Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceLets the court include a weekly-payment order in a default judgment when the moving party is owed more than a nominal sum, setting an amount and start date the defendant must pay each week.
Full Text of Section 17-26
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If the moving party seeks and is entitled to an order for payments under the General Statutes in excess of a nominal amount, the judicial authority may make, as part of the judgment, an order for weekly payment of such sums as shall appear to the judicial authority to be reasonable. If such order is sought, the proposed notice and form of judgment shall contain substantially the following language: It is further adjudged that the defendant make weekly payments of $ on this judgment to commencing on .
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 359.)
Plain-English Summary
When a plaintiff wins a default judgment for more than a nominal amount, Section 17-26 lets the judicial authority build a payment plan into that judgment. Instead of demanding the full sum at once, the court can order the defendant to pay a set amount each week — whatever figure the judicial authority finds reasonable.
A party who wants this option has to ask for it up front. The proposed notice and judgment form must spell out the weekly amount, who receives it, and when payments start, using the language the rule prescribes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Connecticut default judgment include a payment plan?
Yes. Under Section 17-26, the judicial authority may order the defendant to make weekly payments as part of a default judgment, as long as the amount owed is more than nominal.
Who decides how much the weekly payment is?
The judicial authority sets the amount, choosing a sum it considers reasonable rather than one dictated by either party.
Does a party have to request a weekly-payment order?
Yes. The rule applies when the moving party seeks and is entitled to such an order, and the proposed judgment form must include the specific weekly-payment language.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 17-26). 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:weekly payment order Connecticut judgmentinstallment default judgment CTpayment plan default judgmentweekly installment order practice book