Section 17-12.—Acceptance of Defendant’s Offer

Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026

In one sentenceGives the plaintiff sixty days after notice of a defendant’s offer of compromise to file a written acceptance, after which the plaintiff withdraws the action once paid, and pending acceptance does not by itself postpone trial.

Full Text of Section 17-12

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The plaintiff may, within sixty days after being notified by the defendant of the filing of an offer of compromise, file with the clerk of the court a written acceptance of the offer signed by the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney agreeing to settle the underlying action for the sum certain specified in the defendant’s offer of compromise. Upon the filing of the written acceptance and receipt by the plaintiff of such sum certain, the plaintiff shall file a withdrawal of the action with the clerk of the court and the clerk shall record the withdrawal of the action against the defendant accordingly. No trial shall be postponed because the period within which the plaintiff may accept such offer has not expired, except at the discretion of the judicial authority. (See General Statutes § 52-194 and annotations.)

End

Amendment History

(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 343.) (Amended June 26, 2006, to take effect Jan. 1, 2007.)

Plain-English Summary

Once notified that the defendant has filed an offer of compromise, the plaintiff has sixty days to file a written acceptance with the clerk of the court. The acceptance must be signed by the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney and must agree to settle the underlying action for the sum certain specified in the defendant’s offer.

After the plaintiff files the written acceptance and receives that sum, the plaintiff must file a withdrawal of the action with the clerk, who then records the withdrawal against the defendant. The unexpired sixty-day acceptance window is not, by itself, grounds to postpone trial — a trial may proceed while the period is still running, unless the judicial authority decides otherwise.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a Connecticut plaintiff have to accept an offer of compromise?

Sixty days after being notified by the defendant of the filing of the offer.

What happens after the plaintiff accepts and gets paid?

The plaintiff files a withdrawal of the action with the clerk, and the clerk records the withdrawal against the defendant.

Does an unexpired acceptance period delay the trial?

Not automatically. No trial shall be postponed because the plaintiff’s acceptance period has not expired, except at the discretion of the judicial authority.

Who must sign the plaintiff’s acceptance?

The plaintiff or the plaintiff’s attorney, agreeing to settle the underlying action for the sum certain named in the defendant’s offer.

Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 17-12). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: accepting defendant offer of compromise CTsixty day acceptance window Connecticutwithdrawal of action after settlement CTGeneral Statutes 52-194Practice Book 17-12