Rule 7-11. Judgments on the Merits— Stripping and Retention

(a) With the exception of actions which affect the title to land and actions which have been disposed of pursuant to Section 7-10, the files in civil, family and juvenile actions in which judgment has been rendered may be stripped and destroyed pursuant to the schedule set forth in subsection

(d) , except that requests relating to discovery, responses and objections thereto may be stripped after the expiration of the appeal period.

(b) When a file is to be stripped, all papers in the file shall be destroyed except:

(1) The complaint, including any amendment thereto, substituted complaint or amended complaint;

(2) All orders of notice, appearances and officers' returns;

(3) All military or other affidavits;

(4) Any cross complaint, third-party complaint, or amendment thereto;

(5) All responsive pleadings;

(6) Any memorandum of decision;

(7) The judgment file or notation of the entry of judgment, and all modifications of judgment;

(8) All executions issued and returned.

(c) Upon the expiration of the stripping date, or at any time if facilities are not available for local retention, the file in any action set forth in subsection (d) may be transferred to the records center or other proper designated storage area, where it shall be retained for the balance of the retention period. Files in actions concerning dissolution of marriage or civil union, legal separation, or annulment may, upon agreement with officials of the state library, be transferred to the state library at the expiration of their retention period.

(d) The following is a schedule which sets forth when a file may be stripped and the length of time the file shall be retained. The time periods indicated herein shall run from the date judgment is rendered, except receivership actions or actions for injunctive relief, which shall run from the date of the termination of the receivership or injunction.

Committee Notes

(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 403C.) (Amended June 29, 1998, to take effect Jan. 1, 1999; amended June 28, 1999, to take effect Jan. 1, 2000; amended June 30, 2003, to take effect Jan. 1, 2004; amended June 26, 2006, to take effect Jan. 1, 2007; amended June 15, 2012, to take effect Jan. 1, 2013; amended June 23, 2017, to take effect Jan. 1, 2018; amended June 9, 2023, to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.)