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

What the short financial affidavit does

JD-FM-006-SHORT is the Connecticut financial affidavit designed for family cases that fit within the short-form income and asset limits. The official form appears on the Judicial Branch website, and it asks for the same core subjects as the long form: income, deductions, weekly expenses, debts, and property. The difference is scope, not importance. Judges still rely on the short form to evaluate support positions, settlement proposals, and credibility. If the short form is the right version for you, it can save time, but it is never a casual document. The numbers still need to be complete, supportable, and current.

What to gather before you start

Before you begin, confirm that the short form is actually the correct version. That means checking your own gross annual income and your own net assets against the under-$75,000 limits. After that, gather recent pay records, bank statements, tax returns, insurance costs, rent or mortgage information, debt balances, and any records that help you convert recurring amounts to weekly numbers. The short form may look simpler, but it still asks for a full picture of your finances. If you rely on memory instead of documents, you are more likely to miss deductions, forget debts, or understate variable expenses that matter in negotiations and support calculations.

How to complete the key sections

Work through the form in the same order the court will read it. Start with gross income and convert every pay cycle to a weekly figure before entering the amount. Then complete deductions, making sure mandatory withholdings match your pay records instead of a guess from memory. On the expense section, use realistic weekly averages for housing, utilities, transportation, food, and child-related costs. List debts and assets from current balances so the form reflects what you actually owe and own right now. When the numbers are complete, read the affidavit once more for consistency and sign it only in front of the notary, clerk, or other person authorized to take the oath.

Mistakes that cause problems on the short form

The short form still fails when people treat it like a rough worksheet. One mistake is using it even though income or net assets actually push the case into long-form territory. Another is leaving amounts in monthly form on some lines and weekly form on others, which makes the affidavit internally inconsistent. People also create avoidable errors by ignoring cash-style expenses that do not appear neatly on one statement, such as groceries, gas, or children's activities. Finally, the oath section matters just as much here as it does on the long form. A short affidavit signed too early is still an improperly sworn affidavit.

What happens after you finish it

Once JD-FM-006-SHORT is complete and sworn, it becomes a core financial disclosure in the case and will usually be exchanged with the other side early in the divorce process. The numbers often shape support discussions, settlement drafts, and the way each side values the overall case. Keep the records you used because a support or property conversation can quickly turn into a request for the underlying pay stub, bill, or account statement. If your finances change materially after exchange, update the affidavit instead of relying on outdated numbers. Even the short form needs to reflect present reality if you want it taken seriously.

Frequently Asked Questions

The short financial affidavit looks easier than the long form, but most questions still come from uncertainty about thresholds, weekly conversions, and the oath. These answers focus on the points that usually decide whether the short form is appropriate and whether it will hold up when someone checks the math. The short version is simpler, but it still needs the same honesty and record support as any other sworn filing in family court during the case.

When can I use JD-FM-006-SHORT instead of the long form?

You generally use JD-FM-006-SHORT when your own gross annual income is below $75,000 and your own total net assets are also below $75,000. Both conditions usually need to be true. If either number crosses the threshold, the long form is the safer choice. Using the short affidavit when the case actually calls for the long one can create delay and force you to redo the disclosure after the court or the other side raises the issue.

Do I still convert everything to weekly numbers on the short form?

Yes. The short form still uses weekly numbers for income, deductions, and many expense lines, even though it asks fewer questions overall. That means monthly and annual figures need to be converted before you write them down. If you mix time periods, your totals become harder to trust, and the affidavit can look inaccurate even if the underlying records were otherwise correct when you first gathered them from bills and statements for the case at hand.

Is the short form less important because it is only a few pages?

No. The short form may be shorter, but it is still a sworn disclosure that can affect support, settlement, and the judge's view of your financial credibility. A smaller page count does not reduce the need for complete answers. If an important asset, debt, or expense is missing, the fact that you used the short version will not excuse the omission later in the case or at a hearing about finances before the judge reviewing it.

What if my income goes above the threshold after I already used the short form?

If your finances change enough that the short-form threshold is no longer accurate, you should reassess whether a new affidavit is needed and whether the long form now makes more sense. A significant raise, bonus, or asset increase can change the proper version. Updating early is usually better than leaving the old short affidavit in place and letting the other side argue that your disclosure stopped matching reality in the pending case before the court.