How do you fill out JD-FM-006 Long Financial Affidavit Long Form in Connecticut?

What the long financial affidavit does

JD-FM-006-LONG is the more detailed Connecticut financial affidavit used in divorce and other family cases when the short-form threshold is exceeded. The official form is available from the Judicial Branch, and Connecticut Practice Book disclosure rules require family litigants to exchange sworn financial information early in the case. The long form asks for income, deductions, weekly expenses, debts, real estate, retirement accounts, vehicles, and other assets. In practical terms, this affidavit is the document judges and spouses use to test support claims, property proposals, and credibility, so the form matters just as much as the legal arguments built around it.

What to gather before you start

Do not begin the long form with only one paycheck in front of you. Gather at least recent pay records, tax returns, account statements, loan balances, insurance costs, and records showing what you actually spend on household items. The form is built around weekly numbers, which means monthly, annual, and irregular figures all need to be converted before they are entered. You also need reliable asset values, especially for real estate, retirement accounts, and vehicles, because the long form expects more detailed disclosure than the short version. If your income changes week to week, save enough records to explain the average you chose instead of relying on a single unusually high or low week.

How to complete the key sections

Begin with the income pages and convert every source to a weekly amount before you write it on the form. Then complete deductions, making sure taxes, insurance, and mandatory withholdings match your pay records instead of rough guesses. Move through weekly expenses using the same conversion discipline, because the court compares those expense lines to your claimed net income. On the asset and debt pages, list balances, ownership interests, and equity as honestly as you can from current statements. The final page matters just as much as the earlier ones: review the affidavit for internal consistency, then sign it only in front of a notary, clerk, or other authorized official who can administer the oath.

Mistakes that weaken a long-form affidavit

The biggest mistake is mixing monthly and weekly figures on the same affidavit. A second common problem is understating assets by listing only debts or only approximate values without checking current statements. People also create avoidable credibility issues when they report overtime, commissions, or self-employment income from a single pay period instead of using a reasonable average. Another serious error is signing the form before you are in front of the person who will witness the oath. If a number is uncertain, it is safer to explain the estimate than to pretend the figure is exact and later change it without any source support.

What happens after you finish it

Once JD-FM-006-LONG is complete and notarized, it becomes one of the core disclosure documents in the case. You exchange it with the other side, and the numbers on it are likely to be used in settlement negotiations, temporary orders, and any later hearing about support or property division. Keep the backup records you used, because questions about one line item often turn into a request for the underlying statement or tax return. If your income, expenses, or assets shift materially before court, update the affidavit rather than relying on stale numbers. A current, supportable affidavit is far more persuasive than an old one with missing backup.

Frequently Asked Questions

The long financial affidavit raises more practical questions than most filing forms because the numbers on it feed directly into support and property disputes. These answers focus on threshold choice, weekly calculations, notarization, and updates. The key principle is that JD-FM-006-LONG is a sworn disclosure form, so accuracy matters more than presenting the most flattering version of your finances. That remains true even when the case feels likely to settle quickly without a contested trial.

When do I have to use JD-FM-006-LONG instead of the short form?

You generally use JD-FM-006-LONG when your own gross annual income is more than $75,000 or your own total net assets are more than $75,000. If either side of that threshold is crossed, the safer assumption is that the long form applies. The reason is simple: the court expects fuller disclosure when income or assets are higher, and using the short form in that situation can delay the case and require you to redo the affidavit.

Do all of the numbers on the long form have to be weekly?

Yes. Connecticut's financial affidavits are built around weekly figures, so monthly, annual, and irregular amounts need to be converted before they are entered. That includes wages, recurring expenses, debt payments, and many support-related numbers. If you forget and mix time periods, the affidavit becomes harder to read and easier to challenge, because the judge and the other side cannot tell whether your totals actually reflect your real financial picture in a consistent way across the whole form.

Do I sign the financial affidavit before I go to the clerk or notary?

No. The signature on JD-FM-006-LONG should be made in front of the clerk, notary, or other authorized official who is taking your oath. Signing earlier can force you to redo the affidavit because the witness is supposed to see you sign. Bring identification and your backup records with you so you can correct obvious mistakes before the oath if the final review shows something needs to change that day on the affidavit itself before filing.

What if my finances change after I already exchanged the affidavit?

Update the affidavit if the change is material enough that the old numbers are no longer a fair picture of your finances. A new job, a major bonus, a large drop in income, or a significant asset change can all justify a fresh affidavit. Waiting too long to correct important numbers can hurt your credibility, especially if the other side finds the change first and argues that you were relying on outdated disclosure for support or settlement talks.