(a) No motion for withdrawal of appearance shall be granted unless good cause is shown and until the judicial authority is satisfied that reasonable notice has been given to other attorneys of record and that the party represented by the attorney was served with the motion and the notice required by this section or that the attorney has made reasonable efforts to serve such party. All motions to withdraw appearance shall be set down for argument and when the attorney files such motion, he or she shall obtain such argument date from the clerk.
Section 3-10.Motion To Withdraw Appearance
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceAn attorney who wants to withdraw from a case must show good cause, notify other counsel and the party, get an argument date from the clerk, and follow specific notice steps before the court will grant the motion.
Full Text of Section 3-10
(b) In civil and family cases, a motion to withdraw shall include the last known address of any party as to whom the attorney seeks to withdraw his or her appearance and shall have attached to it a notice to such party advising of the following:
(1) the attorney is filing a motion which seeks the court’s permission to no longer represent the party in the case; (2) the date and time the motion will be heard and whether such hearing will be conducted in person or remotely. If the hearing is conducted remotely, the attorney will provide the party with any information necessary to access the hearing remotely; (3) the party may appear in person on that date and address the court concerning the motion if the hearing will be conducted in person and may appear remotely on that date and address the court concerning the motion if the hearing will be conducted remotely; (4) if the motion to withdraw is granted, the party should either obtain another attorney or file an appearance on his or her own behalf with the court; and (5) if the party does neither, the party will not receive notice of court proceedings in the case and a nonsuit or default judgment may be rendered against such party. If the hearing has not been scheduled at the time that the attorney files and serves the motion and notice, the attorney shall serve the party with a revised notice that provides the information required by subdivisions
(2) and (3) of this subsection.
(c) In criminal and juvenile matters, the motion to withdraw shall comply with subsections (b) (1), (2) and (3) of this section and the client shall also be advised by the attorney that if the motion to withdraw is granted the client should request court appointed counsel, obtain another attorney or file an appearance on his or her own behalf with the court and be further advised that if none is done, there may be no further notice of proceeding and the court may act.
(d) In addition to the above, each motion to withdraw appearance and each notice to the party or parties who are the subject of the motion shall state whether the case has been assigned for pretrial or trial and, if so, the date so assigned.
(e) The attorney’s appearance for the party shall be deemed to have been withdrawn upon the granting of the motion without the necessity of filing a withdrawal of appearance. (P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 77 (d).)
Amendment History
(Amended June 26, 2000, to take effect Jan. 1, 2001; amended June 25, 2001, to take effect Jan. 1, 2002; amended June 21, 2004, to take effect Jan. 1, 2005; amended June 14, 2024, to take effect Jan. 1, 2025.)
Plain-English Summary
Before a judge will let an attorney drop out of a case, the attorney has to clear several hurdles. The motion must show good cause, and the judicial authority must be satisfied that other attorneys of record got reasonable notice and that the client was either served with the motion or that the attorney made reasonable efforts to serve the client. Every motion to withdraw gets set down for argument, and the attorney is responsible for getting that argument date from the clerk.
In civil and family cases, the motion must include the client's last known address and attach a notice explaining what's happening: that the attorney is asking the court's permission to stop representing the client, when and how the hearing will happen, that the client can show up and speak to the motion, and that if the motion is granted the client needs to find new counsel or file a self-represented appearance. The notice also warns that if the client does neither, they won't get notice of further proceedings and the case could end in a nonsuit or default judgment against them. If the hearing date isn't set yet when the motion is filed, the attorney has to follow up with a revised notice once it is.
Criminal and juvenile matters follow a similar notice process, but the client is told to seek court-appointed counsel, hire a new attorney, or file their own appearance, and warned that the court may act without further notice if they do none of those things. Every motion and notice must also state whether the case has been assigned for pretrial or trial and, if so, the date. Once the judge grants the motion, the attorney's appearance is automatically deemed withdrawn — there's no need to file a separate withdrawal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to happen before a court will grant a motion to withdraw an appearance?
The attorney must show good cause, and the court must be satisfied that other counsel of record got reasonable notice and that the client was served with the motion and notice, or that the attorney made reasonable efforts to reach the client.
What warnings does the client have to receive?
The notice attached to the motion tells the client the hearing date and format, that the client can appear and address the court, that the client should get new counsel or file their own appearance if the motion is granted, and that failing to do so could mean no further notice and a possible nonsuit or default judgment.
Does the attorney have to file a separate withdrawal once the motion is granted?
No. Once the judge grants the motion, the appearance is deemed withdrawn automatically, without any additional filing.
Do criminal and juvenile cases follow the same process as civil cases?
They follow similar notice requirements, but the client is instead advised to request court-appointed counsel, retain another attorney, or file a self-represented appearance, with a warning that the court may act without further notice if none of those happens.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 3-10). 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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