The answer date shall not be less than fifteen nor more than forty-five days after the writ and accompanying documents are filed in the court.
Section 24-12.—Answer Date
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceThe court clerk must set an answer date that falls no sooner than fifteen days and no later than forty-five days after the plaintiff files the small claims writ and accompanying documents.
Full Text of Section 24-12
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 562.) (Amended June 21, 2010, to take effect Jan. 1, 2011.)
Plain-English Summary
This rule sets the outer boundaries for the answer date in a small claims case — the deadline by which a defendant must respond. The clerk cannot set that date fewer than fifteen days after the writ and accompanying documents are filed, and cannot set it more than forty-five days out. That window gives the defendant enough time to receive notice and prepare a response, while keeping the case moving toward a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon after filing can the answer date be set in Connecticut small claims court?
The rule requires at least fifteen days between the filing of the writ and the answer date, so the earliest an answer date can fall is fifteen days after filing.
What is the latest an answer date can be set?
The answer date cannot be more than forty-five days after the writ and accompanying documents are filed in the court.
Who decides the exact answer date within that fifteen-to-forty-five-day window?
The text of this section does not specify who sets the exact date; it only fixes the minimum and maximum number of days allowed between filing and the answer date.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 24-12). 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
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