Divorce in Vermont
A divorce in Vermont can’t be final until at least 90 days after decree have passed.[1] One spouse must have lived there 6 months to file before filing.[2] Property is divided by equitable distribution.[4] No-fault divorce is available.[3] Each rule below links to the official text it comes from.
- Living apart first
- 6 consecutive months living apart
6 consecutive months living apart, for the no-fault ground[3]
Key facts: divorce in Vermont
| Waiting period | 90 days after decree[1] details ↓ |
|---|---|
| Residency requirement | 6 months to file; 1 year to finalize[2] details ↓ |
| No-fault divorce | Yes, after 6 months apart[3] details ↓ |
| Property division | Equitable distribution[4] details ↓ |
| Court mediation for custody | Court may order[5] details ↓ |
| Court mediation fees | Subsidized under $50,000 income[5] details ↓ |
| Filing fee | $295[6] details ↓ |
Statutes and court rules as checked October 26, 2026. Not legal advice.
What are the divorce laws in Vermont?
Not legal advice. These are plain-English summaries of Vermont’s statutes and court rules as of the date shown on each; they can change and courts apply them case by case. Read the linked source or ask a lawyer licensed in Vermont.
Waiting period
90 days after decree
A Vermont divorce decree is first a decree nisi and becomes absolute 90 days after it is entered, unless the court sets an earlier date.[1]
15 V.S.A. § 554(a) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“A decree of divorce from the bonds of matrimony in the first instance shall be a decree nisi and shall become absolute at the expiration of 90 days from the entry thereof but, in its discretion, the court that grants the divorce may fix an earlier date upon which the decree shall become absolute.”
Residency requirement
6 months to file; 1 year to finalize
Either spouse must have lived in Vermont for six months to file, and one spouse must have lived there for the year before the final hearing.[2]
15 V.S.A. § 592(a) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“A complaint for divorce or annulment of civil marriage may be brought if either party to the marriage has resided within the State for a period of six months or more, but a divorce shall not be decreed for any cause, unless the plaintiff or the defendant has resided in the State one year next preceding the date of final hearing.”
No-fault divorce
Yes, fault grounds also exist
Vermont's no-fault ground requires the spouses to have lived apart for six consecutive months with the court finding that resuming the marriage is not reasonably probable; fault grounds such as adultery also exist.[3]
15 V.S.A. § 551(7) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“when a married person has lived apart from his or her spouse for six consecutive months and the court finds that the resumption of marital relations is not reasonably probable.”
“(1) for adultery in either party;”
Property division
Equitable distribution
On either party's motion, the court equitably divides and assigns the spouses' property, and all property however and whenever acquired is within the court's jurisdiction.[4]
Community property in Vermont: the statute quoted →
15 V.S.A. § 751(a) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“the court shall settle the rights of the parties to their property by including in its judgment provisions which equitably divide and assign the property. All property owned by either or both of the parties, however and whenever acquired, shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the court.”
Court mediation for custody
Court may order
The Vermont Judiciary says the judge in a family case might ask the parties to take part in mediation through its Family Mediation Program.[5]
Family Mediation Program · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“That’s why the judge in your case might ask you to take part in mediation.”
Court mediation fees
Subsidized under $50,000 income
In the court's Family Mediation Program, if household income is up to $50,000 a year the court pays part of the mediator's hourly fee, with the party's share depending on household income.[5]
Family Mediation Program · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“If you earn up to $50,000 per year, the court will pay part of the mediator’s hourly fee. You will pay the other part. Your share of the fee depends on your household income.”
Filing fee
$295
The statewide filing fee for a divorce is $295 without a stipulation, $90 with a stipulation when one or both spouses are residents, or $180 with a stipulation if neither is a resident.[6]
Court Fees, citing 32 V.S.A. § 1431(b)(2) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“Filing for entry of divorce, annulment, or dissolution of civil union or legal separation $295.00 without a stipulation $90.00 with a stipulation and one or both residents $180.00 with a stipulation if neither party is resident”
Alimony
Set by formula
Vermont courts may order rehabilitative or long-term maintenance when a spouse lacks enough income or property for reasonable needs and cannot support themselves at the marital standard of living (or is caring for the parties’ child). The amount and length are what the court finds just after nine factors, the last of which is a statutory guideline table: a percentage range of the difference between the spouses’ gross incomes and a duration range as a percentage of the marriage’s length, both keyed to how long the marriage lasted.
Divorce rate
2.3 per 1,000 residents (2024)
Vermont’s courts granted 2.3 divorces per 1,000 residents in 2024, down from 4.1 in 2000; the U.S. rate was 2.3. In the Census Bureau’s 2024 survey, 7.5 of every 1,000 women 15 and older in Vermont divorced in the past year (±2.7; U.S. 6.9), a different measure.[8][9]
Divorce rates by state, with sources → · CDC/NCHS NVSS; Census ACS · checked October 27, 2026
Estimate your divorce cost in Vermont: mediation vs. court →
How child support is calculated in Vermont →
Official help: Divorce (Vermont Judiciary, Family Division)
Mediators per 100,000: MediationList listings from official court and government rosters in Vermont (44) ÷ population (648,493, U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates (July 1, 2024)) × 100,000, the same figure as mediator statistics.[7]
Questions about divorce in Vermont
How long does a divorce take in Vermont?
The law sets the minimum, not the total: A Vermont divorce decree is first a decree nisi and becomes absolute 90 days after it is entered, unless the court sets an earlier date. How long it takes after that depends on whether you agree and on the court's calendar. — 15 V.S.A. § 554(a)[1]
How long do you have to live in Vermont to file for divorce?
Either spouse must have lived in Vermont for six months to file, and one spouse must have lived there for the year before the final hearing. — 15 V.S.A. § 592(a)[2]
Is Vermont a no-fault divorce state?
Vermont's no-fault ground requires the spouses to have lived apart for six consecutive months with the court finding that resuming the marriage is not reasonably probable; fault grounds such as adultery also exist. — 15 V.S.A. § 551(7)[3]
Is Vermont a community property state?
No. On either party's motion, the court equitably divides and assigns the spouses' property, and all property however and whenever acquired is within the court's jurisdiction. — 15 V.S.A. § 751(a)[4]
Is mediation required for custody in Vermont?
The Vermont Judiciary says the judge in a family case might ask the parties to take part in mediation through its Family Mediation Program. — Family Mediation Program[5]
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Vermont?
The statewide filing fee for a divorce is $295 without a stipulation, $90 with a stipulation when one or both spouses are residents, or $180 with a stipulation if neither is a resident. — Court Fees, citing 32 V.S.A. § 1431(b)(2)[6]
How much does court mediation cost in Vermont?
In the court's Family Mediation Program, if household income is up to $50,000 a year the court pays part of the mediator's hourly fee, with the party's share depending on household income. — Family Mediation Program[5]
More
Compare nearby states
Sources
Vermont’s statutes and court rules, read on the official site, plus federal statistics; each with the date we checked it.
- 15 V.S.A. § 554(a) (Vermont General Assembly)↩
- 15 V.S.A. § 592(a) (Vermont General Assembly)↩
- 15 V.S.A. § 551(7) (Vermont General Assembly)↩
- 15 V.S.A. § 751(a) (Vermont General Assembly)↩
- Family Mediation Program (Vermont Judiciary)↩
- Court Fees (Vermont Judiciary), citing 32 V.S.A. § 1431(b)(2)↩
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county and state population estimates (July 1, 2024)↩
- CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System: Divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2024↩
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2024.B12503↩