Vermont Divorce Laws

If you have not visited our Q&A page about Vermont divorce, we invite you to do so to get the answers to the most urgent questions from our customers who carried out their proceedings in this state. If you have already read it, you know that current VT divorce laws require you to live here for a year before the divorce is finalized. Therefore please follow this and other demands to be eligible for filing in VT.

Vermont divorce laws on alimony

According to divorce laws in Vermont, alimony is the spousal support that is paid by one partner to the other who is in need of such support after the divorce. Its aim is to provide the spouse who is unable to work and earn money with the same standard of living as they had in marriage. The details that the judge will consider while deciding on alimony include:

1. The time spent in the marriage
2. The ages of the parties and their health
3. Ability to pay
4. The amount of property received by the party who needs the support and the ability of the receiver to meet their needs independently
5. The amount of time and finances needed for the party to build skills to be able to work
6. Level of inflation in regards to living costs
7. Overall standard of living of the couple.

Once granted, the support may be divided into monthly payments or it may be paid in one lump sum. It can also be permanent or set for a certain number of years. Usually, the support ends when the recipient remarries.

When it comes to the question of adultery in the state of Vermont, divorce laws here note that Vermont is generally a ‘no-fault’ state; however, unfaithfulness can be a ground for dissolving a marriage (along with cruelty, imprisonment for no less than 3 years, abandonment and absence for 7 years and mental illness). Still, unfaithfulness will not play a role in making a decision whether to grant spousal support or not. In Vermont, this is done to make the transition from married to single life easier instead of punishing the parties for their improper behavior.

Also, if the divorce is being carried out in an uncontested manner, the parties can decide on the amount of spousal support themselves and outline their decision in the agreement they submit to the court. If the judge finds it satisfactory, the maintenance will be paid as the parties decided. If the couple fails to agree on the matter, the judge will make a decision considering all the circumstances of the situation and the factors listed above.

If the party required to pay support fails to do so, the recipient may go to small claims court or get the money via wage garnishment. Also, a separate case may be filed against the party who refuses to pay alimony.  

States divorce law