VTCourtForms: Asking for a Divorce, Separation or Civil Union Dissolution in Vermont

Fill out forms on your phone or computer

This tool helps you complete and download forms in 3 steps:

Step 1: Answer questions that will fill in court forms for you.
Step 2: Preview the completed forms and edit answers, if needed.
Step 3: Download, save, print or email the final forms.

You will need to mail, email, efile or deliver them to the court on your own. VTCourtForms will give you instructions.

“It reminds me of a tax preparation tool. You input your information and it fills it out on the forms where it should go.” — VTCourtForms user

What forms will be produced?

This guided interview will produce an initial package of forms needed to ask the court for a divorce, legal separation, or civil union dissolution in Vermont.

This interview produces the following 5 forms to give to the court:

Summons and Complaint for a Divorce / Separation / Dissolution - form 400-00836
Notice of Appearance for Self-Represented Party - form 400-00831
Family Court Information Form - form 800
Statement of Confidential Information - form 400-00849
Department of Health Record of Divorce or Dissolution

You may need to fill out more forms depending if you and your spouse have an agreement about property, debts and kids (if you have them). See our Divorce Roadmap and ask the court clerk.

When you give these forms to the court, it is only the first step in the process to getting a divorce, separation, or civil union dissolution. See our Divorce Roadmap for all the steps.

Who can use this tool?

This guided interview was designed to be used by people who are not represented by a lawyer.
Visit our Divorce Roadmap to see if you can get a divorce, legal separation or civil union dissolution in Vermont and when you can start this process.
You can use this interview whether you and your spouse have children or not.
The forms in this interview can only be used in Vermont courts.
At this time, this interview is only available in English.

How much time to complete it?

It may take you over 45 minutes to complete this interview.

What to know before you start

Many people in Vermont get a divorce, legal separation or civil union dissolution without a lawyer. This guided interview is made for Vermonters who are not represented by a lawyer. If you do have a lawyer, contact your lawyer before you start this interview. If only your spouse has a lawyer, you can use this interview.
If you are in a marriage or civil union where you experience domestic violence or abuse, get help to stay safe during this process. Consider working with an advocate from the Vermont Network to create a safety plan. They can also help you get a safe mailing address so you can keep your address confidential.
Contact us at Legal Services Vermont if you need quick advice or a referral for:
- a divorce with children, or
- a divorce that involves abuse or domestic violence
Otherwise, Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid cannot give you advice on divorce issues.
For details on the entire divorce, legal separation or civil union dissolution process, visit the Divorce Roadmap on the VTLawHelp.org website.

Information you will need

To complete this interview, you will need to know birthdates of your spouse and children (if you have them). You will also need the address and phone number of your spouse and the addresses where the children have lived over the last five years.
You need to know whether you have a written agreement (called a “stipulation”) with your spouse about:
- property, debts and spousal support
- parental rights and responsibilities, parent-child contact and child support
See our Divorce Roadmap for more details on “stipulated divorces,” which have a less expensive filing fee.
You need to know the dates when you and your spouse moved to Vermont.
You need to know the date that you and your spouse started living separately and apart, as well as the date when you no longer lived in the same household.
You need the address and phone number of your spouse’s lawyer, if you know they have one.

After answering the questions

At the end you will get a chance to preview your forms and make changes if you need to.
Then you can download, save, print and/or email PDFs of your completed forms.
You will also get an instruction sheet about how to get the completed forms to the court – this includes emailing them or dropping them off at your local family court.
This tool does not file the forms for you. You will need to follow the instructions to get them to the court. You will also follow the instructions to send a copy of the forms to your spouse.