custody, or visitation cases.  It’s a designated time for the Court to assess the case’s progress and make necessary orders to keep it on track. Sometimes, the Court uses it to hear pending motions, schedule future court dates, approve agreements, or refer parties to Family Services.

Purpose of a Case Date

During a Case Date, the Court may:

• Address Pending Motions: Hear and decide pendente lite motions for temporary orders concerning issues like living arrangements during the divorce, custody, child support, or alimony that will be in effect while the case is pending.
• Approve Agreements: Review and approve any agreements reached by the parties, which can expedite the resolution process.
• Refer to Family Services: If necessary, refer the parties to Family Services for evaluations, mediation, or other supportive services.
• Issue Scheduling Orders: Establish timelines for future court dates and specify actions required by the parties between appearances.

The Court’s primary goal for a Case Date is to manage interim issues and keep the case on track.

Read: What Is a Hearing?

Read: What Does Pendente Lite Mean?

What Should I Expect at the Case Date?

One goal of a Case Date is to facilitate a smoother path between you and the Court.  There’s a possibility that the Court will address interim issues by hearing pending motions, issuing temporary orders, or referring the case to Family Services for further evaluation or mediation. The goal is to address interim issues and facilitate a path toward final resolution.

The Judge may also issue a Scheduling Order based on what is shared.  A Scheduling Order is a court order that determines the case flow from the date the Judge enters it through trial.

In other words, via a Scheduling Order, the Court can establish dates for additional Case Dates, other hearings, trial, and due dates for discovery. The Court may also include dates for court-provided Family Relations services, including meetings and ADR tools.

How Many Case Dates Will I Have?

Sometimes none, sometimes one, sometimes more than one.  It all depends. The number of Case Dates in your case largely depends on what’s happening in your case and the track the Court assigns on your Resolution Plan Date.

Your Freed Marcroft legal team will keep you updated, explain the court schedules in your case, and update your legal strategy accordingly.

When Are Case Dates Scheduled?

Your first court date is the Resolution Plan Date.  After the RPD, the Court may schedule one or more Case Dates.

Read: ADR & Divorce

Case Date vs. Resolution Plan Date

It’s important to distinguish between a Case Date and a Resolution Plan Date (RPD):

• Resolution Plan Date (RPD): This is the initial court meeting scheduled after a case is filed. Parties meet with a Family Relations Counselor who assesses the case and recommends appropriate services. The Court then assigns the case to a specific track (A, B, or C) based on its complexity and the level of conflict, and issues a scheduling order outlining future events and required actions.
• Case Date: Case Dates are court events after the RDP the court schedules to address interim issues and monitor the case’s progression.

At your Case Date, you may meet with Family Relations before your hearing itself begins. That said, the main feature of a Case Date is the case management conference and possibly a hearing.

Read: What Is a Resolution Plan Date?

What Is Discovery and What Does It Have to Do with Your Case Date?

Discovery is the exchange of legal information and known facts of a case. Think of discovery as sharing background information and evidence so that both parties can make informed decisions.  For example, imagine negotiating a settlement agreement on property division without knowing all the property both spouses own. Or, imagine deciding to move forward to trial without knowing how the business appraiser will testify. That’s why discovery is so important.

For many people, the first discovery you’ll work on is the first version of your financial affidavit.  In most cases, the RPD is scheduled before mandatory discovery is due.  However, by your first Case Date, discovery will likely have progressed.  Expect that the Judge will probably discuss the discovery status at your Case Date, because it impacts the timing of your case. For example, in its Scheduling Order, the Judge might set a deadline for financial discovery to be completed prior to scheduling a hearing on alimony.

(This is also one of the reasons it’s so important to respond promptly to your attorneys’ requests for documents or information — not to mention you risk running afoul of the Court’s orders if you don’t.)

Read: Discovery in Connecticut Divorces

What Is a Court Hearing?

At your case date, there may be a hearing on any relevant issues while the divorce is pending.  A hearing is a proceeding before the Court. The spouses’ attorneys present evidence and argue in support of their claims, after which the Judge rules.

What Happens If There’s a Hearing at the Case Date?

When there is a hearing at a Case Date, it’s typically to address temporary or pendente lite motions. In other words, it’s a hearing on motions that affect the spouses while the divorce is pending — not issues that relate to finalizing the divorce.  Attorneys for both sides present evidence, and the Judge issues a ruling.

How Will I Know If There Will Be a Hearing at the Case Date?

That’s the trick — you almost certainly won’t know in advance. It largely depends on the availability of judges in Court that day. You have to prepare for the Case Date as if you are having a hearing.

What Happens If the Court Doesn’t Have Time to Hear Pending Motions at the Case Date?

If the Judge doesn’t have time to address pending motions at the Case Date, they may schedule a different date for a hearing on those motions.

Hearings vs. Trials

The hearings that occur at Case Dates are not trials.

Hearings and trials are similar in that they both decide critical legal issues. However, for the most part, hearings are used to obtain temporary orders to help provide stability until a divorce is finalized.

A divorce or custody action concludes at a final hearing. If you and your spouse are able to reach an agreement on all outstanding issues, your final hearing is an Uncontested Final Divorce Hearing. If you don’t reach a final agreement, your final hearing is a trial.

Read: What’s the Difference Between a Hearing and a Trial?

Next Steps

For more information about Connecticut divorce and family law, check out our Divorce Information and Facts. If you have questions or want to learn more about how our team of divorce attorneys can help you with your divorce or post-judgment issue, please contact us here.

Updated February 19, 2025