Vermont · Custody and support · Updated Oct 2026

Child custody and support in Vermont

The Vermont rules for parents who divorce, from official sources: the legal term for custody, the parenting class, the official support calculator and the child support agency.

Quick answer

Vermont law uses the term “parental rights and responsibilities (legal and physical) and parent-child contact” for custody. About the parenting class: Required: both parents must take 'Helping Children Cope With Separation and Divorce' (COPE), offered online (Vermont Judiciary, Divorce Process). Vermont publishes an official child support calculator or guidelines.

Custody term
Parental rights and responsibilities (legal and physical) and parent-child contact
Parenting class
Required
Child support calculator
Official child support calculator or guidelines
Child support agency
Vermont Office of Child Support (DCF)

Custody terms in Vermont

Parental rights and responsibilities (legal and physical) and parent-child contact

Parenting class in Vermont

Required: both parents must take 'Helping Children Cope With Separation and Divorce' (COPE), offered online (Vermont Judiciary, Divorce Process).

Child support in Vermont

Children in a Vermont divorce: what the process includes

  1. Custody

    The court's orders use Vermont's term for custody: parental rights and responsibilities (legal and physical) and parent-child contact.

  2. Parenting class

    Required: both parents must take 'Helping Children Cope With Separation and Divorce' (COPE), offered online (Vermont Judiciary, Divorce Process).

  3. Child support

    The official calculator or guidelines: Official child support calculator or guidelines

  4. The child support agency

    Vermont's child support agency: Vermont Office of Child Support (DCF)

Questions about custody and child support in Vermont

What is child custody called in Vermont?

Vermont uses the term “parental rights and responsibilities (legal and physical) and parent-child contact”.

Do parents have to take a class in a Vermont divorce?

Required: both parents must take 'Helping Children Cope With Separation and Divorce' (COPE), offered online (Vermont Judiciary, Divorce Process).

Is there an official child support calculator for Vermont?

Yes. Vermont's official calculator or guidelines: Official child support calculator or guidelines

Which agency handles child support in Vermont?

Vermont Office of Child Support (DCF).

More about divorce in Vermont

Custody and support in nearby states

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.