Hiring a Lemon Law Lawyer in Vermont
The Vermont lemon law for new cars, the rules for used cars, where to file a complaint, how to check a lawyer's license, and free 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
| Lemon law for new cars | Vermont's lemon law covers passenger motor vehicles purchased, leased or registered in Vermont, but not motorcycles, the living portion of recreational vehicles, or trucks over 12,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. If a defect is reported during the warranty, the manufacturer must make the needed repairs even after the warranty ends, and dealers must give a written repair order each time. If a defect that substantially impairs use, market value or safety cannot be fixed after a reasonable number of attempts, the manufacturer must, at the consumer's option, replace the vehicle with a comparable new one or take it back and refund the full purchase price, trade-in and down payment credits, finance and registration charges and incidental and consequential damages, minus a use allowance. A reasonable number of attempts is presumed if the same problem was subject to repair at least three times (the first within the warranty) and continues, or the vehicle was out of service 30 or more calendar days during the warranty. The consumer notifies the manufacturer in writing and chooses either the manufacturer's dispute program or the state's Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board, which charges no filing fee. Proceedings must begin within one year after the express warranty expires. Source: 9 V.S.A. §§ 4171 to 4181 |
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| Used cars | The Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program states that Vermont's lemon law applies to vehicles within the original manufacturer's warranty period (or, in some cases, within a year after it expires), and that there is no additional used car lemon law protection in Vermont. |
| How to make a lemon law claim | 1) Report the problem during the warranty term and keep the written repair orders (the dealer must give one each visit). 2) Written notice and election: after a reasonable number of repair attempts, or after the vehicle has been out of service 30 or more calendar days, the consumer notifies the manufacturer (and lessor, if leased) in writing on the form the manufacturer must provide at delivery. In that notice the consumer chooses either the manufacturer's dispute settlement program or the state's Vermont Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board; choosing one rules out the other. A consumer who has stopped finance or lease payments cannot use the lemon law remedy. 3) Final repair attempt: within the 45-day arbitration period, and at least five days before the hearing, the manufacturer gets one final chance to repair; the right is waived if not completed in time. 4) Arbitration: the hearing must be held within 45 days after the notice is received (extendable up to 30 days for good cause; no hearing if the manufacturer does not contest). There is no filing fee or cost to the consumer for either the state board or the manufacturer's program. The vehicle must be brought to the hearing for inspection or a test drive. The board decides within 30 days after the hearing. Its decision is final unless a reconsideration motion with new evidence is filed within 30 days, and can be overturned in Superior Court only on limited grounds. 5) Deadline: any proceeding under the lemon law must be started within one year after the express warranty term expires. If the consumer picks the manufacturer's program, the matter is contested, and arbitration is not held within 45 days without good cause, the consumer is entitled to the relief requested (§ 4173(c)(3)). After a refund, the consumer must file a claim with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles within 90 days of the order to get back the state purchase and use tax (§ 4172(e)). |
| Where to file a consumer complaint | The Attorney General's Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) accepts consumer complaints through an online form. CAP forwards the complaint to the business and asks it to respond, helping both sides communicate to see if the dispute can be resolved outside court; it is not a formal legal process and a resolution is not guaranteed. Contact: 1-800-649-2424, ago.cap@vermont.gov, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05609-1001. |
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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All legal help in Vermont · Background guide
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.