Vermont divorce at a glance
Confirm with your county before filing — fees and rules can vary.
Divorce in Vermont: the two-clock rule
Vermont is one of the few states where the no-fault ground is measured by the calendar: the parties must live separate and apart for six consecutive months with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation before filing — and Vermont does not call it irreconcilable differences. The state then adds a second clock, a 90-day nisi period after the judge grants the divorce, before the judgment becomes final. Stipulated divorces can agree to shorten or waive the nisi, which is the escape hatch agreeing couples use.
Residency is two-tier as well under 15 V.S.A. § 592: one spouse must live in Vermont for six months to file, and the plaintiff or defendant must have a full year in the state before the final hearing. The Summons and Complaint (Form 836) goes to the Superior Court Family Division, with Form 878 for the final stipulation and Form 841 to waive the final hearing in uncontested cases.
Property follows equitable distribution under the all-property doctrine, and spousal maintenance is called spousal maintenance. Child support uses the income shares model with a self-support reserve. The filing fee is $295, and the COPE parenting class adds $79 when children are involved.