Hiring a Child Custody Lawyer in Vermont
How courts in Vermont decide custody, emergency custody, parenting classes, how to check a lawyer's license, and free or low-cost family law help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Vermont: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Vermont Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c), a contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by the client stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated. It must clearly notify the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails, and at the end the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and, if there is a recovery, the remittance and how it was determined. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of spousal maintenance, support or property settlement (contingent fees are allowed for collecting post-judgment maintenance, property division or child support arrearages if the court approves the fee agreement as reasonable), and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Professional Responsibility Program does not mediate, arbitrate or resolve fee disputes, though it reviews complaints that a fee is unreasonable. The Vermont Bar Association has a Committee for the Arbitration of Fee Complaints; contact the Vermont Bar Association at 802-223-2020 for how to file. The committee will not review a fee dispute while a complaint is pending with Bar Counsel or Disciplinary Counsel. |
Vermont rules to know first
| How custody is decided | Vermont calls custody "parental rights and responsibilities" and "parent-child contact." The court decides based on the child's best interests and must consider at least: the child's relationship with each parent; each parent's ability to provide food, clothing, medical care and a safe environment; ability to meet developmental needs; the child's adjustment to home, school and community; each parent's willingness to foster contact with the other parent; the relationship with the primary care provider; relationships with others; the parents' ability to communicate and decide jointly when rights are shared; and evidence of abuse. If the parents cannot agree to share or divide rights and responsibilities, the court must award them primarily or solely to one parent. The court may not prefer a parent based on sex or financial resources. The statute does not set an age at which a child's preference is considered. Source: 15 V.S.A. § 665 |
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| Emergency custody | In the Family Division, a party who has filed a motion about parental rights and responsibilities (custody) or parent-child contact can also file a Motion for Emergency Relief, which is not filed on its own but asks the court to consider the other motion on an emergency basis. On the form, the person can ask for a hearing as soon as possible and/or ask the court to immediately issue an emergency order protecting the person or children (or property) until the hearing, and must complete a supplemental affidavit explaining any immediate threat of personal injury to the person or child. Form: https://www.vtcourts.gov/media/258 |
| Parenting classes | Yes. Parents with minor children involved in divorce, parentage, separation, civil union dissolution and changes in parental rights and responsibilities are required by Vermont judges to attend the COPE (Coping with Separation and Divorce) parenting seminar, a four-hour online class run by UVM Extension. Mediation is available through the Family Mediation Program, which offers subsidized services to qualifying people. |
| Grandparents' rights | A court that is deciding custody or visitation may award visitation to a grandparent on the grandparent's written request if it is in the child's best interests; the grandparent is not a party and cannot appeal. If a parent has died, is physically or mentally incapable of making a decision, or has abandoned the child, a grandparent may file a separate action in Superior Court. Best-interest factors include the emotional ties between grandparent and child, the relationship's nature and value, the parties' moral fitness and health, the child's reasonable preference if old enough, and the grandparent's willingness to encourage the child's relationship with the other parties. Source: 15 V.S.A. §§ 1011–1013 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Vermont Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service provides referrals at no cost to you; participating attorneys provide up to a 30-minute initial consultation for no more than $25. Call 1-800-639-7036 and give brief information about you and your legal needs, and the service will try to match you with a qualified attorney. People who cannot afford a lawyer will be directed, if possible, to another public service program or human service agency. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Vermont Judiciary (which licenses Vermont attorneys under Administrative Order 41) publishes a list of all attorneys in good standing, showing each attorney's renewal year; licenses expire June 30 of the renewal year listed. A Certificate of Good Standing certifies that an attorney is not suspended or disbarred and is current on licensing fees and CLE. Disciplinary history can be requested free from AttyLicensing@vtcourts.gov. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | The Vermont Supreme Court's Professional Responsibility Program reviews complaints that an attorney violated the Rules of Professional Conduct. A complaint must be in writing or by email and should state what the attorney did that should not have been done, or failed to do that should have been done, focusing on facts; send copies, not originals. Email JUD.PRPComplaints@vermont.gov or mail Professional Responsibility Program, 32 Cherry Street, Suite 213, Burlington, VT 05401; questions 802-859-3000. A copy goes to the attorney, and Screening Counsel reviews it and may close it, refer it to Disciplinary Counsel for investigation, or refer it to a non-disciplinary assistance panel. On record checks, the Program discloses only whether a lawyer has ever been reprimanded, suspended, disbarred or formally charged; otherwise it will not confirm or deny that a complaint was filed. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont work together to provide free civil legal help to low-income people who live in Vermont; eligibility depends on income and assets, and they cannot help everyone. Apply or leave a message on the legal helpline at 1-800-889-2047 (Monday 8-1, Tuesday 12:30-7, Wednesday 8-1, Thursday 12:30-7, per the site). The Vermont Judiciary's Access and Resource Center offers free statewide help (not legal advice). LSC lists Legal Services Vermont as its Vermont grantee. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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Last verified against official sources: October 27, 2026.
How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.