Vermont DIY Divorce: Forms, Fees & Mediation

Vermont does not require you to hire a lawyer to end your marriage. The Vermont Judiciary's VTCourtForms guided interview produces your entire initial filing package free of charge, and couples who agree on every issue can often skip the final hearing altogether. For the full residency, venue, and grounds requirements, see our Vermont divorce filing checklist. Here is what you need to handle your Vermont DIY divorce on your own.

Where to Get Free Self-Help Forms

VTCourtForms is a free guided interview that produces the initial package self-represented Vermonters need to open a divorce, dissolution, or legal separation case. It generates:

• Summons and Complaint for Divorce (form 400-00836)
• Notice of Appearance for Self-Represented Party (form 400-00831)
• Family Court Information Sheet (form 800)
• Statement of Confidential Information (form 400-00849)
• A Department of Health Record of Divorce or Dissolution

Cases with minor children or contested finances also call for Financial Affidavits (Forms 813A and 813B) and, once you reach agreement, a Final Stipulation (Form 878) covering property, debts, and support.

Odyssey File & Serve: Filing Online in Vermont

Vermont offers statewide electronic filing through Odyssey File & Serve. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file — you can still file in person or by mail at your county Family Division — but e-filing lets you submit paperwork without a trip to the courthouse. If you do e-file, each filer pays a one-time $14 e-filing use fee per case, plus a small card or eCheck processing charge.

Filing Fees and Fee Waivers

Vermont's divorce filing fees are set by 32 V.S.A. § 1431:

• $295 standard filing fee for a contested or standard divorce complaint
• $90 if you file with a complete stipulation for a final order and at least one spouse is a Vermont resident
• $180 for a stipulated filing when neither spouse resides in Vermont

If a stipulated case later becomes contested, you owe the difference up to the full $295 before the court issues a final order. If paying is a hardship, file the Application to Waive Filing Fees and Service Costs (form 600-00228); an approved waiver can also cover service costs.

Mediation and the Family Mediation Program

Vermont courts can order mediation in family cases under V.R.F.P. 18, though it is not automatically required statewide. The Family Mediation Program connects parties with a trained mediator from the court's list — you choose who works best for you, since the court does not assign one. The program uses a sliding fee scale so that a subsidized hourly rate plus your out-of-pocket share equals $60 per hour, with the Judiciary helping cover up to 10 hours of mediation. Courts will not order mediation while a relief-from-abuse order is pending or in effect between the parties.

The Fastest DIY Path: Stipulated Divorce & Waiving the Final Hearing

If you and your spouse agree on every issue, a stipulated divorce is usually the quickest and cheapest route:

1. File your Final Stipulation (Form 878) resolving property, debts, and spousal support, along with a parenting plan if you have minor children.
2. Ask the court to waive the final hearing by filing the Stipulation and Motion to Waive Final Hearing (Form 841), available when your agreement is complete and no abuse prevention order is in effect.
3. Let the judge review the paperwork. If the stipulation is acceptable — and, in cases with children, the judge finds it serves their best interests — the court can enter a final order on the papers without a hearing.
4. Wait out the 90-day nisi period. By statute, every Vermont divorce decree is a decree nisi first and becomes absolute 90 days later unless the judge sets an earlier date.

In practice, a fast stipulated case with no minor children often becomes absolute in roughly three to five months from filing. Contested cases involving custody and support typically take much longer. For a full stage-by-stage breakdown, see our Vermont divorce timeline guide, and for more on how a contested case differs from a stipulated one, see our Vermont uncontested vs. contested divorce guide.

When to Consider Hiring an Attorney

DIY divorce works best in Vermont when both spouses cooperate, property is straightforward, and parenting time is not contested. Consider hiring a family law attorney if your case involves:

• A business interest, real estate, or retirement accounts needing a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO)
• Contested custody or a disputed parenting plan
• Domestic violence or safety concerns during service or mediation
• A spouse who cannot be located, which requires service by publication and additional court filings

Vermont's Access and Resource Centers can point you to forms and procedures but cannot give legal advice. Many Vermont attorneys offer flat-fee, limited-scope reviews of your paperwork that cost far less than full representation.